Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing public health challenge in Europe’s ageing population. While Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) bring new therapeutic potential, fragmented care pathways, unequal diagnostic access, and healthcare limitations threaten their effectiveness and scalability.

The ACCESS-AD Project is a collaborative initiative that exemplifies the public-private partnership model. It brings together government agencies and private sector organizations to address this unmet need. The project translates advanced diagnostics and monitoring approaches – such as blood-based and imaging biomarkers, as well as digital and AI tools – into coordinated, equitable, and scalable care in real-world clinical settings across Europe.

The project aims to ensure that every person living with AD has access to timely, personalised, and cost-effective care, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status.

ACCESS-AD builds on local, national, and EU-level efforts to create an integrated, pan-European framework for optimized AD care. ACCESS-AD will deliver the following outcomes:

• Establish robust coordination and governance to ensure efficient delivery and alignment among stakeholders.
• Connect and expand fragmented clinical and research data through a shared platform. This will link registries and initiatives across Europe.
• Reduce barriers to diagnostic access by improving and standardizing imaging, blood-based, and digital biomarkers for clinical use.
• Develop AI-driven tools to support personalized treatment decisions.
• Generate harmonized real-world evidence on DMTs and emerging therapies.
• Assess health-economic, regulatory, and patient-reported impacts.
• Engage patients, healthcare professionals, and policymakers to ensure adoption and sustainability.

Aligned with IHI Call 9.2, ACCESS-AD unites and engages diverse healthcare stakeholders. It integrates the needs and perspectives of individuals affected by dementia. The aim is to deliver inclusive, connected, and personalized care centered on individuals living with AD. The project translates innovation into real-world practice. This reduces inequalities, supports health policy, and improves outcomes for AD patients across Europe.

Fraunhofer SCAI will lead AI modeling activities in this project, together with Siemens Healthineers, and will contribute to data harmonization, standardization, and the delivery of a common data model.

ACCESS-AD is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101253010. IHI is a partnership for health research and innovation between the EU and Europe’s life science industries.

Fraunhofer SCAI receives additional funding for subcontracts from Gates Ventures.

Project duration: 01/2026 to 12/2030

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