The future of healthcare depends on our ability to detect emerging threats quickly, accurately and wherever they occur. This vision lies at the heart of both UniHealth and DxHub, two Horizon Europe initiatives working to strengthen Europe’s diagnostic capacity through innovation, collaboration and a One Health approach.
A recent feature in Projects Magazine 46 – Rethinking Health showcases how UniHealth is advancing the next generation of decentralized molecular diagnostics to improve preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks. The interview features Prof. Electra Gizeli (Project Coordinator and Group Leader at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology – FORTH), Dr. Anastasia Galanopoulou (Scientific Manager, FORTH) and Stamatiki Kritas (Managing Director of CEBR and Cluster Manager of HBio), who discuss the project’s vision for accessible, rapid and reliable point-of-care diagnostics.
The interview highlights several key areas that resonate strongly with DxHub’s objectives, including:
- Portable molecular diagnostic technologies capable of delivering results closer to the point of need.
- Flexible assay development pipelines that can rapidly respond to emerging health threats.
- Connected surveillance systems that support timely decision-making and public health response.
- Regulatory readiness and scalable manufacturing to accelerate the adoption of innovative diagnostic solutions.
- Cross-sector collaboration that brings together researchers, healthcare providers, industry, policymakers and innovation ecosystems.
The feature also reinforces an important message shared by both Dxhub and Unihealth: innovation alone is not enough. Effective diagnostics require trusted partnerships, interoperable infrastructures, regulatory support and citizen engagement to ensure that new technologies can reach the people and communities that need them most.
As Europe continues investing in resilient health systems, initiatives such as UniHealth and DxHub demonstrate how collaborative innovation can accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation diagnostic solutions, contributing to a healthier, safer and more prepared society.