Current Projects
Healthcare professionals are experiencing increasing levels of stress at work, both emotionally and physically. This is due to factors such as the growing complexity of medical care and treatments, an ageing population, and staff shortages.
The CAREMORE project aims to strengthen resilience in the healthcare sector by helping healthcare workers manage stress and recover from challenging situations.
The project begins with research, which will form the foundation for clear, practical learning modules. These modules are designed for three target groups: individuals, teams, and organisations. The individual training offers useful coping strategies. For teams, the focus is on collaboration and peer learning. At the organisational level, CAREMORE promotes a lasting culture of resilience and well-being.
Funding volume: 3.411.342,55 €
The project partners – Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Maastricht University, University of Liège, Alexianer Zentrum für seelische Gesundheit Aachen, and MA&T Sell & Partner GmbH – are working closely together throughout every phase to ensure the modules effectively support each target group.
The project is co-funded by
The project Care for Sustainable Innovatio aims to strengthen the Aachen region as a future-oriented innovation hub in the fields of healthcare and sustainability. Building on the previous project Care & Mobility Innovation, this initiative connects stakeholders from academia, industry, public administration, and civil society to develop and implement concrete solutions for a sustainable and digital healthcare system.
The project’s goal is to create market-ready products, services, and investment solutions in the healthcare sector through cross-sector innovation partnerships—with a special focus on sustainability, digitalization, and circular economy. To this end, cross-innovation workshops, regional innovation dialogues, pilot projects, and an innovation label ("Circularity Grade") are initiated.
The Aachen Institute for Rescue Management & Public Safety (ARS) contributes its expertise in digital emergency response systems, prehospital care, and the application of AI in emergency medical services. ARS leads the work package on “AI-supported, resource-optimized deployment of emergency vehicles” and plays an active role in the development of regional care models. It is also involved in innovation conferences, cross-ideation workshops, and the enhancement of governance structures within the emergency care system.
Funding volume: 3.847.497,68 €
Cooperation partners:
- Region Aachen Zweckverband (Konsortialführung)
- Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
- Städteregion Aachen
- Stadt Aachen
- Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft Heinsberg
- RWTH Aachen
- digitalHUB Aachen e.V.
- MA&T Organisationsentwicklung GmbH
- MedLife e.V.
AGIT mbH
Associated partners:
- Aachener Institut für Rettungsmedizin & zivile Sicherheit
- Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge der RWTH Aachen
- Werkzeugmaschinenlabor WZL
- Lehrstuhl für Produktionssystematik der RWTH Aachen
- Lehrstuhl für Fertigungsmesstechnik & Qualitätsmanagement sowie Informationsmanagement im Maschinenbau der RWTH Aachen
- Lehrstuhl für Städtebau und Entwerfen
- Institut für Städtebau und europäische Urbanistik
- RWTH Innovation
- FH Aachen
- Katholische Hochschule NRW
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
- ZTG Zentrum für Telematik und Telemedizin GmbH
- Kreis Euskirchen
- Kreis Düren
- WIN.DN GmbH
- Rettungsdienst der StädteRegion Aachen
- Rettungsdienst im Kreis Heinsberg (RDHS) gGmbH
- IHK Aachen
- AOK Rheinland/Hamburg
- Regionaldirektion StädteRegion Aachen – Düren – Heinsberg
- St. Augustinus Krankenhaus gGmbH, Düren
- St. Gereon Seniorendienste gGmbH
- umlaut solutions GmbH
- VIALIFE Therapie & Prävention GmbH
- Docs in Clouds TeleCare GmbH
- BÖSL Medizintechnik GmbH
- Clinomic Medical GmbH
- Complexity Management Academy GmbH
- Healthcare Living Lab NRW
- Familienmedizin Eifel
- Forschungsflugplatz Aachen-Merzbrück GmbH
- Bluebird Events GmbH
- Grüne Projektmanufaktur UG
- Zukunft Krankenhaus-Einkauf (ZUKE Green
- F. Sodermanns Automobile GmbH
- INCO Ingenieurbüro GmbH
- MOXI GmbH
- nevisQ GmbH
- Cynteract GmbH
The project is co-funded by:
Europäische Union und Land Nordrhein-Westfalen im Rahmen des EFRE/JTF-Programms NRW 2021–2027, Aufruf Regio.NRW – Transformation
The EDEN-Medical project aims to improve cross-border transport of medical goods—such as medicines, blood samples, and lab materials—through innovative drone-based logistics. It seeks to establish a collaborative Urban Air Mobility (UAM) network supported by a modular, open digital architecture. This infrastructure will enable fast, secure delivery of medical items and real-time data exchange between medical teams. Additionally, EDEN-Medical supports the expansion of telemedicine services, allowing hospitals to provide remote consultations across borders.
The project was initiated in response to shared logistical challenges in the programme area. In crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic or recent floods, healthcare systems struggled with stock management, medical goods delivery, and lab capacity. These disruptions highlighted the need for more resilient and cooperative cross-border medical logistics. Although hospitals in neighboring countries are often geographically closer than domestic facilities, systemic differences and legal barriers still hinder efficient cross-border collaboration.
To address this, EDEN-Medical focuses on identifying regulatory and infrastructural obstacles to cross-border drone transport and developing solutions for integration into hospital systems. Working closely with hospitals, SMEs, local authorities, and universities, the project aims to ensure interoperability, regulatory alignment, and practical implementation.
By enhancing medical logistics, improving digital coordination, and strengthening emergency response capabilities, EDEN-Medical contributes to greater healthcare resilience in the region.
The EDEN-Medical Project is carried out as part of the Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) programme and is co-financed with €1,703,544.55 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), €592,761.54 by the DE-State NRW, and €27,978.62 by the NL-Province of Limburg.
Cooperation partners:
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen
- Zuyderland Medisch Centrum
- Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg
- Maastricht University
- RWTH Aachen University
- Fire Brigade Aachen
- flyXdrive GmbH
- Docs in Clouds TeleCare GmbH
- Droneport Sint-Truiden
The project is co-funded by:
fly4health - Initiative for medical support with unmanned aerial systems
The initiative fly4health attempts to gradually establish unmanned aerial systems for a wide range of medical needs in a long-term project. Be it a situation overview of the operation site, the transport of medical supplies between medical facilities or the direct delivery of relief supplies to the operation. The ARS supports this project as a cooperation partner with its expertise in science and practice.
As the Meuse-Rhine region faces increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters such as wildfires and floods, as a consequence of climate change, the need for a coordinated, cross-border crisis response has intensified. However, fundamental differences in crisis management systems, legal frameworks and languages across the three countries continue to hinder effective collaboration.
The Aachen Institute of Resue Management & Public Safety (ARS) a department within the Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienst Stadt Aachen, is part of a consortium of eight partners in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, who are jointly implementing the HAWKEYE project. Lead partner of this project is the National Crisis Centre (NCCN) of Belgium.
The HAWKEYE project aims to develop a unified, transnational approach to crisis management. Its core objective is to strengthen the preparedness and resilience of emergency response organizations by improving risk identification, disaster response capabilities, and cross-border coordination.
The primary component of this project is the early detection of wildfires. This involves using a detection network of sensors and/or cameras and processing the information within the crisis management platform Paragon developed by NCCN. From there, drones are controlled for exact imaging and repressive actions can be determined and coordinated.
As such, additional functionality will be added to Paragon, the link with the Dutch LCMS (National Crisis Management System) will be improved and a German version of Paragon will be created and implemented.
In addition, research is being conducted into the impact of climate change on the border region and the actions to be taken in this regard.
The HAWKEYE project is supported by the European Union and the Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) programme with a contribution of €2,997,865. The project is co-financed with a contribution from the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (DE), Région Wallonne (BE), and the Province of Limburg (NL).
https://www.interregmeuserhine.eu/en/projects/hawkeye/
Cooperation partners:
Lead:
- National Crisis Center (NCCN) (BE)
- Assistance Zone Limburg North (BE)
- Zone de Secours 5 WAL (BE)
- Hilfeleistungszone der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Ostbelgien (BE)
- EMRIC, legally represented by Veiligheidsregio Zuid-Limburg (NL)
- Nederlands Instituut Publieke Veiligheid (NIPV) (NL)
- Institute for Transnational and Euregional cross border cooperation and Mobility (ITEM) (NL)
- Feuerwehr & Rettungsdienst Stadt Aachen (DE)
Associated partners:
- Kreis Düren
- Kreis Euskirchen
- Kreis Heinsberg
- StädteRegion Aachen
The project is co-funded by:
KIT2 - AI supported tele-physician
The Tele.Emergency Physician System (TNA) is confronted with various challenges in its day-to-day operations. These include, for example, a continuously increasing number of emergency deployments and regional disparities such as the availability of medications in ambulances or the accessibility and specialization of nearby hospitals.
The project KIT² ("AI-supported Tele-Emergency Physician") aims to develop, for the first time, a demonstrator for a decision support system in prehospital tele-emergency medicine and to evaluate it under real deployment conditions in order to address these challenges. The focus lies on (1) medical, (2) tactical, and (3) strategic decision support, which is to be enabled by a self-learning AI system. The three modules will include both suspected diagnoses and appropriate medical and strategic actions that may be applied on-site, during transport to a nearby hospital, or for the potential dispatch of additional emergency resources.
In addition to technical implementation, the participation of various stakeholder groups and the consideration of ethical, legal, and societal norms and risks are of central importance. In the long term, the use of AI-based decision support within the TNA system is intended to improve the quality of care for emergency patients and contribute to increased patient safety.
Funding volume: 758.652,00€
Cooperation partners:
- umlaut telehealthcare GmbH
- Departement of Computer Science, Technical Faculty, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
- Palaimon GmbH
- Institute for the History, Theory, and Ethics of Medicine, RWTH Aachen
Associated partners:
- Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit
- Bundesvereinigung der Arbeitsgemeinschaften Notärzte Deutschlands e.V.
- County Goslar
- County Heinsberg
Main-Kinzig-County
The project is co-funded by:
The PolARett project aims to strengthen the operational confidence of police forces in providing initial medical care to injured individuals during so-called "life-threatening operational scenarios" (LebEl). To achieve this, a software solution is being developed that provides targeted telemedical guidance based on the users' existing medical knowledge. The application can be used on various devices – such as smartphones – and is designed for both regular patrol officers and special units.
The core objective is to enhance the quality of emergency medical care through early and structured intervention. Additionally, the handover to emergency medical services is considered a critical interface. To prevent information loss, the software will support the transfer of relevant data regarding the situation and any medical measures already taken. These handover processes from police to emergency services will be analyzed and improved through standardized procedures and a unified protocol.
PolARett is developing a software solution to provide telemedical support for police officers during the initial care of injured persons. In addition, a structured handover process to emergency medical services is being designed to prevent information loss and improve the continuity of care.
Funding volume: 1.600.000 €
Cooperation partners:
- University Hospital RWTH Aachen
- Polizei Rheinland-Pfalz,
- Docs in Clouds Telecare GmbH
Associated partners:
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Katastrophenmedizin e.V.
- Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V., Bildungszentrum Euregio
- Fachbereich Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienst Aachen, Stadt Aachen
- Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, Kreisverband Bitburg-Prüm e.V.
The project is co-funded by:
TRANSPARENT – TRANSsectoral Patient pathways in Acute and emergency medicine: Resource optimization, Efficiency aNd measurabiliTy
In Germany, patients with an acute health problem can access different care levels via parallel pathways. This complex system is hard to navigate for patients. Different emergency services are often unknown, and the urgency of the medical problem is frequently misjudged. Rising case numbers in emergency services and personnel shortage put the system under heavy organisational and economic strain. The lack of transsectoral data networks causes a transparency problem, especially regarding patient pathways.
The aim of the project is to map pathways from the pre-hospital system up to the emergency department. Therefore a mixed methods approach will be used: surveys of patients and various professional stakeholders, a retrospective cohort study, process mining and clinical use case analysis.
We hypothesize that accurate insight and analysis of the pathways will uncover concrete inefficiencies in the system, such as inadequate or multiple use. Transparency regarding these inefficiencies is the first step towards appropriate use of resources and patient-centred care. The results are used to develop tailored education and information campaigns enabling patient empowerment. Furthermore, the insights will facilitate targeted measures by networking stakeholders in the region. The project relates to the model region of Aachen, Germany.
Funding volume: 2.196.399 €
Cooperation partners:
- Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Nordrhein
- Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
RWTH Aachen University and the Central Research Institute of Ambulatory Health Care in Germany
Associated partners:
- Netzwerk Notaufnahmen der Stadt und Städteregion Aachen
- AOK Rheinland/Hamburg
- Städteregion Aachen
- Bundesvereinigung der Arbeitsgemeinschaften Notärzte Deutschlands (BAND) e.V.
- Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e.V. (APS)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft Interdisziplinäre Notfall- und Akutmedizin e.V. (DGINA)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI)
The project is co-funded by:
Major emergency incidents pose significant challenges to emergency medical services (EMS) and disaster response units. First responders often encounter a large number of patients while facing shortages of personnel and equipment. To identify critically injured or ill individuals early in such dynamic scenarios, innovative solutions for vital sign monitoring are required. The VitalKITE project, funded by the BMFTR, addresses this need by exploring the potential of contactless, camera-based monitoring of multiple patients simultaneously.
The sub-project led by the Aachen Institute for Rescue Management & Public Safety aims to consistently incorporate the expertise of EMS and disaster response personnel into the development of a camera-based monitoring system. This system is designed for use in the patient collection area during mass casualty incidents (MCI) to monitor vital signs such as pulse and respiration without physical contact. In addition to user-centered development, practical testing and evaluation of the system in real-world scenarios—such as large-scale drills or simulations—are central elements of the project.
Furthermore, the project seeks to integrate the perspective of the general public. As a potentially affected group in disaster situations, citizens are to be informed, educated, and actively involved from an early stage. This approach aims to enhance public acceptance of innovative technical solutions in emergency medical care.
A special focus is placed on the integration of so-called Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (TUAVs) into existing EMS infrastructures—specifically, the Emergency Medical Services Equipment Truck (GW-Rett) of the Aachen Fire Department. This creates a hybrid system for mobile and stationary monitoring of patients in complex scenarios.
Funding volume: 920.000 €
Cooperation partners:
Feuerwehr und Rettungsdienst Stadt Aachen
Aachener Institut für Rettungsmedizin und zivile Sicherheit, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
Acute Care Innovation Hub
Docs in Clouds TeleCare GmbH
Associated partners:
Deutsche Gesellschaft für KatastrophenMedizin e.V.
Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe
Malteser Hilfsdienst e.V.
DRK-Rettungsdienst Städteregion Aachen gGmbH
Deutsche Gesellschaft Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI)
The project is co-funded by:
