INDICATE Project Launch: Transforming the sharing and use of ICU Data Across Europe

On 2 December 2024, the INDICATE project officially launched, marking a significant step forward in leveraging intensive care unit (ICU) data across Europe to enhance patient outcomes. As a partner in this groundbreaking initiative, EIT Health Belgium-Netherlands is proud to contribute to advancing patient-centred care through ethically responsible data sharing and the development of trustworthy AI models.

The Vision of INDICATE

INDICATE addresses critical challenges in ICU data usage, such as fragmented data systems, the lack of standardised agreements, and insufficient secure infrastructure. These issues became starkly apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, hindering efforts to answer fundamental questions like the number of ventilated ICU patients across Europe. By establishing a secure federated infrastructure, INDICATE ensures patient data remains within hospitals while enabling the development of AI models that support personalised medicine and disaster preparedness.

Federated Data Sharing: Privacy by Design

The project’s federated approach allows software to analyse data within hospital settings, prioritising security and privacy. INDICATE’s partners, spanning Europe, ensure data diversity while setting the foundation for AI applications such as predicting bacterial bloodstream infections in newborns—enabling earlier, life-saving interventions.

Collaboration Across Borders

Dr Michel van Genderen, INDICATE Coordinator, explains:
“With INDICATE, we are setting a new standard in healthcare: secure data access and ethically responsible AI development as the norm. This paves the way for every ICU to benefit from the transformative power of AI and data-driven decision-making.”

Co-coordinator Prof Dr Christian Jung highlights the project’s broader impact:
“By linking data from many ICUs across Europe, we help doctors make better decisions and contribute to a more resilient European healthcare system.”

Our Role in INDICATE

As a project partner, EIT Health Belgium-Netherlands plays a pivotal role in business development, contributing to the development of a financially sustainable infrastructure, as well as dissemination, and communication. Through our extensive network and expertise, we facilitate training and skills programmes for INDICATE users and support stakeholder outreach. We leverage our network to channel users – start-ups and SMEs in particular –  to healthcare professionals and INDICATE services, and accelerate roll-out by providing access to finance and access to (international) markets.

This project exemplifies our commitment to fostering cross-border innovation, ensuring that transformative solutions in healthcare can be scaled across Europe.

For more details, visit the INDICATE website.