EDEN-Medical

Fast cross-border exchange with drones – Interreg Maas-Rijn (NL-BE-DE)

Imagine: there is an emergency in a hospital near the border. Blood, medication, medical equipment or a lab sample is needed urgently. The nearest hospital is not actually in the Netherlands, but just across the border in Germany or Belgium. However, it is difficult to get help there quickly. This is due to different laws, rules and systems between countries. The EDEN-Medical project aims to change this.

The lesson from crisis situations: cooperation is essential

In emergency situations, every minute counts. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the floods in the summer of 2021, it became clear how vulnerable our healthcare systems are. Hospitals, for example, faced shortages of medicines and personal protective equipment due to logistical problems. Within the Netherlands, hospitals already regularly exchange medical supplies when there is a shortage somewhere. But often the solutions are closer than you think. Many hospitals in the Meuse-Rhine border region are closer to each other than to hospitals in their own country. Cross-border cooperation therefore makes sense. But it is not yet a matter of course. In emergencies and urgent cases, you can provide better and faster care if you work across borders and can reach each other quickly.

Care by air: drones in the lead role
EDEN-Medical is an Interreg Meuse-Rhine (NL-BE-DE) project that improves cooperation between hospitals in the border region. This is achieved through a smart and innovative network for medical transport. The project uses drones (also known as Urban Air Mobility (UAM)) to quickly transport medical goods such as medicines, blood and samples.

But EDEN-Medical does more than just transport. The project also provides a platform where hospitals, doctors and drone operators can exchange information in real time. This includes patient information, lab results or instructions during an emergency. Everything is done quickly, safely and digitally.

More than technology: rules, people and the future
The project looks beyond technology alone. It also investigates which rules and laws stand in the way of cross-border transport. It then develops solutions. These include new agreements, adapted hospital procedures and the right infrastructure for drone traffic.

A strong network of hospitals, SMEs, governments and universities is also being built. This network will continue to exist after the end of the project and will ensure that knowledge is shared. This will allow other regions in Europe to benefit from the results.

EDEN-Medical also helps to improve legislation. Thanks to this project, European institutions such as EASA can develop better policies for cross-border medical drones. Universities will incorporate the knowledge into their curricula so that the next generation of healthcare professionals and technicians can put it to use.