In June 2024, the Central Danube Development Agency Nonprofit Limited Liability Company (CDDA Nonprofit Ltd.) took part in the elaboration and submission of a successful project proposal with the acronym HUMAN in a consortium of 12 organisations under the Interreg Europe Programme. Implementation started on 1 May 2025.
The emerging idea of Industry 5.0 in the healthcare sector, also known as Healthcare 5.0 makes use of cutting-edge technologies to revolutionise healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes and improve the healthcare experience as a whole. Healthcare 5.0, with the right strategies in place, aims for a world where healthcare is affordable, accessible and equitable. HUMAN brings together a well-balanced partnership in terms of expertise, geographical distribution and level of development. Along with its extensive network of relevant stakeholders, the HUMAN partnership cooperates to improve 8 policy instruments aiming a transformation towards a more efficient, targeted and universal healthcare. The project focuses on those fields of application where regional and local policies can play a role, namely: telehealth, human-centric care, accessibility, digital health literacy and digital inclusion. HUMAN’s overall objective is the provision of more affordable, accessible, equitable and resilient healthcare services.
HUMAN puts into practice the European Commission’s approach of Industry 5.0. in the healthcare sector. This is also known as Healthcare 5.0 and makes use of cutting-edge technologies to revolutionise healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes and improve the healthcare experience as a whole. Healthcare 5.0, with the right strategies in place, aim for a world where healthcare is affordable, accessible, equitable and resilient. HUMAN’s overall objective is the provision of more affordable, accessible, equitable and resilient healthcare services through the introduction of Healthcare 5.0 solutions.
Specific objectives are:
1) Build the capacity of regional policymakers and other stakeholders to harness the potential that Healthcare 5.0 has towards a more user-centric, sustainable and resilient healthcare delivery.
2) Bridge the gap towards a more universal healthcare services by equipping professionals, patients and users with the required digital tools and skills to make the most of these solutions.
3) Enhance the patient and user’s experience by adopting a human-centric approach for digital technologies that support improved and more sustainable healthcare services.
Project partners:
European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology (ERNACT) – Lead Partner
Härnösands Municipality
Development Centre of the Heart of Slovenia
University of Ljubljana
Regional Development Agency South Banat Ltd.
Health Services Executive, University of Porto
Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne AG
Nicosia Development Agency (ANEL)
Hof University of Applied Sciences
Central Danube Development Agency Ltd.
Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Care of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Title: Healthcare 5.0 supporting the transformative shift of regions
Acronmy: HUMAN
Implementation period: 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2029
Overall budget: 2,67M EUR
European Regions Network for the Application of Communications Technology (ERNACT) (IE)
On October 28, 2025, the Central Danube Development Agency Nonprofit Ltd. held an online launch event for the project entitled "Healthcare 5.0 – Supporting the transformative shift of regions" (HUMAN for short), which was also the first opportunity for consultation with Hungarian stakeholders.
The aim of the event was to present the objectives and activities of the HUMAN project and to initiate joint thinking on the digital health development opportunities of the Middle Danube Priority Area (99 settlements in Bács-Kiskun, Fejér and Tolna counties).
The overall goal of the HUMAN project is to promote the development of more affordable, accessible, equitable, and flexible healthcare services through the use of digital solutions. Particular emphasis was placed on professional dialogue, the involvement of civil society, and strengthening sectoral cooperation at the national and international levels.
Several relevant actors and institutions from the region were among the participants in the online stakeholder meeting. The meeting proceeded according to the following agenda:
1. Introduction (KDMKT/KDMFÜ)
2. Overview of the HUMAN project
3. Brief introduction of participants
4. Presentation of good practices
5. Questions and discussion
Two Irish best practices were also presented as part of the program:
• National Ambulance Service (NAS), North West region
• CARE "Community Virtual Ward" – technology-supported home care for COPD patients
The examples presented highlighted how Healthcare 5.0 solutions can be integrated into local healthcare systems:
• Telemedicine and remote monitoring: home care for chronic patients can relieve the burden on emergency care and free up capacity in inpatient care.
• Data-driven care organization: Key performance indicators (KPIs) support decision-making and more efficient resource allocation.
• Partnership model: Based on the example of NAS, coordination between general practitioners, hospitals, and cross-border collaborations is key to improving the quality of care.
Participants agreed that regular online or face-to-face meetings will be held every six months during the HUMAN project, which will form the basis for regional experience exchange and learning. In the next period, stakeholders in the region will jointly identify challenges affecting day-to-day operations (access, digital skills, institutional processes) and seek effective practices and tools to address them, with a particular focus on telemedicine, patient-centered care, and digital inclusion.
The meeting confirmed that the HUMAN project framework and the experiences of the Irish examples are well suited to the needs of the Middle Danube region. Based on the constructive suggestions of the participants, the next step will be to select pilot projects and develop a measurement and reporting system.
The event was organized and coordinated by Eszter Mimi Kocsis, international project manager at CDDA Nonprofit Ltd.
The first international project meeting of HUMAN – Healthcare 5.0 supporting the transformative shift of regions took place in Ireland on September 15-16, 2025.
The event was held in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. The program for the first day of the event took us through the beautiful landscape of western Donegal to Gaoth Dobhair, where we gained insight into how healthcare works in remote regions.
The focus was on pre-hospital care, telemedicine, and local innovations.
This was followed by an analysis of regional contexts led by the University of Porto, and an inspiring visit to Glenveagh National Park.
The day ended with a dinner, where partners had the opportunity to connect on a personal level.
The second day continued in Letterkenny with professional presentations and workshops.
Main topics:
The day ended with a joint lunch, giving new impetus to the further work of the project.
Eszter Mimi Kocsis, international project manager at CDDA Nonprofit Ltd., participated in the two-day event.
Ms. Mimi Eszter Kocsis, International Project Manager
E-mail: kocsis.eszter@kdmfu.hu
