In a video message marking CHAIN’s kick-off meeting on 7–8 October 2026, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi highlights the project’s role in advancing AI in cardiovascular care.
Introducing CHAIN as a €20 million flagship initiative under the Safe Hearts Plan, the Commissioner calls for a practical focus on how artificial intelligence can benefit everyday healthcare:
“The question is how we make it work safely and effectively for patients and health professionals in everyday healthcare.”
The message emphasises the opportunity to build on Europe’s existing knowledge, data, infrastructure and expertise. Over the next three years, CHAIN will bring these resources together to test, validate and deploy AI solutions in real-world settings.
Coordinated by the European Society of Cardiology and co-funded through the EU4Health programme, CHAIN brings together 53 partners from 20 countries. Its six cardiovascular use cases will connect technological development with clinical needs, supported by shared work on data infrastructure, evaluation and responsible implementation.
The Commissioner’s address provides a European policy perspective on the collaboration as partners begin their work together.