The Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU) has secured funding for the TWIN-OPHTHALMO project under the prestigious Horizon Europe Twinning program. The initiative is designed to enhance STU's scientific excellence in the domain of artificial intelligence (AI) applied to the diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases. This objective will be achieved through strategic institutional cooperation with leading European research partners.
The project focuses on the development and deployment of advanced AI methodologies for biomedical image data analysis and multimodal diagnostics of ophthalmic conditions. Research efforts will target diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Additionally, the project encompasses the development of innovative biomaterials for controlled drug delivery, thereby establishing a unique research environment that bridges cutting-edge diagnostics with novel therapeutic approaches. By synthesizing expertise in artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, and biomaterials, the project aims to contribute to more precise diagnostics, personalized treatment, and enhanced healthcare quality.
The project was selected amid highly competitive European fields. Out of 1,904 project proposals submitted to the call, only 179 received funding. In Slovakia, only six Twinning projects were selected for financing, with TWIN-OPHTHALMO being one of them. The total project budget amounts to €1,431,065, of which STU will receive €735,750.
„The TWIN-OPHTHALMO project intensively connects us with our partners from the EULiST European Universities Alliance, the Finnish Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), and the French Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT). Beyond advancing scientific excellence, it focuses on institutional development, doctoral training, and upgrading the university's research management. I highly appreciate that this ambitious project emerged as a joint initiative between Prof. Oravec from FEI STU and Prof. Hämäläinen from LUT, Senior Advisor to the Rector of STU for Strategic Development and Internationalization,” stated Martin Rebroš, STU Vice-Rector for Science, Research, and Foreign Projects.
The project demonstrates the value of partnerships established through the European Universities initiative by converting them into concrete research endeavors. In addition to its scientific objectives, TWIN-OPHTHALMO represents a comprehensive capacity-building initiative. Through intensive researcher mobility, collaborative research activities, modernized doctoral education, and the sharing of best practices in research management, the project will strengthen STU's long-term research and innovation capacity while increasing its competitiveness in future European research frameworks. A significant role in this process is held by Prof. Jari Hämäläinen, Advisor to the Rector of STU for Strategic Development and Internationalization and representative of LUT University, who will contribute extensive expertise in university development strategy, internationalization, and research policy formulation.
Furthermore, the project will foster knowledge exchange among researchers, stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration, and generate new opportunities for future joint research and innovation initiatives. By linking scientific excellence with institutional transformation, the TWIN-OPHTHALMO project will reinforce STU's position as an internationally competitive research university in the field of AI-driven healthcare.
The Twinning instrument is a component of the Horizon Europe program under the Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area (WIDERA) framework. Its primary objective is to enhance the scientific excellence of universities and research organizations in Widening countries through long-term partnerships with leading European institutions. It supports knowledge transfer, researcher mobility, the advancement of doctoral education, institutional reforms, and the sharing of best practices, thereby contributing to increased research capacity and success rates in European research and innovation programs.
Photo: Internet
