Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) ranks as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting each year approximately 384 million people. In Europe, the annual healthcare costs associated with COPD, covering inpatient, outpatient, and pharmaceutical treatments, exceed 10 billion euros. The disease not only burdens healthcare systems but also impacts the economy, reducing productivity by an estimated 28.5 billion euros and causing 300,000 premature deaths annually.

Addressing this global health challenge is the DIGILUNG project, which aims to create an innovative digital health ecosystem, fostering successful collaborations among various stakeholders, technologies, and strategies. The project focuses on improving patient care and service quality while creating new business opportunities to maximize regional and societal benefits. The project is coordinated and led by the Tehnopol Science and Business Park, supporting innovative integrated solutions and collaboration in healthcare.

DIGILUNG amplifies three AI-based innovation pilot projects to develop and commercialize products, creating a comprehensive solution that integrates them. ATRIDE SMPC (Kinetic Analysis) has developed the wearable LungShirt, which daily records a patient’s respiratory and activity data. These data are sent to the MoveUp AI platform for analysis, interpretation, visualization, and recommendations. Two technological solutions will be brought together by the state-of-the-art API platform of the Estonian company Cognuse.

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) supports the aforementioned innovation activities with the development of AI algorithms and the analysis of legal and ethical aspects. Clinical testing and validation, crucial in healthcare innovation, are conducted in collaboration with the Research Foundation of the General University Hospital of Valencia (Fundacion Investigacion Hospital General Universitario de Valencia). This ensures that the developed technologies and methods are safe, effective, and ready for widespread implementation in clinical conditions.

DIGILUNG paves the way for a new era in COPD treatment by combining cutting-edge technologies, launching regional ecosystems, supporting a patient-centric approach, and improving the quality of life for those suffering from the disease. This project serves as an example of the future of health technology, where integrated solutions and collaborative efforts help overcome some of our era’s most urgent health problems.

The project is funded by the European Union. The expressed views and opinions belong solely to the author(s) and may not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the funding institution can be held responsible for the expressed views.