The UNCAN-Connect project kicks off in Tallinn: A new era for collaborative cancer research in Europe
Tallinn, Estonia, 8-9 October – The UNCAN-Connect project officially launched in Tallinn, marking the start of a five-year initiative to transform how cancer research is conducted across Europe. Funded by the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme, the €29.9 million project brings together 53 partner organizations from 19 countries to co-develop UNCAN.eu, a decentralized collaborative platform enabling secure, ethical, and interoperable access to cancer data. UNCAN-Connect will validate its platform through use cases targeting six cancer types – paediatric, lymphoid, pancreatic, ovarian, lung, and prostate cancer, and will promote open access to cancer data while respecting patients’ rights and privacy.
The two-day Kick-Off event brought together key representatives from the European Commission and nearly 150 consortium members from partner organisations, showcasing a shared European ambition to transform cancer research through collaboration and innovation.
“The EU Mission on Cancer is a key initiative addressing one of society’s greatest health challenges, with the goal of improving the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030,” said Dr Ioannis Vouldis, Project Manager at HaDEA. “With UNCAN-Connect we are taking a major step forward – building an open-source, federation-of-federations platform (UNCAN.eu) to securely share cancer data across Europe. Over the next five years, this €30 million Horizon Europe project will connect researchers, clinicians, and citizens to accelerate discovery and improve cancer outcomes across six major cancer types.”
The event also featured interventions from Karmen Joller, Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia, Annika Nowak, Head of Sector at DG RTD and Head of the Cancer Mission Secretariat, Jérôme de Barros from DG for Health & Food Safety (DG SANTE), Angelo Solimini from DG for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), and Aleksandra Wesołowska from DG for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT). Together, they underscored the role of European cooperation in aligning policy, research, and digital innovation to create a more integrated and data-driven response to the cancer challenge.
The Kick-off Meeting gathered project partners and leading experts to align on the project’s scientific, technical, and governance goals. “UNCAN-Connect strengthens Europe’s cancer data network, promotes open science, and makes cancer research and care more precise and efficient. Even within small Estonia we are diverse – so you can imagine the diversity across all of Europe. Over the next five years, we will unite the experience and expertise of researchers, clinicians, patient representatives, IT professionals, and other specialists, bridging the technical and clinical sides of cancer data. By working together, we will achieve results that no single country could accomplish alone,” said Kadi-Liis Veiman, UNCAN-Connect Project Lead.
The second day of the Kick-Off focused on building alignment and fostering collaboration among all consortium partners. Discussions centered on establishing effective connections and workflows, ensuring mutual understanding of roles, and setting the foundation for seamless cooperation.
The Kick-Off event set the tone for a new chapter of European cooperation in cancer research. By connecting expertise, data, and ambition across borders, UNCAN-Connect will drive the collective progress needed to make a lasting difference for cancer patients.
Key facts about UNCAN-Connect
UNCAN-Connect is funded under the HORIZON-MISS-2024-CANCER-01 Call of Horizon Europe.
Acknowledgement
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101104349.
