University of Limerick to Lead Ireland’s Participation in EU-Funded CANDLE Cancer Data Initiative

June10, 2025 · CARA MARSHALL

The University of Limerick (UL) eHealth-Hub for Cancer co-lead and Limerick Digital Cancer Research Centre (LDCRC) Director, Professor Aedín Culhane, will lead Ireland’s participation in CANDLE, an EU-funded project officially launched on 1 June 2025 under the Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer programme.

This significant three-year initiative represents a major step towards building a resilient and interconnected cancer research infrastructure across EU Member States. With a consortium of 40 partners spanning 20 European countries, UL is the sole Irish partner in this groundbreaking project, underscoring Ireland’s strong commitment to advancing health outcomes through pioneering research and robust international collaboration.

The EU-funded CANDLE project operates as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) under Horizon Europe, specifically addressing Topic HORIZON-MISS-2024-CANCER-01-02. With a budget of nearly €3 million, this initiative is designed to align directly with the ambitious objectives of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), the EU Mission on Cancer, and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Its overarching aim is to fundamentally transform the way cancer data is managed, shared, and utilised for research, diagnostics, and patient care throughout Europe.

This unique position for Ireland provides a significant strategic advantage for the nation. It ensures Ireland's direct integration into this vital European cancer data ecosystem, elevating the country's national profile and establishing it as a key enabler of Ireland’s health data strategy. This involvement highlights a national responsibility and a unique opportunity for Ireland’s healthcare and research landscape, positioning the country as indispensable to the European Health Data Space (EHDS) in the cancer domain.

The National Cancer Data Nodes will serve as "demonstrators" for disease-specific EHDS implementation, potentially influencing future EU-wide health data policies. This will grant Irish researchers unprecedented access to extensive European cancer data, fostering advanced biomedical and AI research to improve diagnostics, treatment, and patient care, positioning Ireland and the Mid-West region at the forefront of European cancer innovation.