The TEF (Testing and Experimentation Facility) programme planned for five areas – healthcare, industry, agri-food, energy and smart cities – aims to streamline the certification and testing of artificial intelligence and robotics solutions in real-world environments. The Portugal-led health consortium just launched the first call for applications dedicated to the founders from the European healthcare sector. This initiative is underscored by an ambitious goal to test 100 pilot solutions by the year 2025, reflecting Portugal’s commitment to driving innovation and progress in healthcare.
AI and robotics are vital for addressing challenges posed by Europe’s ageing population and healthcare workforce shortages. By 2050, Europe’s elderly population will surge, with those aged 80 or older surpassing 48 million. Leveraging AI and robotics becomes essential to meet these challenges, enabling remote patient monitoring and early intervention. For example, AI-powered wearables and sensors offer continuous health tracking, reducing healthcare burdens and improving efficiency.
„The road to market for a HealthTech startup is long and complex. The support that a program like TEF Health can provide is extremely valuable in order to get much better prepared for the collaboration with the healthcare stakeholders (hospital, authorities, other companies), who will have high expectations even from a startup”, said Dr. Ion-Gheorghe PETROVAI , Co-founder FreshBlood HealthTech – EITHealth RIS Hub for Romania since 2018.
In recent years, European startups have made significant strides in AI innovation, especially in healthcare. Romania, in particular, is solidifying its standing as a frontrunner in artificial intelligence (AI) within Europe, with Bucharest securing an impressive third place among European cities hosting AI startups and unicorns. Surging 28 spots from the regional ranking, Romania’s capital is now only outmatched by major hubs like London and Paris, as revealed by a recent report from StartupBlink. Additionally, EIT Health support in Romania has played a pivotal role in fostering the growth of healthcare startups specializing in AI, exemplified by companies like Wello.ai.
Open call to EU start-ups and SMEs developing AI and robotics technology
Despite their potential, AI innovations face obstacles like risks and lack of trust, requiring rigorous testing and infrastructure for market acceleration. TEF Health aims to streamline the certification and testing of AI and robotics solutions in real-world environments. The first TEF Health call, which opened in February, works only with Portuguese service providers but is open to start-ups and SMEs developing AI and robotics technology from different EU countries as well.
The consortium is spearheaded by Institute Pedro Nunes. It has the participation of Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), Centro Hospitalar de São João in Porto, Shared Services of the Ministry of Health, Health Cluster Portugal and EIT Health InnoStars – one of the eight geographical areas of EIT Health, part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. At the European level, the project includes a consortium of 52 entities from 10 countries, led by the Charité University Hospital in Berlin (Germany).
“The primary objective of this project is to facilitate the development and market entry of trustworthy AI/robotic solutions. One key aspect of this collaboration is establishing a network of practical testing facilities. These facilities encompass physical infrastructure, data resources, computational capabilities, living labs, and laboratory testing facilities, offering healthcare innovators the opportunity to conduct extensive tests and experiments within large-scale, realistic environments”, explains Ricardo Pires, Health Community Lead, EIT Health InnoStars.
The TEFs are an initiative of the European Commission with the aim of streamlining the certification and testing of artificial intelligence and robotics solutions. The intention is for these large-scale experimentation centres to offer physical and virtual facilities, where startups and SMEs can get support to test, validate and demonstrate their latest AI-based technologies in real-world environments. The real environments will be hospitals and research and development labs in healthcare.
In addition to helping to increase the effectiveness, resilience and sustainability of health systems in the EU, TEF-Health also aims to reduce inequalities in healthcare delivery and ensure compliance with legal, ethical, quality and interoperability standards.
The application process involves several phases, including eligibility assessment, evaluation, and approval to gain access to the Portuguese TEF-Health services catalogue. Interested startups and SMEs can apply by visiting https://tefhealth.eu/call/call-1 and following the application process outlined in the call document. Selected startups and SMEs from EU member states will receive state aid support in the form of discounts on the market price of validation services.
