Driving digital transformation in European healthcare education
This pan-European effort spans nine countries and aims to graduate 6558 students and upskill 660 professionals with advanced digital health competencies. Built on 20 shared learning objectives, the SUSA model promotes collaborative, data-driven education and supports the European Green Deal’s vision for a healthier society.
By fostering interoperability, attracting top talent, and ensuring sustainability, SUSA (Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence) empowers healthcare with innovative, multidisciplinary curricula designed for the future of health data sharing.
At its current status, the project can now present the results that the different parties have achieved.
“SUSA project has already shown us how bringing teachers and experts from different countries and organisations together will spark new ideas not only for learning content, but also for how to make learning more relevant, impactful and meaningful for learners and beyond. And maybe also more interesting and fun”, says SUSA project leader Minna Isomursu from the University of Oulu.
Collaboration between academia and industry
The University of Oulu, coordinator of the SUSA project, is driving a major shift in healthcare education by embedding advanced digital skills into Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in biomedical engineering and health sciences. This transformation ensures that future professionals working in healthcare are equipped to thrive in a data-driven, digital ecosystem.
In addition to curriculum redesign, the University of Oulu is developing a standalone module on customer-oriented digital services in social welfare and healthcare, supporting continuous learning for current professionals.
Collaboration Highlights:
- European Health Data Space (EHDS) Integration: In partnership with Success Clinic, Oulu introduced EHDS concepts to students in Information Processing, Software Engineering, and Health Sciences. The training included hybrid lectures and interactive sessions on primary and secondary data use, supported by SUSA’s Shared Learning Experience (SLE). A joint survey study evaluated learning outcomes, informing future improvements.
- Virtual Lab for Signal and Spectral Analysis: Together with the University of Zagreb, Oulu launched a cross-border virtual lab funded by the UNIC VIP Fund. This initiative enhances engineering education through digitized exercises, challenge-based learning, and inclusive design — empowering students with practical skills and digital fluency.
“Through SUSA, we are not only modernizing curricula but also fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and industry to prepare the next generation of healthcare innovators,” says project manager Corinna Uhr at the University of Oulu.
SUSA Partners showcase breakthrough achievements in digital health education
The SUSA project, a pan-European initiative transforming healthcare education through advanced digital skills, proudly announces significant milestones achieved by its partner organizations. These following accomplishments demonstrate how collaboration is shaping the future of healthcare education and practice.
University College Dublin (UCD)
UCD has successfully integrated the module Digital Health Technologies: Integration and Application of Medical and Consumer Devices into postgraduate programs in Precision Medicine and Healthcare Informatics. Piloted in 2024–25, the module is now a standalone offering for 2025–26. UCD also launched multimedia learning resources on YouTube, accessible to students and the public, leveraging research on optimizing video engagement.
“In addition to our on-campus duties of integrating SUSA content into our health curriculum our team members attended the recent Royal Irish Academy's conference on 'The future of AI and education’ in September, noting its overlap with content in our SUSA curriculum. This provided another opportunity to hear about research that could inform the content within our modules”, says Garett Van Oirschot from the University College Dublin.
Gnomon Informatics
Gnomon completed the first demonstrations of its eHealthPass platform, enabling students to explore remote patient management and smart digital technologies. Gnomon collaborates with partners including University of Oulu, University of Limerick, and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to co-create Shared Learning Experiences (SLEs) and internship frameworks.
“Through SUSA, we aim to bring real-world digital health tools closer to students and professionals, helping bridge the gap between education and practical application. We have also established close collaboration with METU to align on a common approach for managing the internships foreseen in the project”, says Apostolia Karabatea from the Gnomon Informatics.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
AUTH launched new postgraduate programs in Medical Engineering and Informatics and Precision Medicine, alongside an undergraduate course on Biomedical Data and AI in Health Sciences.
“Additionally, we contribute to other SLEs and collaborate with partners such as University of Oulu, Success Clinic, and Middle East Technical University. Some materials have already been used as part of lectures and also additional material for studying in the postgraduate programs”, says Maria Katsioula from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb introduced a joint master’s program in Biomedical Engineering, enrolling its first cohort of 19 students in 2025–26. The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing also hosted the 3rd Co-design Workshop to advance digital health modules. The program merges engineering and medicine, preparing future professionals for innovation in healthcare.
“Teaching faculty and enrolled students will collaborate in Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence educational framework improving the quality of new graduate study and preparing future professionals for innovation in healthcare and life sciences”, says Sven Lončarić.
Success Clinic Ltd.
Success Clinic finalized the first chapters of its European Health Data Space (EHDS) course, now integrated into the University of Oulu’s curriculum.
“We shared insights at the EU AI in Science Summit and continue to collaborate on research and teaching initiatives,” says Ornela Bardhi.
“Our focus has been on finalizing the course, covering the primary and secondary use of health data, so that university partners could integrate the materials, including video lectures and presentations, into their courses. These resources are now available to students at the University of Oulu and will soon be used by other universities. Together with UOULU, we have submitted a scientific paper to the MIE Conference, examining the outcomes before and after the EHDS course”, says Ornela Bardhi, Head of Data Science.
Skillnet Ireland
Skillnet Ireland has actively represented the SUSA project at high-level European forums, strengthening visibility and promoting the consortium’s work on sustainable digital health upskilling.
Skillnet joined partners from the University of Oulu and the University of Limerick at the Advanced Digital Skills Summit in Brussels, where together they highlighted SUSA’s mission to build Europe’s health workforce capacity through advanced digital competencies. The team engaged with policymakers, European Commission representatives, and leading digital-skills stakeholders, emphasising the project’s role in supporting the EU’s Digital Decade targets.
“As Communications Lead for SUSA, Skillnet is proud to amplify the collective impact of this consortium. Representing SUSA alongside the University of Oulu and the University of Limerick at the Advanced Digital Skills Summit in Brussels highlighted the strong collaboration already driving this project forward. We look forward to continuing to support the partnership in showcasing Europe’s leadership in digital health skills”, says EU Projects Specialist Michelle Kelly.
University of Seville
The University of Seville is designing an SLE on EHDS for integration into Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine courses.
“Additionally, we are collaborating with Trinity on the design of activities targeting Global Health. Recently, the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires visited USE, during which discussions were held regarding strategies for up-skilling medical students in both institutions in the field of Artificial Intelligence”, says Juan Ramon Lacalle Remigio.
“AI in Medicine is not a promising future resource, it is already a current tool our students must learn to use”, states Ignacio Brusco from the University of Buenos Aires.
Slovak University of Technology & Lapland University of Applied Sciences (LUAS)
Slovak University of Technology & Lapland UAS are advancing research in simulation medicine, integrating telemedicine and VR/AR technologies to create digital care pathways for chronic diseases.
“We in collaboration with Gnomon will integrate instruction materials to support co-design of digital care pathways and patient generated data in secure way. Materials were developed as part of co-design activities related to creation of shared learning experiences”, says Fedor Lehocki from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.
“We began by exploring the digital skills gap among key stakeholder groups, laying the foundation for integrating SUSA Learning objectives into our curriculum. The first group of SUSA Masters' students embarked on their studies. Our team has collaborated closely with project partners, particularly on advanced digital skills gap analysis, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of current needs. We have shared insights and results at events to support multidisciplinary dialogue. We look forward to supporting the development of advanced digital skills competence among our students”, says Milla Immonen from the Lapland University of Applied Sciences.
“SUSA continues to drive innovation in healthcare education, equipping thousands of graduates and professionals with the digital skills needed to transform Europe’s healthcare ecosystem”, states SUSA project leader Minna Isomursu from the University of Oulu.
The Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence (SUSA) is a transformative initiative aiming to address the pressing need for advanced digital skills in healthcare by preparing professionals to navigate a rapidly digitizing landscape and empowering them to leverage data for sustainable healthcare solutions.
Stay tuned for updates as the SUSA Project leads the charge in building a sustainable, data-driven healthcare ecosystem across Europe and beyond. For more information on the SUSA project, please contact the SUSA Project Team at info@susacampus.eu.
LinkedIn: SUSA LinkedIn page
Subscribe to the SUSA newsletters here and see here for recent editions.