VHT NET
The VHT NET project develops and operates a secure, high-performance European platform to support advanced Virtual Human Twin (VHT) models for health and life sciences. The platform enables large-scale simulations, AI-driven modelling, and federated data access across trusted computing environments in the EU.
Partners:
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Cineca
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Sano
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ENG
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NTT Data
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In Silico Trials
User Community & User Group
The Advanced VHT Platform development has recently started. The European Commission (DG CNECT) has contracted the VHTnet consortium under Framework Contract EC-CNECT/LUX/2024/OP/0014. Once available, the Platform will offer access to data, assets and resources to support researchers, innovators and clinicians to work together to develop, enhance, combine and validate VHT models. A User Community and User Group are currently being formed, to support the definition of technical requirements for the implementation of the Platform in terms of its software and scientific computing components. Key functionality areas to review include model interoperability, VHT Framework, the platform’s Intellectual Property Management Policy. In the coming 7 months, a series of Requirements Elicitation Sessions will be held with the User Group, to ensure platform functionalities are fit for purpose and meet the expectations of the envisioned User Community.
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Latest News:
Building the Advanced Virtual Human Twins Platform has started!
In January 2026, the European Commission officially kicked off the procurement of a state-of-the-art platform for Virtual Human Twins (VHT) under the Digital Europe Work Programme. The first specific contract (SC1) for software development was awarded to the VHTnet consortium, led by Engineering International Belgium and supported by a multi-disciplinary team of industrial and academic partners including NTT Data, In Silico Trials Technologies, CINECA, Sano, and the Universities of Bologna and Valencia, along with VPH.
Key Highlights of the Initiative:
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Mission: To provide researchers and clinicians with access to data, models, and HPC resources within a distributed, EU-compliant space to advance personalized healthcare.
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User-Centric Design: Over 200 experts in modelling, clinical data, and ethics were engaged to form the VHT User Community, ensuring the platform meets real-world ecosystem needs.
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Kick-off Event: On February 24, 2026, an introductory session in Brussels brought together 150 participants to start defining user requirements on various topics including user workflows, interoperability, computational needs, and IP management.
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Next Steps: A series of bi-weekly "Requirement Elicitation Sessions" will run from March to September 2026 to guide the platform’s development, after which the user group will be involved in further testing and evaluation in 2027 and beyond.