European scientists in the fight against cancer

VISION - Strategies to strengthen scientific excellence and innovation in the early diagnosis of stomach and colon cancer

Press Release /

The EU-funded project "VISION" is working on the early detection of cancer of the intestinal system. This is achieved through strategic partnerships with European specialists who improve the education of students and researchers in Slovakia and provide the latest technologies and expertise to strengthen research and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer in their own country.

Five European reserach institutions closely collaborate in the project „VISION“ to overcome existing gaps in oncology research and to reinforce the capacity for early diagnostics and innovative treatment approaches (Graphic designed by Freepik).
Five European reserach institutions closely collaborate in the project „VISION“ to overcome existing gaps in oncology research and to reinforce the capacity for early diagnostics and innovative treatment approaches (Graphic designed by Freepik).

Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Cancers of the digestive system are particularly common. Slovakia ranks third in Europe for the incidence of colorectal cancer and sixth for the incidence of pancreatic cancer. Early detection is the key to better treatment success for patients and to improving their quality of life. In Slovakia, existing gaps in biomedical research on early detection and treatment of cancer represents need to be overcome.

The main objective of the EU-funded joint project "VISION" is to strengthen the scientific excellence and innovative capacity of the Slovak "Biomedicinske centrum Slovenskej akademie vied" (Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences) (BMC SAV) in the early detection of cancer. This is realized by establishing a strategic partnership between the project coordinator BMC SAV and four interna-tionally recognized institutions, the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT (Germany), the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital Health Research Institute, represented by Servicio Madrileno de Salud (SERMAS) (Spain), the Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) (Greece) and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) (Norway). This collaboration contributes to overcome existing gaps in oncology research and reinforce the capacity for early diagnostics and innovative treatment approaches. The transfer of knowledge and research ideas, the sharing of know-how, expertise and best practices, and the implementation of leading edge technologies will help to improve the quality of translational cancer research at BMC SAV, particularly in gastrointestinal cancers.

The cooperation and networking between the "VISION" partners helps to accelerate the personal and professional development of early-stage researchers and physicians. The involvement of the "VISION" partners in the supervision and co-supervision of PhD students will positively support the quality of education in the respective countries. In addition, "VISION" supports regional activities, aiming to contribute to an increased public awareness of cancer and the importance of prevention.


Project funding: HORIZON 2020 GA Nr. 857381

Duration: 01.10.2019-30.09.2022

Project website: http://vision.sav.sk/

Project coordinator:
Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (BMC SAS), Bratislava, Slovakia

Project partners:
Fraunhofer-Institut für Biomedizinische Technik IBMT, Sulzbach, Germany
Servicio Madrileño de Salud (SERMAS), Madrid, Spain
Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athen, Greece
NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway