New EU project to connect health data of 3 million citizens

UpHill leads a new EU project to connect health data of 3 million citizens

The i2X project has launched to establish a Common Format for Electronic Health Records across the EU, marking a major step toward creating the European Health Data Space.

Matilde Ferreira

April 7, 2025 · 3 min read

The i2X project - which stands for "Intelligent" Implementation of the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format (EEHRxF) - will, for the first time, connect electronic health record systems across Europe. Funded by the European Commission with over €8 million, this initiative brings together 38 partners from 12 European Union Member States, marking a significant milestone in the development of the European Health Data Space. UpHill is leading the consortium.

The goal is to enable seamless access and sharing of health data across borders, ensuring better healthcare for patients who travel or live in different EU countries. The project will also strengthen care coordination across the EU, making healthcare systems more resilient. Key benefits include reducing costs and inefficiencies caused by duplicate medical procedures and tests while minimizing risks associated with missing clinical information.

In practice, the project aims to ensure that different health information systems used across Europe can communicate with each other, meaning they can store, exchange, and interpret health data using a common language.

Over the next four years, the initiative will launch 35 pilot projects in five key areas: e-prescriptions, lab and test results, patient summaries, medical imaging, and discharge reports. A total of 12 EU Member States - including the Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain- will participate. Most will run pilot projects, some incorporating Artificial Intelligence-based technologies.

Expanding Patient Access to Health Data by 75%

These pilot projects will test the real-world application of the new health data exchange format, ensuring that digitalization improves patient care without increasing the workload of healthcare professionals. By the end of the project, the goal is to increase patient access to their health data by 75% and mprove the availability of high-quality, structured health data in electronic health records by up to 80%, both nationally and across borders.

At least 1,200 healthcare professionals will be involved, directly benefiting over 3 million European citizens. The project aligns with the objectives of the Digital Europe Programme, the EU Digital Single Market Strategy, and the Digital Decade 2030 goals.

Eduardo Freire Rodrigues, co-founder and CEO of UpHill, explains:

“This project perfectly aligns with UpHill’s vision for a healthcare system that ensures continuity of care and puts patients first. i2X is committed to improving the experience of both healthcare professionals and patients by optimizing workflows and integrating new technologies. With this extensive i2X ecosystem, we aim to improve care coordination across the EU, create specialized reference centers, reduce wait times, and eliminate unnecessary duplication of services.”

A Single Format for Health Data Sharing

At the core of the project is the European Electronic Health Record Exchange Format (EEHRxF), also known as X-Format—a fundamental element of the European Health Data Space regulation, recently approved. This format enables both primary use of health data (to support direct patient care) and econdary use of health data (for policymaking, research, and innovation).

The i2X project will demonstrate how the effective implementation of the X-Format, combined with the right technology, can enhance the healthcare experience for professionals and drive meaningful change across European health systems.

“i2X will leverage Artificial Intelligence and other advanced technologies to enable seamless interoperability in European healthcare—without adding extra work for healthcare professionals and while ensuring real benefits for patients.”

says Henrique Martins, i2X project coordinator.

The project also strengthens open innovation policies and supports the rollout of MyHealth@EU services. It builds on previous EU projects, such as Xt-EHR, XpanDH, and xShare, and will work closely with myHealth@myHands, another recently launched initiative.

Among the 38 consortium partners are leading health tech companies and renowned institutions, including Dedalus, Charité Hospital Berlin, and Bordeaux University Hospital.

Matilde Ferreira

Content Strategy & Communication Manager

Graduated in Communication Sciences, early on fell in love with storytelling. Started off as a journalist and then pivoted to the public relations world, she was always driven to craft relevant stories and bring them to the stage.