PRESS RELEASE
AIOLOS, a Franco-German consortium, launches development of a platform for early detection and monitoring of respiratory pathogen epidemics
Lyon & Frankfurt am Main, May 5th, 2022 – The AIOLOS project (Artificial Intelligence Tools for Outbreak Detection and Response) has received approval from the French and German governments to develop a digital platform designed to allow for early detection of new respiratory pathogens epidemics, monitor their spread and inform decisions on appropriate counter measures. AIOLOS will provide insights for private and public decision-making in a web-based dashboard, which leverages real-time data from multiple data sources, advanced artificial intelligence (AI), and predictive modeling.
Sanofi in France and the Fraunhofer Institutes SCAI and ITMP in Germany lead the consortium, which includes four other French and German partners: CompuGroup Medical, Quinten Health, Impact Healthcare and umlaut, part of Accenture.
The project is supported by the French State and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in the context of the Franco-German call on Artificial Intelligence technologies for risk prevention, crisis management and resilience. This call for projects operated by Bpifrance, on behalf of the French government as part of the France 2030 investment plan, and by DLR Projektträger, aims to support innovation projects between France and Germany on artificial intelligence technologies.
The Covid-19 crisis has confirmed the need for a resilient multi-stakeholder surveillance and control system to manage current and future epidemics or pandemics. The uncertainty regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the circulation patterns of other respiratory pathogens (e.g. influenza or others), makes such surveillance even more important.
In this context, AIOLOS aims at supporting decision making by integrating and combining real-time data from various sources and using advanced AI analytical methods. The goal is to detect early signs of an epidemic related to respiratory pathogens, monitor their spread, derive appropriate counter measures, and assess their impact.
The six French and German partners of the consortium bring complementary expertise: Sanofi (epidemiology, vaccines and immunological products), the Fraunhofer Society (medical and computational science), Quinten Health (AI and precision medicine), CompuGroup Medical (medical information solutions), umlaut (technological capabilities development) and Impact Healthcare (innovation & digital health) -subcontracted by Sanofi.
Additional key public and private organizations are involved as associated partners to contribute data or bring scientific and technical expertise.
« AIOLOS will establish a framework to analyze traditional and untraditional real-world data using a combination of artificial Intelligence and infectious disease modeling. It will aim at delivering a unified understanding across stakeholders of plausible epidemics scenarios, a key prerequisite to support resilience », says Dr Cedric Mahe, Associate VP and Global Head, Modeling, Epidemiology and Data Science at Sanofi Vaccines in Lyon. « The project will not be run in isolation but will build on the many ongoing efforts worldwide to strengthen pandemic preparedness. This platform is expected to have a strong positive impact for public health but also across various sectors of the economy ».
« AIOLOS is a great opportunity to integrate different types of data from various sources to improve our understanding of, and response to, new epidemics. Importantly, respiratory pathogens do not stop at national borders, which is why partners from France and Germany join forces and combine their skills and capabilities to be better prepared for upcoming outbreaks », says Dr Aimo Kannt, from the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP.
The consortium aims at delivering a prototype of the platform within two years,which will focus on France and Germany. The platform is then expected to be extended across Europe and beyond and to contribute to the set-up of multipartite resilient surveillance systems in the European Union. This could notably support the EU Health Emergency Response Authority (HERA) mission.
The consortium will also seek synergies with the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin and other important stakeholders in this field at the global level.
More information:
Contact : contact@aiolos-project.org
About Sanofi (French lead of the consortium)
We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.
Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY
About Fraunhofer (German lead of the consortium)
The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft based in Germany is the world’s leading applied research organization. Prioritizing key future-relevant technologies and commercializing its findings in business and industry, it plays a major role in the innovation process. A trailblazer and trendsetter in innovative developments and research excellence, it is helping shape our society and our future. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Over 30,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual research budget of €2.9 billion. The two institutes participating in the AIOLOS project, Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP and Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing SCAI, combine expertise in medical data science and computational science with a focus on algorithm development. www.fraunhofer.de
About Quinten Health
Quinten Health, headquartered in Paris, France, is a spin-off from Quinten, the French pioneer in artificial intelligence and interpretable data science applied to healthcare since 2008. Quinten Health is a team of 50+ healthcare data scientists, modelers and biomedical and public health experts specialized in real-world data and have delivered over 400 projects. Quinten Health provides healthcare stakeholders (industry, hospitals, and regulatory agencies) with AI/ML solutions for precision care. www.quinten-health.com
About CompuGroup Medical
CompuGroup Medical is one of the leading e-health companies in the world. With a revenue base of EUR 1.025 billion in 2021, its software products are designed to support all medical and organizational activities in doctors’ offices, pharmacies, laboratories, hospitals and social institutions. Its information services for all parties involved in the healthcare system and its web-based personal health records contribute towards safer and more efficient healthcare. CompuGroup Medical’s services are based on a unique customer base of more than 1.6 million users, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals in inpatient and outpatient facilities. With locations in 19 countries and products in 56 countries worldwide, CompuGroup Medical is the e-health company with one of the highest coverages among healthcare professionals. More than 8,500 highly qualified employees support customers with innovative solutions for the steadily growing demands of the healthcare system. www.cgm.com/corp_en
About umlaut
umlaut, part of Accenture, is a global, full-service, cross-industry, end-to-end company that offers advisory and engineering services to clients all over the world. Their interdisciplinary capabilities enable them to add value, quality and focus to organizations and products. They are an able and agile group of consultancies and engineering firms. 5,000 specialized experts and engineers provide innovative solutions across all industries and their various intersections as well as serving the public sector and developing organizational cultures, structures, and processes. www.umlaut.com
About Impact Healthcare
Impact Healthcare, based in Paris, France, is a consultancy specializing in the strategic and operational management of large innovative projects in Digital Health and the use of health data, both in France and internationally. Impact Healthcare has a recognized expertise in digital health overall environment and regulations both in France and Europe, and a robust track record in the monitoring of large public-private partnerships. Impact Healthcare has been subcontracted by Sanofi on the AIOLOS project to ensure project management and coordination, legal framework, compliance and data privacy aspects and communication. www.impact-healthcare.fr/en/
About Bpifrance
Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses – at every stage of their development – through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export…). For more information, please visit: https://www.bpifrance.com. Follow us on Twitter: @Bpifrance – @BpifrancePresse
About DLR Projektträger (DLR-PT)
DLR-PT is a project management organization that covers a broad range of topics spanning from education and equal opportunities to health, society, innovation, technology, environment and sustainability, as well as European and international cooperation. DLR-PT’s clients include Federal and State Ministries, the European Commission, science organisations, associations and foundations. DLR-PT advise them on strategies and programmes, plan and take over the implementation of funding programmes and evaluate their impact. For more information, please visit: https://projekttraeger.dlr.de/en
