The increasing prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents one of the most significant societal and healthcare challenges facing Europe. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, data-driven technologies, and digital health solutions are creating new opportunities for early detection, risk assessment, and personalised intervention. However, the effective and responsible deployment of these technologies requires targeted skills development, interdisciplinary education, and stronger alignment between education systems and labour market needs.
DETECT 2.0 is an Innovation Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ Programme that aims to address these challenges by strengthening Europe’s innovation capacity in the field of AI-enabled early detection of cognitive impairment. The project focuses on identifying emerging skills needs and developing innovative education and training solutions that support the uptake of artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare contexts.
Through enhanced cooperation between higher education institutions, vocational education and training providers, research organisations, healthcare stakeholders, SMEs, and industry, DETECT 2.0 develops and pilots new curricula, learning methodologies, digital tools, and training frameworks. These activities are designed to improve relevance to the labour market, promote knowledge transfer, and support the upskilling and reskilling of students, educators, and professionals.
By fostering cross-sector collaboration, applied learning, and long-term sustainability, DETECT 2.0 contributes to the modernisation of education and training systems, supporting Europe’s digital transformation and enabling a future-ready workforce capable of integrating artificial intelligence into dementia and MCI detection pathways in an ethical, effective, and socially responsible manner.
Instituto Pedro Nunes (IPN) is a non-profit private organization which promotes innovation and transfer of technology, establishing the interface between the scientific and technological system and the enterprises. IPN operates in three areas:
1) Research and technological development;
2) Incubation and acceleration of tech-based enterprises;
3) Highly specialised training.
Role in DETECT 2.0
IPN leads dissemination, communication, impact, and quality assurance activities in DETECT 2.0 (WP5). IPN is responsible for designing and implementing the Communication and Dissemination Strategy, managing the project website, social media, and newsletters, and coordinating content across partners to ensure consistent visibility, effective knowledge sharing, and stakeholder engagement. In parallel, IPN oversees impact monitoring and quality assurance by defining and tracking KPIs and producing regular reports to support continuous improvement. It also coordinates the final conference, contributing to the visibility, uptake, and long-term impact of the project results.
Website
www.ipn.pt
Macomi
Macomi was founded in 2011 by three former PhD students of Delft University of Technology to focus on the newest technologies in advanced analytics, especially simulation and optimisation. Macomi developed two Digital Twins, called PortGenie and RailGenie.
Role in DETECT 2.0
The Digital Twins contain state of the art (optimization) algorithms and AI techniques. PortGenie and RailGenie are used by large international clients, such as Port of Rotterdam, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Dutch National Railways (NS) and ProRail.
In the DETECT project we are part of WP 3 and will support the development of the high-fidelity prototypes of the AI-solutions (which are a result of the hackathons).
Health care is a relative new area for us, so we are looking forward to learn a lot in the coming years. Our office in located in the city centre of Rotterdam….feel free to come by and drink a cup of coffee with us.
Website
macomi.nl
Curio is a regional vocational education and training (VET) institute in the Netherlands, offering secondary vocational education (MBO) and adult learning (Lifelong Learning – LLO) across multiple sectors, including Health, Welfare and Sports. Curio is strongly connected to the regional labour market and collaborates closely with healthcare organisations, businesses, and public partners to design practice-oriented and future-proof education.
Curio has extensive experience in developing innovative learning environments, including modular and blended education, and in integrating real-life challenges into curricula. A key focus is on strengthening student ownership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the alignment between education and professional practice. Through initiatives such as network-based learning and collaboration with care organisations, Curio contributes to the development of adaptive professionals who can respond to societal challenges such as ageing and increasing care demands.
Role in DETECT 2.0
In DETECT 2.0, Curio contributes primarily to the co-creation, development, and testing of innovative solutions in the context of vocational education and healthcare practice. Curio plays an active role in engaging students and teachers in interdisciplinary collaboration with higher education institutions, care organisations, and technology partners.
Curio facilitates the involvement of MBO students in hackathons and pilot activities, where they contribute to user-centred design and the practical validation of AI-supported solutions for early detection of cognitive decline. In doing so, Curio ensures that the perspective of vocational learners and frontline care professionals is embedded in the development process.
In addition, Curio contributes to the development of educational approaches and learning formats that integrate AI, data literacy, and ethical awareness into VET curricula. The organisation supports the translation of project outcomes into sustainable educational practices and contributes to dissemination by sharing insights, best practices, and lessons learned within regional and national networks.
Website
https://www.curio.nl/over-ons/international-english
‘t Heem is a health organization that offers community nursing, care in residential care locations and activities to seniors and it emphasizes personal care that meets the client’s needs.
What makes ’t Heem special is its focus on creating a warm, safe, and homelike environment. They believe it is important that people can continue to live their lives in their own way, even when they need extra care. That is why they encourage independence and personal choice as much as possible. Their main goal is to ensure that people feel at home, respected, and supported, so they can enjoy a good quality of life.
Alongside offering care and support in all aspects of daily life, ’t Heem continuously invests in innovation to enhance both care practices and quality of life. They focus on warm technology and social innovation, where technology supports human interaction rather than replaces it. New ideas and solutions are developed together with elderly people, care professionals, designers, and other partners. This co-creation process ensures that innovations truly fit the needs and daily lives of the people who use them.
Role in DETECT 2.0
‘t Heem enables contact with the project’s important target groups, namely dementia patients, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals, so that AI-based technology solutions can be developed, tested and evaluated in real care settings. By contributing practical insights from daily care, ’t Heem helps ensure that the outcomes of the project are human-centred, practical and aligned with the real needs of people involved in dementia care.
Website
Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) is a prestigious public university in Spain renowned for its strong focus on science, technology, and innovation. Within UPV, the project team belongs to the Valencian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (VRAIN), one of the largest and most prominent AI research institutes in Spain. With more than 176 researchers organised into eight research groups and over 30 years of experience, VRAIN is a national and international reference in AI research, covering areas such as natural language processing, machine learning and deep learning, intelligent agents and human-centred AI, computational logic, and software production methods. In the healthcare domain specifically, VRAIN has a strong, proven track record in the research and development of AI-driven assistive solutions for people with special needs, including intelligent conversational agents, voice reconstruction technologies, and adaptive cognitive support systems. By combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with advanced Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), UPV pioneers context-specific, resilient AI solutions that enhance elderly care, cognitive assistance, and the overall quality of life for vulnerable populations.
Role in DETECT 2.0
UPV leads the modernization of educational frameworks as the head of Work Package 4 (WP4): Modernizing & developing education and training for new AI skills in healthcare. UPV is responsible for coordinating the update of healthcare and ICT curricula across Higher Education and Vocational Training (HEI and VET) institutions, and driving the co-development of new, industry-aligned digital educational materials.
A major contribution of UPV is the creation, launch, and piloting of a public, open-access online digital library, leveraging its established UPVx MOOC platform. UPV will integrate advanced AI capabilities directly into this digital learning ecosystem, including an AI-assisted teaching tutor, intelligent chatbots, advanced content recommendation systems, and real-time language translation. Furthermore, UPV’s AI experts from VRAIN play a crucial technical role in testing and piloting (WP3), leading the technical development and iterative refinement of high-fidelity AI prototypes (TRL 5) for dementia care alongside students and consortium partners.
Website
