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Healthcare systems around the world and in the EU-27 are facing complex challenges, including rising “cure-demand” due to aging population, increasing numbers of chronic and complex medical conditions, growing operating costs and shortages of the healthcare workforce. However, the AIs and other digital technologies are having strong potentials in addressing these challenges and showing improving operational efficiency, reducing administrative burdens as well as enhancing diagnosis and treatment procedures.
Introduction
The Commission has launched in October 2025 a new initiative (called COMPASS-AI) aimed at creation a “European community of experts” towards safe and effective AI use in healthcare, among numerous other applications.
Generally, the existing EU’s AI initiatives, such as the enAI4EU and Apply AI Strategy have formulated most vital policy direction’s themes for AI in healthcare.
Present new initiative is one of the flagship measures in the Commission’s recent Apply AI Strategy to activate responsible and effective integration of AI into clinical settings.
More in European Commission. Shaping Europe’s digital future: “Apply AI Strategy”, in:
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/apply-ai
The “digital COMPASS”: past and present
The “compass” is one of the oldest science-navigational tools: since mankind began to understand more about navigation, compasses have been crucial to the achievement of major feats such as the first transoceanic voyages and the circumnavigation of the globe. None of this would have been possible without the aid of the compass in performing navigation calculations over long distances. Early explorers had to use local landmarks and the stars to navigate: it was quite difficult to travel too far or to unknown destinations. Compasses were one of the key breakthroughs that made such voyages possible. Compass cutting-edge AI technology analyzes historical data, identifying correlations between various factors such as geography, industry vertical, and commission percentages. This data-driven approach allows offering personalized and optimized plan’s recommendations, tailored to unique business needs.
Source: https://www.dalvey.com/blog/how-does-a-compass-work#
Now the modernised COMPASS AI model can integrate advanced GIS technology with next-GenAI algorithms to revolutionize Network Expansion Modeling and Assessment; customers can fast-track feasibility studies, optimize cost analysis and make data-driven decisions with unmatched precision. Compass AI is a game-changer for anyone looking to simplify their day-to-day life: for all professionals, student and/or those searching for assistance and “staying organized”, the digital compass delivers convenience and functionality; it is not just another gadget, but a tool that genuinely makes life easier.
COMPASS-AI project directly responds to modern challenges by establishing a pan-European coordination mechanism that brings together patients, clinicians, researchers, industry and policy-makers. Through this collaboration, COMPASS-AI will map and connect existing AI initiatives in health across Europe to avoid duplication and maximize synergies: it will develop practical guidelines, standards and policy recommendations to support ethical, trustworthy and evidence-based AI integration into healthcare systems. It will create tools and frameworks for governance and patient involvement, ensuring that AI applications are aligned with real-world needs and values. The project will also promote training, capacity building and knowledge exchange, enabling healthcare professionals and researchers to better understand and adopt AI solutions.
More in: https://eatris.eu/projects/community-of-multidisciplinary-professionals-advancing-safe-and-successful-ai-implementation-in-clinical-practice/
For example, researchers in a recent EU-wide study noted that despite the already numerous available AI-based tools, their “deployment in clinical practice was slow”; the study highlighted some globally successful strategies used by hospitals, offering valuable inspiration in the EU states, which are “uniquely positioned to support safe, effective, ethical and equitable scale-up of AI deployment in healthcare, balancing the need to nurture innovation with safeguarding the fundamental rights of patients”. Researchers suggest perspective actions in monitoring indicators that could enable progress in enabling the AI integration into the healthcare systems.
Source: European Commission: Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, “Study on the deployment of AI in healthcare”, Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2875/2169577
EU’s “Apply AI Strategy”
The “apply AI strategy” (October 2025) complements the AI Continent Action Plan (April 2025), with concrete actions, aimed at harnessing AI’s transformative potential; among three “action’s plan” sections, one is with the targeted measures to boost AI adoption across 10 key industry sectors and the public sector. Thus, the “industrial sectors” include healthcare and pharmaceuticals, mobility, transport and automotive, robotics, manufacturing, engineering and construction, climate and environment, energy, agri-food; defense, security and space, electronic communications, and cultural, creative and media sectors.
More on AI “continent plan” in: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/ai-continent-action-plan
The “Apply AI Strategy” proposed measures to speed up the use of AI models and technologies in the member states’ development practices, in the public sector (among several other socio-economic fields) and in key medical industries. The AI and digital-induced transformations in the healthcare and medicines’ sectors are at the forefront of the “apply AI strategy”; i.e. citizens in the member states will be first to experience the “benefits of trustworthy European AI, improving diagnosis, strengthening personalised prevention, supporting doctors and accelerating the discovery of new treatments”, notes Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. The AI progress has had tremendous achievements during last decade: e.g. a physician I able now to interact with a futuristic, holographic medical interface displaying human anatomy and even DNA.
Source: European Commission “The Commission launches flagship initiative to increase use of AI in healthcare” (2025), in: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-launches-flagship-initiative-increase-use-ai-healthcare
To support the AI’s “industrial application”, the December 2025 “digital health summit” featured a dynamic program designed to encourage the exchange of experience centered around the most pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the EU-wide health systems.
It was aimed at fostering collaboration to advance the EU4Health objectives: it concentrated on four key areas: – strengthening healthcare systems and workforce in the states, – advancing the one-health approach, – ensuring access to medicines, and – driving digital-health technologies’ adoption.
More in the Digital Europe. European Digital Health Summit (2025), in: https://european-digital-health-summit.com/
The European Commission is recognising healthcare as a strategic sector; by an active support and deployment of AI and other digital health technologies. In this way, the EU intends to achieve a triple goal: i.e. a) a better healthcare for people, b) financially stable healthcare systems, and c) stronger and more competitive member states’ economies.
Thus, the COMPASS-AI initiative will focus, particularly, in such priority areas as “cancer care” and healthcare in remote areas. The initiative is supported by partners with extensive networks across hospitals, professional societies and EU AI-healthcare projects; it will also launch an interactive digital platform to map best practices and facilitate knowledge exchange. Such networks will deliver AI deployment guidelines and raise AI literacy of healthcare professionals, hospital managers and patients.
More in “Artificial Intelligence in Health”: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/artificial-intelligence-health