Financing of €135 million for scientific innovation projects in Artificial Intelligence and health

A historic budget commitment to transform the health sector and contribute to the revitalisation of industry

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8 DECEMBER 2021

Last November, the Spanish government presented the Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) for cutting-edge Health, a set of measures to promote innovation in the National Health System (SNS). The planned investment is more than 1.469 billion euros for the 2021-2023 period.

One of PERTE’s strategic objectives is to develop a data system – collection, integration and analysis – aimed at the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of diseases for every patient. Three actions in the field of artificial intelligence follow from this objective: the programme of R&D missions in AI in the health sector, integration of AI into value chains in the health sector, and the creation of a multidisciplinary centre for the application of AI to health care technologies.

Official presentation of PERTE, last November

Financial aid for research

The 2021 AI R&D Missions Programme is intended for financial aid to industrial research projects that use AI in one of the sectors considered key for the programme, including health. The aim is to anticipate and provide a rapid response to the main physical and mental illnesses. The planned investment is 14.28 million euros.

 

Transforming the economic environment

The National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (ENIA), in accordance with EU policies, defines the reference framework for drawing up sectoral, state and regional plans and strategies in this area. ENIA aims to address the great social challenges in strategic areas for the country, one of which is health. To that end, it is intended to promote AI in value chains to transform the economic environment. PERTE will allocate an investment of 21.42 million euros.

 

AI multidisciplinary healthcare centre

Another measure envisaged by the ENIA is the creation of a multidisciplinary centre to promote scientific research that deepens the knowledge of AI and the development of new techniques, areas or applications that can be transferred to the field of production and the public sector. The planned investment is 100 million euros, 60% of which is to come from private financing.

The total investment in projects aimed at scientific research in AI for health and the transfer to industry amounts to €135.7 million. It is estimated that these measures could create up to 1,527 jobs.