On 26 May 2026, the DTRIP4H consortium hosted an international co-creation workshop bringing together representatives from European research infrastructures, digital health initiatives, policy bodies, SMEs, and digital twin experts. The event focused on strengthening the long-term sustainability and impact of the Decentralised Digital Twin Environment (DDTE) being developed within the DTRIP4H project.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏4𝐇’𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦
A key discussion focused on how DTRIP4H can create added value within the rapidly evolving European health and research infrastructure landscape. Participants agreed that the project should position itself not as another standalone platform, but as a strategic enabler that connects existing initiatives and promotes interoperability across infrastructures such as EHDS, EOSC, EATRIS, EIRENE, and ELIXIR.

One of the strongest recommendations was to map the current European landscape of digital health and research infrastructures, identifying available data resources, architectures, and services. Participants highlighted the growing need for coordination mechanisms that help researchers navigate an increasingly fragmented ecosystem.

The workshop also welcomed insights from the European Commission regarding the newly launched Advanced Platform for Virtual Human Twins, opening opportunities for future collaboration and federation with emerging European digital twin initiatives.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐫
The second discussion explored the role of synthetic data in supporting health research, data sharing, and AI development while maintaining privacy and regulatory compliance.

Participants acknowledged the significant potential of synthetic data to:
- Support research involving limited or sensitive datasets;
- Facilitate cross-border collaboration;
- Accelerate innovation while preserving data privacy;
- Enable testing and model development without exposing real patient data.

However, experts emphasised that trust remains the critical factor for wider adoption. Discussions highlighted the need for robust validation frameworks, transparent governance mechanisms, fidelity benchmarking, bias assessment, and clear communication about synthetic data capabilities and limitations.

A major takeaway was that there is no universal synthetic data solution. Instead, methods must be tailored to specific use cases while maintaining high standards of quality, transparency, and scientific rigour.

𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭
The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion on the long-term sustainability of the Decentralised Digital Twin Environment (DDTE).

Participants stressed that sustainability should be addressed early in project development rather than after technical implementation is completed. A strong consensus emerged around adopting a more startup-oriented mindset, focusing on user needs, market demand, governance, and long-term value creation.

According to participant voting, the three most critical sustainability factors were:
✓ Clear ownership and governance structures (69%)
✓ Interoperability with existing systems and standards (56%)
✓ Sustainable funding and cost-sharing models (44%)

Participants agreed that clear accountability, strong collaboration among research infrastructures, and long-term financial planning will be essential for transforming DDTE from a project outcome into a sustainable European digital infrastructure.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬

✓ The workshop identified several priority actions for the DTRIP4H consortium:
✓ Map relevant European research infrastructures and initiatives.
✓ Align stakeholder needs with available infrastructure capabilities.
✓ Strengthen collaboration and reduce fragmentation across the ecosystem.
✓ Promote interoperability and integration between digital health platforms.
✓ Continue exploring sustainable governance and exploitation models.
✓ Advance trusted synthetic data services for research and innovation.

The discussions confirmed strong interest from stakeholders in building a connected, interoperable, and sustainable European digital twin ecosystem that can accelerate innovation in predictive, preventive, personalised, and participatory healthcare.