After three years of collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint efforts across Europe, the Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures for Europe (CCI4EU) project has officially reached its final milestone. VHIO is proud to have played a key role in this ambitious initiative, which aims to strengthen and expand comprehensive cancer infrastructures across Europe.
Building Stronger Cancer Infrastructures Across Europe
The EU Mission on Cancer defines Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructures (CCIs) as integrated national or regional ecosystems that bring together cancer care, research, professional training, and patient education to improve outcomes for patients, survivors, and caregivers.
As part of the Horizon Europe Mission on Cancer and in synergy with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the European Commission aims to establish a network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers across Member States, with the objective of ensuring that 90% of eligible cancer patients have access to these infrastructures by 2030.
To support this vision, CCI4EU focused on strengthening the capacities of 27 Member States and 6 Associated Countries to develop and enhance their existing and future CCIs, particularly through research and innovation.
VHIO’s Contribution to the Project
Representing Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and VHIO, Dr. Josep Tabernero served as Principal Investigator for the initiative. In parallel, Claudia Valverde and Magora Torres co-led the Work Package dedicated to the development of personalized capacity-building interventions, together with colleagues from Oslo University Hospital (OUS, Norway).
In the picture: key VHIO representatives involved in CCI4EU — Josep Tabernero, Magora Torres, Christina Stangl,Claudia Valvere and Alejandro Piris.
As part of this work, the team collected, curated, and developed more than 200 expert-validated high-level resources, now openly accessible through the CCI4EU Resource Center.
You can explore the resource center here: https://resources.cci4eu.eu/
In addition, several investigators from VHIO and Vall d’Hebron University Hospital — including Dr. Josep Tabernero, Dr. Claudia Valverde, Dr. Enriqueta Felip, Dr. Paolo Nuciforo, Dr. Rodrigo Dienstmann, and Dr. Lucas Moreno — participated as experts in the project’s “Deep Dives” across selected cancer centers in Europe. These tailored, year-long interventions were designed to strengthen local capacities, foster integration between research and care, and support sustainable institutional development.
“Participating in CCI4EU has been an extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with leading institutions across Europe and contribute to reducing inequalities in cancer care and research. The project has shown how capacity building, knowledge sharing, and collaboration can drive meaningful and lasting change,” says Dr. Valverde.
A Lasting Collaborative Legacy
CCI4EU has demonstrated the value of coordinated European action in improving cancer care, research, education, and innovation. By fostering collaboration between Comprehensive Cancer Centres and Comprehensive Cancer Care Networks, the initiative has laid important foundations for more equitable and integrated cancer infrastructures across Europe.
The project’s inclusive and adaptable capacity-building approach — operating at individual, institutional, and systemic levels — has helped create sustainable improvements while supporting long-term knowledge transfer and professional development.
VHIO is proud to have contributed to this collective effort and looks forward to building the experience, partnerships, and knowledge generated through CCI4EU into future projects and initiatives.
