🚨 EU Proposes Major Changes to Research and Health Funding: Impact on Cancer Imaging

On 16 July, the European Commission published its proposal for the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), outlining major structural changes to how the EU will fund health, research, and innovation.

A central element of the proposal is the establishment of a new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF)—a consolidated €410 billion instrument that would merge 14 current funding programmes, including EU4Health, into a more streamlined structure. This fund is intended to boost Europe’s strategic autonomy and global competitiveness, with one of its key focus areas being Health, Biotech, Bioeconomy, and Resilience.

The ECF will be organised around four main policy windows:

  • Clean Transition and Industrial Decarbonisation
  • Digital Leadership
  • Health, Biotech, Bioeconomy and Resilience
  • Defence and Space

The proposed integration of EU4Health into this broader fund raises questions about the future visibility and prioritisation of dedicated health initiatives. For the cancer imaging community, this development highlights the importance of continued advocacy to ensure that health research—particularly in AI-driven imaging, data infrastructure, and diagnostics—remains a priority within the new structure.

On a positive note, Horizon Europe will remain a standalone programme with a proposed budget of €175 billion. It will continue supporting scientific excellence across fields, including medical and cancer research, while aligning more strongly with the EU’s industrial and strategic objectives.

Horizon Europe is structured around four key pillars:

  1. Excellent Science
  2. Competitiveness and Society – including Health, Biotech, and EU Missions
  3. Digital Leadership
  4. European Research Area

The proposed allocation of €131 billion for defence highlights a significant shift in EU priorities. This reinforces the need for strong advocacy from the medical research community to ensure continued support for health research, particularly in medical imaging and biotechnology.

The plan also introduces a Single Rulebook to harmonise rules across funding schemes and reduce administrative burdens. A Strategic Stakeholder Board will be created to advise on priorities and guide the governance of the new fund.

📄 Read the full legislative proposal here.

Join the EUCAIM Consortium

Open Call for New Beneficiaries

We’re inviting new partners to enhance our pan-European infrastructure for cancer images and artificial intelligence.

Whether you’re a data holder with valuable cancer images or an innovator developing AI tools for precision medicine, this is your chance to contribute to a groundbreaking project.

Apply by 10 June 2024!

Open Call Webinar

We recently hosted a webinar with more details for prospective applicants to the open call. A recording is available.

Our open Call for new collaborators
launches in April 2024

Opportunities for data holders & AI developers to contribute await! Let‘s join forces to enhance cancer diagnosis and treatment

Be the first to know and apply!

SAVE THE DATE
March 14, 10:00-11:30 aM CET

DISCOVER THE CANCER IMAGE EUROPE PLATFORM

TECHNICAL DEMONSTRATION WEBINAR

Explore the potential for AI-driven cancer care advancements!
Learn how to access and utilize our federated cancer image repository. The webinar is for AI Innovators & Data Providers interested in the platform and will feature an introduction to EUCAIM & Cancer Image Europe and a demonstration of data exploration & access.

Survey Invitation

Join Leading Experts In Shaping AI In Cancer

EUCAIM is looking for your feedback! We have recently published a Stakeholder Survey in order to reach out to potential end-users and stakeholders. We believe that your insights could significantly contribute to understanding the expectations of potential users and identifying the essential aspects that stakeholders find crucial for future engagement and collaboration with the platform.

Therefore, we would like to invite you to participate in the Stakeholder Survey about the Cancer Image Europe platform.

Completing the survey will take approximately 10 minutes. Your participation is crucial to the success of this project, and we deeply appreciate your expertise in shaping the future of cancer imaging and treatment.