R&I Days 2025: Discover the participating projects managed by HaDEA at the heart of EU research and innovation

The sixth edition of the European Research & Innovation (R&I) Days, the European Commission’s flagship research and innovation event, will take place on 16-17 September 2025 at The Square (Brussels, Belgium).  

The R&I Days will bring together policymakers, researchers, business representatives and the wider innovation community to discuss the way forward for Europe’s research and innovation and foster Europe's competitiveness, sustainability and industrial leadership. 

The 2025 edition will welcome three projects managed by HaDEA that are advancing research in the fields of health and the digital and green transitions:  

MAESTRIA 

MAESTRIA (Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Early Detection Stroke Atrial Fibrillation) is improving treatment and management of atrial myopathy, a heart condition linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke. 

This Horizon 2020 project combines research findings to enable highly personalised diagnosis and uses advanced imaging and AI to better understand heart diseases and refine risk assessment in patients. 

MAESTRIA is also working to develop the first diagnostic digital platform for atrial cardiomyopathy, which will improve the accuracy of diagnoses, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of treatments and prevent complications such as AF and stroke. 

PERSEPHONE 

PERSEPHONE (Autonomous Exploration and Extraction of Deep Mineral Deposits) is developing autonomous robots to make deep mining safer, smarter, and more sustainable. 

The project is creating compact, energy-efficient robots that can explore dangerously deep or abandoned mines while ensuring human workers safety. Equipped with cameras and sensors, they scan tunnels in 3D and analyse their surroundings. 

By combining these data into a digital twin of the mine, PERSEPHONE helps plan the safest and most efficient drilling strategies. This reduces costs and waste, protects workers, and strengthens Europe’s access to critical raw materials needed for the green transition.  

eMOTIONAL Cities   

Funded under the Horizon 2020 programme and recently concluded, eMOTIONAL Cities aimed at understanding the interaction between people and urban spaces in order to find ways to enhance citizens’ health.  

In particular, the project has provided scientific evidence on how the natural and built urban environment can shape the neural system influencing cognitive and emotional processing. 

To do so, eMOTIONAL Cities has developed the Cities walker backpack, which captured how citizens can truly feel in cities – from stressed to calm, excited or relieved. Then, the project translated these real-life signals into knowledge to help design urban spaces where people can feel healthier, happier and more connected. 

Register now for the R&I Days and meet these HaDEA-managed projects in the exhibition area, attend engaging panels, benefit from networking opportunities and join high-level discussions that will help shape the future of research and innovation in Europe. 

Background 

Horizon Europe is the research and innovation programme of the EU for the period 2021-2027. The aims of Cluster 1 ‘Health’ include improving and protecting the health and well-being of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge, developing innovative solutions and integrating where relevant a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases. Horizon 2020 (H2020) was the EU’s multiannual funding programme between 2014 and 2020.

Under Horizon Europe Cluster 4: Industry, HaDEA supports the implementation of scientific projects, mainly to accelerate the green and digital transitions and to increase the EU’s autonomy in key strategic value chains for a resilient industry.