- Supported by IHI: a 54-month initiative with a total budget of €19.16 million is co-funded by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) and industry partners.
- A collaborative consortium: GRACE brings together 24 partners from research, healthcare, and industry, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to advance cardiovascular disease management under the leadership of Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma and Medtronic Ibérica.
- AI-powered cardiovascular innovation: implementing advanced AI diagnostics, remote monitoring, and digital health solutions to enhance early detection, care pathways efficiency, and patient follow-up.
Real-world validation: conducting six pilot studies across Europe to test and refine GRACE’s solutions, ensuring scalability, effectiveness, and healthcare system integration.
Castellón, May 17th 2025 – Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.9 million fatalities each year—a number expected to rise to 22 million by 2030, according to the WHO. Encompassing a range of conditions such as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Heart Failure (HF) and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) among others,CVDs significantly impacts patients’ quality of life while placing immense economic pressure on healthcare systems. The current management of CVDs presents multifaceted challenges, including gaps in early detection, diagnosis, and access to comprehensive care. Additionally, the intricate care pathway, involving numerous diagnostic procedures and multidisciplinary interventions, often leads to inconsistent outcomes.
Addressing this critical challenge, the GRACE project officially launches with the goal of enhancing early detection, management, and long-term patient care through cutting-edge digital solutions and AI-driven innovations. Supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), the 54-month project has a total budget of €19.16 million, with co-funding from the European Union and industry partners. GRACE will integrate new digital technologies to transform cardiovascular care pathways and improve healthcare system efficiency.
Last week, all consortium members had a productive Kick off meeting at the facilities of Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, bringing together key stakeholders from the public sector, industry, and academia. Over these two days, they emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to drive this initiative forward and achieve their shared goal of transforming cardiovascular care.
What is GRACE?
GRACE is a collaborative effort to bridge gaps in cardiovascular disease management by developing innovative, scalable, and sustainable healthcare solutions. The project focuses on key areas such as Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure, Aortic Stenosis, and cardiac surgical pathways. By leveraging advanced technologies, GRACE aims to:
- Enhance early detection and diagnosis through AI-powered wearables and predictive analytics.
- Improve patient empowerment and outcomes with personalized digital health interventions and remote monitoring tools.
- Optimize healthcare resources by reducing hospitalizations and ensuring more efficient care pathways.
- Support healthcare professionals through decision-support systems that improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce administrative burdens.
- Accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions by ensuring that new technologies are scalable, interoperable, and aligned with regulatory frameworks.
Real-world application: six pilot studies
GRACE is pioneering innovative clinical interventions through six pilot studies across Europe:
Transforming Atrial Fibrillation (AF) management
Aiming to revolutionize atrial fibrillation (AF) care, this use case focuses on early detection, remote monitoring post-ablation, and patient empowerment to enhance outcomes and reduce hospital visits.
Improving Aortic Stenosis (AS) care for cancer patients
This initiative integrates digital tools and remote follow-up models to improve detection and management of complications in aortic stenosis (AS) patients with a history of cancer, enhancing clinical outcomes.
Redefining cardiac surgery recovery
By introducing tailored Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, this use case seeks to streamline cardiac surgery recovery, reduce complications, and improve patient satisfaction.
Advancing cardiac MRI for better INOCA diagnosis
This use case focuses on improving cardiac MRI workflows and diagnostics for Ischemia with No Obstructive Coronary Arteries (INOCA), ensuring accurate and timely patient-centered care.
Optimizing Heart Failure (HF) management
Leveraging predictive analytics and digitized clinical guidelines, this initiative enhances heart failure care by improving treatment adherence, reducing acute events, and empowering healthcare providers.
A holistic pathway for cardiovascular disease management
This use case establishes an integrative care model covering prevention, diagnosis, and ongoing management for patients with AF, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and HF, emphasizing personalized strategies and patient engagement.
Each pilot will measure clinical, economic, and societal impact, ensuring that GRACE solutions deliver real, measurable benefits to patients and healthcare professionals alike.
Shaping the future of cardiovascular care
By integrating AI, data-driven insights, and real-world clinical validation, GRACE aims to set a new standard for cardiovascular disease management. The project not only focuses on immediate improvements in patient care but also lays the groundwork for long-term sustainability and scalability within European healthcare systems.
“Technology has revolutionized biology and medicine. It is time now to focus on public and global health unmet needs. With this spirit, GRACE will focus on the adoption, apart the deployment, of innovative enabling technologies for improving the management of cardiovascular diseases, one of the most complex global health challenge. An unprecedented number of innovations are developed early, but only a little part of it is adopted by healthcare services. GRACE will bridge this gap, ensuring more safe, effective, cost-effective and sustainable services while generating new knowledge.” Said Leandro Pecchia Chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University Campus Bio-Medico and lead public partner in Grace project.
«Leading the GRACE initiative is both a privilege and a responsibility. Transforming cardiovascular care requires not only innovation but also collaboration across sectors to ensure scalable and impactful solutions. GRACE represents a bold step towards redefining how we manage cardiovascular diseases across Europe, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to drive progress and improve patient outcomes.» Said Jorge Posada, Head of External Funding in Medtronic and lead private partner from Grace Project.
The project will actively engage healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, and patient advocacy groups through interactive sessions, scientific publications, and public outreach initiatives.
A strong consortium for a common goal
GRACE brings together 24 top-tier partners from academia, healthcare, industry, and patient organizations, working collaboratively to drive innovation in cardiovascular care. This diverse consortium includes leading hospitals, universities, research institutions, and medical technology companies, ensuring a comprehensive approach to tackling cardiovascular challenges. With active participation from organizations in Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Israel and Korea GRACE spans multiple healthcare systems, enabling real-world validation of its solutions. By integrating expertise across different sectors and regions, the project is set to deliver scalable, high-impact innovations that will transform cardiovascular disease management across Europe.
Supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI)
This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101194778. The IHI JU receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and the industry associations COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bio, MedTech Europe, and Vaccines Europe.
For more information and to join the GRACE Community, visit:
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