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1 de October de 2025
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11 de November de 2025Team and documentation: the foundations of a strong Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu application
1 de October de 2025Mentoring as a key strategy to strengthen research talent and drive innovation in institutions
11 de November de 2025Analysis, Health and healthcare transformation
· 29 de October de 2025
AI beyond the laboratory: challenges and prospects for accelerating advanced therapies
The future of medicine is being written today, in a language that combines cutting-edge biology with advanced computing.
Advanced therapies — including gene therapy, cell therapy and tissue engineering (including 3D printing) — are revolutionising the treatment of complex diseases, from cancer and genetic disorders to organ-related conditions. In this landscape of unprecedented innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not simply an add-on, but an essential catalyst redefining every stage of the process.
Scientific transformation in the laboratory
AI is making possible what until recently seemed unimaginable in research. Instead of time- and resource-intensive manual processes, machine-learning models can optimise the production of critical components.
For example, AI can design the viruses used as vectors to deliver therapeutic genes into cells or refine the manufacturing processes for modified immune cells, such as CAR-T therapies. This optimisation not only increases efficiency but also improves precision in delicate tasks such as DNA correction and real-time monitoring of 3D printing of scaffolds for new tissues.
The impact of these innovations on healthcare and research is profound. Leading institutions and major research centres are seeing key regulators such as the FDA and the EMA approve studies that integrate AI, helping to facilitate and accelerate clinical trials and the delivery of treatments to patients. This acceleration is reflected in striking growth forecasts: the global advanced therapies market is expected to reach USD 39.55 billion by 2032, while the CAR-T market alone is projected to grow from USD 10.39 billion in 2024 to USD 128.55 billion in 2034.
The European strategic framework and the challenge of collaboration
To capitalise on this wave of innovation and ensure that institutions across the region remain at the forefront, public investment and strategic coordination are essential. The European Commission has launched the European Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Science (2025), an ambitious plan to strengthen Europe’s economic position and global competitiveness.
The strategy is taking shape through initiatives such as RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe), conceived as a virtual institute designed to pool and coordinate essential resources: talent, computing capacity, data and AI funding. Projects of this scale seek to address resource fragmentation and difficulties accessing supercomputing infrastructure, both persistent challenges for research groups.
For high-level organisations, the key lies in having specialised structures that support institutions in navigating these new frameworks and accessing funding. European investment through Horizon Europe, for example, has exceeded EUR 8 billion in AI since 2021. Coordinating access to resources such as the EUR 108 million allocated to the RAISE pilot requires an in-depth understanding of funding priorities and tools such as the future AI Gigafactories, designed to triple the EU’s computing capacity.
The next step in innovation
The promise of better treatments for cancer, genetic disorders and organ regeneration is within reach. Yet challenges around access and distribution remain and must be addressed with strategic vision and rigorous planning. In an environment where the pace of innovation is critical, collaboration with external experts who can help institutions navigate complex regulatory and funding frameworks is a cornerstone of turning laboratory discoveries into real healthcare solutions.
Supporting organisations on this journey of digital transformation and access to public funding is essential. Institutions that can align their scientific needs with European and national investment priorities, while building robust technology-transfer models, are the ones securing leadership in this new era of medicine. Specialist knowledge at the intersection of advanced research and strategic innovation management is now a differentiating factor in ensuring that advances in AI-enabled therapies successfully reach society.