Innovation isn’t just about technology; it’s about creating solutions that deliver significant impact and add value across sectors. Nowhere is this more evident than in healthcare, where collaboration and advanced technologies play a crucial role. Platforms that foster cross-border teamwork embrace diverse expertise, and integrate multiple disciplines are essential to driving meaningful and transformative change.
At the heart of this revolution lies the Virtual Human Twins (VHT), a groundbreaking concept that redefines our approach to understanding and managing human physiology and pathology. VHTs are integrated multiscale, multi-time, and multidisciplinary representations of the human body, purpose-built to accelerate the creation of patient-specific predictive models. These models go beyond technology—they empower clinical decision-making, personal health forecasting, and the creation of personalised medical solutions.
A thriving innovation ecosystem relies on collaboration between diverse stakeholders. When ideas, resources, and expertise are shared, the result is sustainable growth and the collective ability to overcome healthcare’s most complex challenges. EDITH, a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) funded by the European Commission, plays a critical role. By capitalising on the potential of digital technologies, high-performance computing, and access to research and healthcare data across Europe, EDITH is crafting a robust framework to bring VHTs to life.
To achieve a sustainable ecosystem both economically and socially, Pi School focused on exploring innovative business models that can adapt to future challenges and opportunities in healthcare. This involves identifying the priorities of the EU agenda on the one hand and emerging technologies on the other hand. The impact on clinical practices considered social equity and economic viability. By doing so, Pi School was able to create models that drive growth and support citizens’ well-being and care.
EDITH’s mission is to support the development of a fully integrated VHT that addresses the unique needs of patients, healthcare providers, regulatory authorities, and industry leaders. Its detailed roadmap charts a clear pathway from single-organ digital twins to integrated, data-driven, whole-body representations. This focus ensures that innovation drives progress and creates sustainable, long-term benefits. Here’s how:
EDITH’s roadmap is a cornerstone of its vision to integrate VHT into personalised medicine. It sets out clear short- and mid-term policy recommendations, identifies the foundational building blocks for clinical deployment, and addresses critical areas such as interoperability and health information integration. By tackling unmet medical needs and preparing for large-scale clinical adoption, EDITH is charting a course towards a future where clinical decision-making is more precise, personalised, and effective.
One of EDITH’s most ambitious objectives is creating a simulation platform. This platform will provide a collaborative environment where users can design, develop, test, and validate single-organ digital twins before integrating them into comprehensive VHT. With five pre-selected use cases—cancer, cardiovascular health, intensive care, osteoporosis, and brain health—the platform will showcase its vast potential to revolutionise healthcare across disciplines.
Healthcare innovation like the VHT is no longer a distant dream—it is becoming a tangible reality thanks to collaboration, technology, and shared vision. By embracing inclusivity, scalability, and sustainability principles, EDITH fosters an environment where the Virtual Human Twin can flourish, delivering transformative benefits to patients, healthcare providers, and industries.
Through EDITH’s coordinated efforts, we embark on a new era in personalised medicine—where innovation, collaboration, and impact converge to improve lives globally. The journey from single-organ digital twins to a fully integrated VHT has begun, and its potential to redefine healthcare as we know it is boundless.