UNITE programme launches in Brussels with €20 million investment to bridge Europe’s digital health divide // EIT Digital

EIT Digital is proud to announce the official launch of UNITE, a major pan-European programme aimed at transforming healthcare through digital deep tech innovation.

Selected as part of the European Commission’s Regional Innovation Valleys initiative under the New European Innovation Agenda, the 4-year project is kicking off today with a meeting of all consortium partners at the EIT House in Brussels, at the presence of EISMEA’s Project Officer Christina Nanou, Magdalena Cymerys, Policy Officer of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and Christine Kriza, project advisor EISMEA.

As healthcare systems across Europe face growing challenges, from aging populations to healthcare workforce shortages, there is an urgent need for innovative digital solutions. The UNITE consortium, led by EIT Digital, brings together a diverse group of partners to address these pressing issues.

Federico Menna "The healthcare challenges Europe faces today require a unified, innovative response. Through the UNITE initiative, we are empowering regions and companies to develop and scale deep tech solutions that will enhance the efficiency, accessibility, and quality of healthcare systems across the continent," says Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital.

The group of partners includes Region Sjaelland in Denmark, Thüringer Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Digitale Gesellschaft in Germany, the Region of Central Macedonia in Greece, Regione Lombardia in Italy, Malopolska Voivodeship in Poland, Unitatea Executiva Pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii (UEFISCDI) in Romania, the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration in Ukraine, and Scottish Enterprise in the United Kingdom.

UNITE will activate open calls for proposals to cascade funding to highly innovative European companies in the digital health domain. These calls will support startups, scale-ups, and SMEs in delivering deep tech solutions that can bridge regional innovation gaps, enhance Europe’s global competitiveness, and secure equal access to healthcare for all.

A key objective of the project is to streamline public procurement processes and sharing of health data across partner regions, ensuring that innovative solutions can be integrated into regional healthcare systems more efficiently. Furthermore, UNITE will activate online training programmes tailored to key stakeholders in the digital health ecosystem, establishing a baseline of knowledge across regions and fostering a deeper understanding of the innovations that are shaping the future of healthcare.

The importance of the UNITE programme is underpinned by significant financial support from the European Commission. The budget for the consortium’s activities is close to €20 million (half of which will come from the Commission). At least half of the programme’s budget will be allocated to supporting 3-5 interregional innovation projects focused on the development and deployment of next-generation digital health solutions.

By 2028, the consortium will also provide policy recommendations to decision-makers at both regional and European levels, ensuring that the lessons learned from the UNITE programme can be integrated into future initiatives.

Sign up for updates

Receive the latest news and events updates by subscribing to our newsletter.

Sign up for our Newsletter

For media contacts

Are you a member of the media and would you like to contact us?
→ Get in touch with us here

UNITE programme launches in Brussels with €20 million investment to bridge Europe’s digital health divide

Sign up for updates

For media contacts

Continue reading

EIT Digital launches SPIN programmes to boost European deep tech commercialization

AI and the skill revolution: transforming job roles and skills management

AI meets gastronomy: how Ajinomatrix is revolutionising the food Industry

Nine more EIT Digital supported companies have been approved to receive EIC Accelerator "Fast Track" designation!

VCs at the forefront of tech-driven societal change

Itilekha Podder: driving AI innovation from academia to industry