It is promoted and driven by a consortium led by Ysium Medical and made up of companies linked to the healthcare sector in Navarre, such as Data Value Management and Zamarripa Ópticos-Juandahu, as well as the Foundation for Applied Medical Research (FIMA). The University of Navarre, the Public University of Navarre, the Brain Injury Association (ADACEN) and the Navarra Health Cluster (NHC) are also involved. All of them are part of an initiative included within the Government of Navarre’s strategic R&D funding, with development scheduled to continue until 2027. The aim is to provide an advanced technological solution that improves the detection and treatment of neurological after-effects in patients who have suffered a stroke.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death, with a major impact on quality of life and on healthcare systems worldwide. In Spain, it affects around 120,000 people every year, and in Navarre it ranks among the main causes of mortality. Furthermore, half of those who survive are left with after-effects, and one in four suffers severe disabilities (motor, speech, cognitive or emotional), which result in high levels of dependence and place a significant care burden on families and the healthcare system.
In this context, the development of comprehensive neurorehabilitation strategies (both motor and cognitive) is essential, as recovery depends on the brain’s ability to reorganise itself. However, this ability has limits and must be supported by personalised, intensive and sustained therapeutic interventions. The need for more innovative and effective tools for neurological rehabilitation after a stroke is precisely the main motivation behind the launch of the VYSIUM HEALTH project.
This is an R&D project classified by the Government of Navarre as “strategic”, as it aims to develop a multisensory medical device for the detection and personalised treatment of hemispatial neglect and other brain injuries in patients who have suffered a stroke. This disorder, one of the most common and disabling at the cognitive level, remains difficult to diagnose and treat due to the lack of truly effective instruments and tools adapted to clinical practice.
To address this gap, VYSIUM HEALTH is designing an innovative device that will combine Mixed Reality (MR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create immersive therapeutic environments. It will also make it possible to adjust rehabilitation sessions in real time according to each patient’s progress, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and the effectiveness of treatments.
For Zuriñe Aguirre, CEO of Ysium Medical, the company leading the consortium, “VYSIUM HEALTH is a hugely exciting technological challenge.” “We want to develop a tool capable of better detecting what often goes unnoticed today and, moreover, of adapting therapies to each patient and to their progress,” she added. In this regard, she highlighted the first goal of their work: “To offer professionals and patients a solution that marks a turning point in neurological rehabilitation.”
NAVARRESE CONSORTIUM OF REFERENCE IN HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY AND BIOMEDICINE
The VYSIUM HEALTH project, driven by a consortium of eight leading entities in the fields of health, technology and biomedicine in the Autonomous Community, will be carried out over the next two years, until 2027. It will have a total budget of €1,319,898.01 and has received funding from the Government of Navarre, co-financed at 40% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the ERDF Operational Programme 2021–2027 of Navarre.
Por lo que respecta a sus miembros, estará liderado por Ysium Medical, una startup tecnológica especializada en el diseño y desarrollo de dispositivos médicos innovadores, a la que acompañarán la firma de inteligencia artificial, analítica avanzada y desarrollo de software sanitario (Data Value Management) junto a Zamarripa Ópticos – JUANDAHU, quien aporta su experiencia en optometría avanzada y terapias visuales
For its part, in the field of biomedical research, the consortium will be supported by the Foundation for Applied Medical Research (FIMA/CIMA), the University of Navarre and the Public University of Navarre (UPNA). All this is complemented by the active involvement of the Brain Injury Association of Navarre (ADACEN) and the Navarra Health Cluster (NHC). The latter will take on the coordination of dissemination and communication, as well as providing support in data protection and intellectual property matters, and strengthening connections with Navarre’s business and healthcare ecosystem.
From there, the promoters of VYSIUM HEALTH are confident that their R&D&I work will have a direct impact on the region’s economy and business fabric, helping to consolidate Navarre as a “hub of innovation in digital health and medical technology”. It will also contribute to the creation of highly qualified jobs (in the technological, healthcare and research fields) as well as to attracting investment linked to advanced neurorehabilitation solutions. The Autonomous Community will therefore “position itself as a benchmark in the development of advanced technological solutions for neurological rehabilitation and personalised medicine”, they concluded.
