Consortium

CancerScan brings together 8 partners from 6 different countries (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Austria and Serbia) with interdisciplinary expertise in biomedical research, AI, hardware–software integration, clinical studies, and innovation management, as well as communication, dissemination, and exploitation. This diversity supports the core objective of advancing personalised cancer technologies to improve diagnosis, treatment, and outcome assessment for cancer patients.

The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) - Coordinator

The Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC) is located in Barcelona and was created in 2007 with the mission to carry out research of excellence in Chemical Sciences to improve the quality of life, focusing on the areas of human health, sustainability of processes and chemical products, and creation of new materials, areas that are encompassed under two main nodes: Biological Chemistry and Nanobiotechnology.

The IQAC-CSIC also stands out as a knowledge transfer center with a high production of patents and links with industry, facilitating the transfer of innovations developed in the laboratory to society. In addition, the IQAC-CSIC participates as well in the Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform in Global Health and was chosen as one of the CSIC reference centers to house one of the sites of the Chemical Library, whose objective is to homogenize and facilitate the discovery of molecules with new biological and/or therapeutic activities.

IQAC has 153 researchers including 7 research professors, 33 senior research scientists, 52 postdocs and PhD and 50 postdoctoral and specialized technicians (October 2024). IQAC attracts more than 2,3M€ per year, 36% International annual external competitive funding. Since 2020 income from collaborations and contracts with the public and private sector has been more than 3,6M€. IQAC has applied to 12 new patents, 5 PCT, dealt 8 new License agreements and created 1 spin-off. IQAC’s researchers publish on average more than 80 peer-reviewed research publications/year with the majority >75% in Q1 journals.

The Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) is the largest public research performing organisation (RPO) in Spain, the fourth most relevant public institution in the European Union, and the sixth in the world. Attached to the Ministry of Science and Innovation, with independent legal personality, the CSIC plays a key role in scientific and technological policy in Spain and around the world. The CSIC produces 20% of the national scientific output (70% publications at Q1 in 2023), remains the first institution in Spain in the generation of patents and has a broad experience managing large and singular infrastructures. It is a major player in the development of the European Research Area (ERA) and therefore a significant contributor to the European integration process. During H2020, the CSIC has obtained 917 projects (345 as coordinator), with a total EU financial contribution of 373 million euros and is listed the 1st organisation in Spain and the 3rd European Institution by number of actions (E-CORDA). In HE it has already achieved more than 351 projects, 130 coordinated with a total EU funding of 160 million euros being the fifth by EU contribution received.

FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências (FC.ID)

FCiências.ID – Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências (FC.ID) is a Non-Profit Private Association endowed with legal personality. It was created in 2017 as a common initiative of the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (CIENCIAS ULisboa) - a Higher Education institution - and 6 private companies. FC.ID’s goal is to support, potentiate and develop the Research, Development and Innovation (R&D) activities of its seven associates, while simultaneously enhancing CIENCIAS ULisboa strategic partnerships with market and service companies, thus creating a more challenging environment for research and innovation.

FC.ID is the legal representative of 12 National Science and Technology System (SNCT) research centres, in multiple fields of science including Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics and Operational Research, Physics, Space and Astrophysics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Geology, Geophysics, Biology, Computer Science and Informatics and Philosophy and History of Sciences, among others.

Following specific agreements, each FC.ID associate may act as a third party, supplying resources to FC.ID in its R&D projects. A third-party agreement with CIENCIAS ULisboa is in force. As an Affiliated Entity, CIENCIAS ULisboa carries out its own share of work, notwithstanding the full responsibility of FC.ID for the contracted scientific and technical work.

CIÊNCIAS ULisboa is part of the Universidade de Lisboa (ULisboa), the largest and most prestigious Portuguese University, ranked 5th among Latin-American universities, 144th in the SCIMAGO rankings and among the 260 best Universities in the world according to the latest available QS World University Rankings. In the same ranking, CIÊNCIAS ULisboa is a top Portuguese faculty, covering a wide range of the key scientific areas of exact and natural sciences and techno-sciences and providing its more than 5000 students with high-quality research environment and infrastructures. These include more than 130 teaching and research laboratories in its 10 departments and 13 research and development units (the majority of which rated as Excellent or Very Good). More than 700 academics and researchers produce over 1200 scientific papers per year in indexed scientific journals, mostly Q1. Ciências has over 500 national and international research and development projects, including 6 ERC grants (Consolidator and Starting), 5 Marie Curie and over 50 European Collaborative Grants with an annual competitive funding of around 15 million euros (2024), which together with more than 600 collaboration protocols with Portuguese and foreign institutions, public and private, allows CIÊNCIAS ULisboa to train highly qualified professionals.

Politecnico Milano (Polimi)

Politecnico di Milano is a public scientific-technological university which trains engineers, architects and industrial designers. The University has always focused on the quality and innovation of its teaching and research, developing a fruitful relationship with business and productive world by means of experimental research and technological transfer.. It also wants to be a solid, recognisable and reliable reference point for sustainable development in Italy and Europe. Research has always been linked to didactics and it is a priority commitment which has allowed Politecnico Milano to achieve high quality results at an international level as to join the university to the business world. Research constitutes a parallel path to that formed by cooperation and alliances with the industrial system.

Knowing the world in which you are going to work is a vital requirement for training students. By referring back to the needs of the industrial world and public administration, research is facilitated in following new paths and dealing with the need for constant and rapid innovation. The alliance with the industrial world, in many cases favored by Fondazione Politecnico and by consortiums to which Politecnico belong, allows the university to follow the vocation of the territories in which it operates and to be a stimulus for their development.

Bielefeld University (UNIBI)

As a strong research university with international appeal and innovative teaching concepts, Bielefeld University makes an important contribution to a progressive and participatory knowledge society. It is an attractive, family-friendly place to work and study, characterised by an open culture of communication, interdisciplinarity, diversity and freedom of personal development.

UNIBI was founded in 1969 with an explicit research assignment and a mission to provide high-quality research-oriented teaching. With 25,000 students, it now comprises 14 faculties covering a wide range of subjects in the arts and humanities, natural sciences, technology and medicine.

In terms of research, UNIBI has been ranked in the top 25 percent of the national competitive field. Its research profile is based on four strategic, thematic research priorities, which are linked by three cross-cutting topics. All research priorities are interdisciplinary and involve various faculties and central scientific institutions. Cutting-edge interdisciplinary research is carried out on the highest international level, in particular within the framework of systematically selected third-party funded projects. The strategic research priorities focus on innovative basic research. They provide important focal points for possible transfers of academic research into industrial and societal applications, in line with UNIBI’s official motto “Transcending Boundaries”.

Participation in EU-funded projects:

Since FP7, UNIBI has successfully participated in more than 120 EU-funded projects, in 18 cases acting as coordinating institution in collaborative projects. The EU team at the Department for Research Administration and Technology Transfer has extensive experience in EU-project management and will assist UNIBI’s PI at all stages of the project life span.

Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)

We are a public sector institution that promotes and develops biomedical research, innovation, and teaching at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. Since 1994, we have been working to identify and implement new solutions to society's health problems, achieving leadership and excellence in clinical and translational biomedical research in the national and international spheres.

VHIR has more than 2,100 employees, of whom more than 1,100 are researchers; the rest are responsible for making the research possible or transferring it to society once it is done. Whether it is in the form of projects, technological and innovation transfer, communication, or patronage, among others.

We investigate to solve people's health problems. Our scope is not just basic or translational; we are also leaders in clinical research. We have hospital beds at less than 50 meters from laboratories, and our patients benefit from our research. We believe in this and, in consequence, we strive towards it. This is recognized by the industry leaders, who choose our hospital to carry out their first clinical trials, thereby making us a global reference point.

MINDS & SPARKS GmbH (M&S)

NEOVIVUM TECHNOLOGIES DOO NOVI SAD (NEO)

Neovivum Technologies is a pioneering AI company dedicated to advancing the frontiers of artificial intelligence through innovative digital agents with sophisticated cognitive capabilities. Our mission centers on developing AI systems that can understand, adapt, and interact intelligently within complex, dynamic environments. At Neovivum, we transcend traditional AI methodologies that are often constrained by domain specificity, rigid rule sets, and limited datasets. Instead, we have developed a groundbreaking foundational platform that integrates multimodal data streams, enabling our AI systems to generate and comprehend complex concepts while performing advanced cognitive tasks.

Our expertise extends prominently into biomedical simulation and computational modeling, with specialized focus on oncology research. We leverage our advanced AI capabilities to create sophisticated simulation frameworks that could accelerate drug discovery, enhance treatment optimization, and provide deeper insights into cancer biology and therapeutic interventions.

We believe in pushing the boundaries of AI-driven decision-making by creating systems that don't just process data, but truly understand and reason about complex scientific and medical challenges. Our work bridges the gap between theoretical AI advancement and practical biomedical applications, delivering solutions that have real-world impact on human health.