While the CancerScan project is at an early technology readiness stage, it has already delivered important outcomes in three key areas: dissemination and communication, exploitation planning, and data management, which together support the visibility, sustainability, and responsible use of project results.

The following sections outline the main outcomes achieved to date in dissemination and communication, exploitation planning, and data management, highlighting how these activities support the project’s progress and future impact.

Dissemination and Communication

CancerScan has developed and implemented a structured Plan for Dissemination and Communication (D&C) Activities to maximise the visibility, impact, and uptake of project outcomes. The D&C strategy recognises that the successful development of a digital twin–based pathology platform depends not only on scientific progress, but also on effective engagement with relevant stakeholders across research, healthcare, industry, and society.

The D&C Plan follows a multi-phase approach and defines clear objectives, including raising awareness of the project, promoting understanding of its technological innovations, and fostering collaboration opportunities. Target audiences have been clearly identified and include researchers, clinicians, industry partners, policy-makers, investors, patients, and the general public. Communication messages and formats are tailored to the needs and expectations of each audience to ensure relevance and accessibility.

A key outcome of the D&C activities is the establishment of coordinated dissemination efforts across the consortium. Individual dissemination plans have been developed by each partner, reflecting their specific expertise, networks, and sectoral reach. These individual plans collectively contribute to a comprehensive and coherent dissemination strategy at project level. The project employs multiple communication channels, including a dedicated project website, digital and social media presence, visual identity materials, and scientific publications and presentations.

To ensure effectiveness and continuous improvement, the D&C Plan includes a framework for monitoring and evaluation. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used to assess reach, engagement, and uptake of dissemination activities, allowing the consortium to adapt communication efforts in line with project progress and stakeholder feedback. Overall, the dissemination and communication activities provide a structured and proactive framework for ensuring that CancerScan’s scientific and technological developments are communicated effectively and positioned for future impact.

Exploitation of Project Results

CancerScan has developed the first version of its exploitation plan, taking into account the early Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) of the project. The plan outlines a step-by-step approach that links current research results to potential future commercialisation activities.

The project aims to advance its core technologies from TRL 1-2 to TRL 3-4 over the project duration, using pancreatic cancer as a model system. Two primary exploitable results have been identified:

• Integrated clinical decision support platform that brings together experimental data, computational modelling, and hardware acceleration concepts.
• Tumour digital twin simulation framework that can be exploited as a standalone capability, particularly in research and pharmaceutical contexts.

An initial market assessment indicates that these results are positioned at the intersection of the digital pathology and healthcare digital twin markets, both of which show strong growth potential.

Data Management Plan

CancerScan has established a comprehensive Data Management Plan (DMP) to govern the handling of research data generated during the project. Over the 36-month duration, the project is expected to generate approximately 8–10 terabytes of heterogeneous data, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the research.

The project generates multiple data types, including experimental data from tumour organoid models, whole-slide imaging, single-cell sequencing and proteomics, computational analyses, modelling outputs related to tumour communication and digital twin simulations, and hardware optimisation benchmarks. The DMP defines procedures for the collection, storage, documentation, and preservation of these data throughout the project lifecycle.

CancerScan is committed to the FAIR data principles, ensuring that data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable wherever possible. Openly shared datasets are deposited in established repositories and assigned proper identifiers. Data formats and metadata standards follow recognised community conventions, supporting interoperability and reuse across disciplines.

Ethical and legal requirements are addressed through GDPR compliant handling of clinical data, including pseudonymisation and controlled access procedures. Data security measures are implemented across all partners, including secure institutional storage, regular backups, and encrypted data transfers. The DMP is maintained as a living document and will be reviewed and updated at defined project milestones to reflect evolving methodologies, repository choices, and exploitation considerations.

Links

https://www.cancerscanproject.eu/

http://www.linkedin.com/company/cancerscan-project

https://x.com/CancerScan_eu

https://www.youtube.com/@cancerscan-Project

Keywords

dissemination, communication, data management, FAIR, exploitation