🚀 Understanding XiA — #Education: structuring interoperability skills at scale The European Health Data Space (#EHDS) is moving from policy to implementation. But one key question remains: 👉 How do we structure learning for an ecosystem this complex? Interoperability is not one skill. It is a combination of domains, roles, and levels of expertise. And it cannot be addressed with a single course. To tackle this, XiA introduces a structured approach: 👉 20 learning families, organised to reflect real-world needs. At the core of this model: * Micro-content learning blocks → focused, practical units * Learning families → coherent, thematic skill areas * Competency-based design → aligned with professional use cases These 20 families are organised across three domains: 🟢 Essentials & Transversals Shared foundations across all professions (#interoperability, EHDS, data quality, ethics, AI, etc.) 🔵 #EHDS & Systems Components Concrete health data use cases (patient summaries, ePrescription, imaging, lab results, EHRs…) 🟣 #Standards & #Semantics Deep technical expertise (HL7 FHIR, SNOMED CT, LOINC, IHE, OpenEHR…) This structure allows professionals to: 👉 navigate complexity 👉 focus on role-specific skills 👉 build competencies progressively With XiA (Xpanding Innovative Alliance), we are transforming fragmented topics into 👉 20 structured learning families 👉 enabling scalable, practical interoperability #skills 📘 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/exmjgUqF 🔎 Read the previous articles in the series: * EHDS → https://lnkd.in/ehPbnAX4 * Interoperability → https://lnkd.in/etM6HJWT * Pedagogical Strategy → https://lnkd.in/eQYYR6xR And if you want to go further, explore our “Implement the EU lab in your hospital” webinar series, developed in partnership with Hospitals on FHIR and HL7 Europe. Next Webinar 30/04/26 3pm CET → HL7 FHIR Register : https://lnkd.in/e_s9m3hK #EHDS #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #HealthData #Skills #Education #XiA #FHIR #EEHRxF #HealthIT #HealthcareTransformation cc Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
About us
XiA is a European Erasmus+ project helping healthcare professionals, IT teams, universities and digital health companies prepare for the European Health Data Space (EHDS). Why? Because the European Health Data Space (EHDS) is a major transformation of how health data will be used, shared and governed across Europe. But regulation alone is not enough. Europe currently lacks the trained professionals needed to implement it at scale. Hospitals, IT teams, public authorities and solution providers need new skills to turn EHDS requirements into operational reality. XiA exists to help build that workforce. What we do: * Develop short, practical training modules on digital health interoperability * Organise webinars and hands-on “Educathons” * Provide micro-credentials aligned with European standards * Build a European Community of Practice connecting hospitals, IT experts, educators and policymakers Who it’s for: * Healthcare professionals, hospital managers and procurers * Hospital IT teams and digital leaders * Health IT companies and developers * Universities and training organisations * Public authorities preparing for EHDS implementation Our goal is simple: Build the skills Europe needs to make the EHDS work in practice. Funded by the European Union under Erasmus+ (Grant Agreement 101187650).
- Website
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https://xia-project.iscte-iul.pt/
External link for XiA project
- Industry
- Higher Education
- Company size
- 51-200 employees
- Type
- Nonprofit
Updates
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🇪🇺 XiA at IHE Europe #Connectathon Week A very intense and impactful week in Brussels for the XiA – Xpanding Innovative Alliance project. 🔎 A key milestone: XiA and IHE-Europe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), strengthening collaboration on interoperability, education and capacity building across Europe. Further discussions to come. Stefan Sauermann & Mathias Forjan 🎓 We also co-organised the Digital Health Future #Skills workshop, bringing together 30+ participants from across the ecosystem. The session gathered a unique mix of stakeholders: • Policy & international organisations 👉 Petr Čermák (European Commission) 👉 Karapet Davtyan (World Health Organization) • EU projects 👉 XiA project 👉 Apostolia Karabatea (Project SUSA) • Academia & education 👉 Stefan Sauermann & Mathias Forjan (Technikum Wien Academy) 👉 Eugenia Lvova (Deggendorf Institute of Technology) 👉 Réka Kovács (Semmelweis University) • Standards & industry 👉 Licínio Kustra Mano (SNOMED International) 👉 Isabelle Zablit-Schmitz (International Digital Health Advisor) 💬 A clear message emerged: 👉 Europe does not lack standards: it lacks skills to implement them 📜 And this is now a legal requirement: Under the EHDS (Article 83), Member States must ensure that health professionals have access to training and information to effectively use health data. 🤝 Beyond the workshop, XiA partners actively engaged in: • The IHE Experience Days, connecting field actors and interdisciplinary perspectives • Multiple Connectathon sessions and exchanges with implementers • Informal discussions strengthening collaboration across the ecosystem IHE Europe Connectathon Week once again showed that #interoperability is not only about standards and testing: it is about people, skills and collaboration. #XiAProject #IHEEurope #Connectathon #EHDS #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #SkillsForEurope #ErasmusPlus cc Eva Sabajova Sofia Franconi Alexander Berler Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Jorge Fonseca Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
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🚀 Understanding XiA — #Education: from content to competence The European Health Data Space (#EHDS) is moving from policy to implementation. But one key question remains: 👉 How do we train professionals to actually implement interoperability? Interoperability is not only about standards. It is about the ability to apply them in practice. This is where education becomes critical. The XiA pedagogical strategy is designed to support this transition: from knowledge to competence, from theory to application. It is built around a simple principle: 👉 Learning must be modular, practical, and aligned with real-world needs. To achieve this, XiA structures its approach across key dimensions: • Competency-based learning outcomes • Modular micro-learning content • Continuous assessment and feedback • Sustainable and updatable resources • Recognition through micro-credentials • Quality assurance and continuous improvement • Accessibility and openness Because without structured learning pathways, 👉 skills cannot scale 👉 and interoperability cannot be operationalised Europe does not lack frameworks. It lacks trained professionals able to combine them and use them effectively. With XiA (Xpanding Innovative Alliance), we are building the educational pathways needed to make interoperability work in practice, aligned with EHDS and the EEHRxF. This is how Europe moves from framework… to functioning ecosystem. 📘 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eQYYR6xR 🔎 Read the previous articles in the series to understand our project : • EHDS → https://lnkd.in/ehPbnAX4 • Interoperability → https://lnkd.in/etM6HJWT And if you want to go further, explore our “Implement the EU lab in your hospital” webinar series, developed in partnership with Hospitals on FHIR and HL7 Europe. Webinar today at 3pm CET on medical terminologies: https://lnkd.in/dpHJ9Hr6 #EHDS #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #HealthData #Skills #Education #XiA #FHIR #EEHRxF #HealthIT #HealthcareTransformation cc Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
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⏳ This Thursday — don’t miss it Medical #terminologies are not just a technical layer. They are the foundation of semantic interoperability in digital health. As part of the Hospitals on FHIR – Implement the EU Lab Report in your hospital series (an HL7 Europe/ XiA project collaboration) , this session focuses on understanding medical terminologies: a key building block for any interoperable eHealth system. 💡 In just 30 minutes, you will get: • A clear introduction to medical terminologies (#SNOMED CT, #LOINC, #ICD, #UCUM) • Why they are essential to ensure data meaning is shared and reusable • How they fit within the broader EHDS and interoperability landscape 🎤 With Roberta Gazzarata (HL7 Europe) 📅 26 March 2026 | 15:00 CET 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dpHJ9Hr6 A fundamental session for anyone working on digital health, interoperability and #EHDS readiness. #XiAProject #FHIR #EHDS #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #HealthIT #Terminologies Cc Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty Rhonda Facile Catherine E Chronaki, FHL7, FIAHSI, MBA Giorgio Cangioli
The second webinar in our Hospitals on FHIR series on Implementing the EU Lab Report in your Hospital, delivered in partnership with the XiA Project, is coming up next week — don’t miss it! In this free 30-minute session, we’ll explore the foundations of semantic interoperability and why medical terminologies are critical to making the EHDS a reality. Roberta Gazzarata, PhD. (HL7 Europe) will guide us through: 🔹 The broader context: EHDS & the EU Lab Report 🔹 What semantic interoperability means in practice 🔹 An introduction to key medical terminologies 🔹 Real-world examples from the EU Lab Report 🔹 Key implications for hospital implementation Join us! 📅 Medical Terminologies – Foundations for Semantic Interoperability 🗓 26 March 2026 | 15:00 CET 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dpHJ9Hr6 Hospitals on FHIR continues to support hospitals and national stakeholders in understanding and implementing HL7 FHIR within the EHDS framework. #EHDS #FHIR #HospitalsOnFHIR #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #HL7Europe Stefano Dalmiani Rhonda Facile Luc Chatty Catherine E Chronaki, FHL7, FIAHSI, MBA Giorgio Cangioli Jan-Eric SLOT
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⏳ Reminder | Digital Health Future Skills Workshop The conversation is happening next week in Brussels 🇪🇺 As part of IHE-Europe Connectathon Week, the Digital Health Future Skills Workshop will bring together experts from across Europe to address a key question: 👉 Is the healthcare workforce ready for the digital transformation? The XiA – Xpanding Innovative Alliance project will contribute to the discussion through Henrique Martins and Simon Lewerenz, alongside representatives from the European Commission, WHO, academia and international organisations. 💡 The session will explore: • How to equip professionals with interoperability skills • The role of education in EHDS implementation • How to build sustainable digital health competencies across Europe 📅 24 March 2026 | 09:00–12:15 📍 Brussels – IHE-Europe Connectathon Week #XiAProject #DigitalHealth #FutureSkills #EHDS #Interoperability #IHEEurope #SkillsForEurope Eva Sabajova Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
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Is the healthcare workforce ready for the digital future? As digital tools continue to transform #healthcare, one key question remains: do we have the skills to implement them effectively? At IHE-Europe #Connectathon Week in Brussels, the XiA project is contributing to this discussion through a dedicated session: 📅 24 March – #Education Together with #European institutions, international organisations, and leading experts, we will explore: * The skills gap in digital health and #interoperability * How education and training can support #EHDS implementation * How Europe can build sustainable digital health #competencies 🎤 Speakers include: Petr Čermák (European Commission) Karapet Davtyan (World Health Organization) Stefan Sauermann & Mathias Forjan (Technikum Wien Academy) Apostolia Karabatea (Project SUSA - Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence) Eugenia Lvova (Technische Hochschule Deggendorf) Réka Kovács (Semmelweis University) Licínio Kustra Mano (SNOMED International) Isabelle Zablit-Schmitz (International Digital Health Advisor) 🎙 Moderated and co-hosted by the XiA Project members: Eva Sabajova Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz These sessions aim to connect standards, policy, and real-world practice, and to ensure that digital transformation delivers real impact in healthcare. 👉 Join us in Brussels and be part of the conversation 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJ3xzYY3 #DigitalHealth #EHDS #Interoperability #Skills #HealthTech #FHIR #HL7 #Education #IHEEurope Eva Sabajova Lia Martina, Ph.D (she/her) Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty BRU_DHI (Digital Health International) Iscte Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa IHE Catalyst
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🔎 Is the healthcare workforce ready for the digital future? As digital tools rapidly transform healthcare, one question becomes increasingly important: do we have the #skills needed to implement them? The XiA – Xpanding Innovative Alliance project is proud to contribute to the Digital Health Future Skills Workshop, organised during IHE-Europe Connectathon Week in Brussels. During this session, Henrique Martins and Simon Lewerenz will join Eva Sabajova and a panel of international experts to discuss: • The skills gap in digital health and interoperability • The role of education and training in preparing the EHDS workforce • How Europe can build sustainable digital health competencies The discussion will bring together perspectives from the European Commission, World Health Organization, academia, and international organisations working on digital health transformation. 📅 24 March 2026 | 09:00–12:15 📍 Brussels – IHE-Europe Connectathon Week 👉 Participation is free for Connectathon Week participants. Cc Eva Sabajova Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
💡 Digital tools to transform healthcare are already here – but is the WORKFORCE READY? Workforce skills are a critical aspect of the digital transformation of healthcare. Cutting-edge technologies won’t improve patient care if the people using them aren’t fully equipped to do so. In just 2 weeks, join us in Brussels for the DIGITAL HEALTH FUTURE SKILLS Workshop, part of IHE-Europe Connectathon Week! I’ll have the pleasure of hosting the session, moderated and co-hosted by Henrique Martins and Simon Lewerenz from the XiA project. We are honoured to be joined by experts from esteemed organizations: Petr Čermák – European Commission Karapet Davtyan – World Health Organization Stefan Sauermann and Mathias Forjan – Technikum Wien Academy Apostolia Karabatea – Project SUSA - Sustainable Healthcare with Digital Health Data Competence Eugenia Lvova – Deggendorf Institute of Technology Réka Kovács – Semmelweis University Licínio Kustra Mano – SNOMED International Isabelle Zablit-Schmitz – International Digital Health Advisor They will share their experiences and highlight gaps in digital health education. 🚀 Don’t miss this learner-centered discussion bridging standards, policy, and real-world practice. 📅 24 March 2026, 9:00–12:15 📍The EGG, Brussels (IHE Europe Connectathon Week) Participation is free for the Connectathon Week participants. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJ3xzYY3 #DigitalHealth #Healthcare #Workforce #Interoperability #FutureSkills #HealthTech #HL7 #FHIR #Education #EHDS WHO Regional Office for Europe
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🇪🇺 XiA at the European Employment and Social Rights Forum This week, the XiA – Xpanding Innovative Alliance project was presented at the #EUSocialForum 2026, a flagship event organised by the European Commission bringing together ministers, policymakers and experts to discuss the future of skills in Europe. 🔎 Among all initiatives supported under the #Pact for #Skills, XiA was selected as one of only two projects at EU level invited to represent the initiative during the forum. During the session, Simon Lewerenz presented the XiA project and its contribution to the European skills agenda, highlighting: • Skills development in advanced digital health interoperability • Capacity building across Europe���s healthcare ecosystem • Structured training pathways supporting EU policy implementation As the European Health Data Space (#EHDS) moves from regulation to implementation, building the right skills across healthcare and digital health communities is becoming a key European priority. 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e8T2BVXn #XiAProject #EUSocialForum #SkillsForEurope #DigitalSkills #EHDS #ErasmusPlus Cc Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
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How can healthcare organisations overcome the practical challenges of digital transformation? One answer lies in #communities of practice. 📍 At the European Digital Healthcare Excellence Forum (Frankfurt, 2–3 March 2026), Dr Marie-Alexandra LAMBOT represented both CSCT – Belgian Community Support for Clinical Terminologies (CSCT) asbl-vzw and the XiA consortium. Her presentation explored how collaborative knowledge-sharing communities can help healthcare professionals tackle the technical and organisational challenges of digitalisation. Drawing on the experience of the #CSCT initiative in Belgium, the talk illustrated how peer communities support the adoption of complex interoperability components such as clinical terminologies, while helping organisations navigate resource constraints and implementation barriers. Within this perspective, the XiA project was also presented as a complementary European initiative developing structured learning pathways to strengthen digital health and #interoperability #skills across the healthcare workforce — an essential step as Europe prepares for the European Health Data Space (#EHDS). 📖 Read the full article: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePZGCuyN #XiAProject #DigitalHealth #Interoperability #EHDS #ClinicalTerminologies Cc Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty
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🔥 Implement the EU lab in your hospital Webinar Series – the adventure continues Following the strong interest in the first webinar of the series, the Hospitals on FHIR initiative continues its exploration of the key building blocks required to implement the EU Lab Report and prepare hospitals for the European Health Data Space (#EHDS). The third session, organised in collaboration with HL7 Europe and the XiA Project, will focus on the technical standard at the heart of EHDS-ready architectures: #HL7 #FHIR. Participants will gain a structured introduction to the FHIR paradigm, its origins, its resource-based model, and why it represents a major shift in how health data is structured, exchanged and reused across #Europe. 🎙 Speaker Luc Chatty – FHIR urbanist and architect, biomedical engineer by background, French Ambassador for the Hospitals on FHIR community and consultant to HL7 Europe. 📅 30 April 2026 🕒 15:00 CET 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/e_s9m3hK 📢 Reminder: the second webinar of the series, dedicated to medical terminologies and the foundations of semantic interoperability, will also take place soon. 26 March 2026 – 15:00 CET 🔗 Registration: https://lnkd.in/dpHJ9Hr6 More information about the webinar series is available on the XiA website: https://lnkd.in/ebdyjAPg Through initiatives like this, XiA contributes to strengthening interoperability skills across Europe, supporting healthcare organisations and digital health professionals in preparing for the implementation of the EHDS. #XiA #HL7Europe #HospitalsOnFHIR #FHIR #EHDS #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #DataStandards Cc Henrique Martins Simon Lewerenz Sérgio Dinis Maria Manuel Salazar Francini Hak Ailton Moreira Outi Ahonen Tarja Laakkonen Anne Moen Silje Havrevold Henni Prof. Georgi Chaltikyan, MD, PhD Eugenia Lvova Natalia Allegretti Federica Porcu Luc Chatty Rhonda Facile Catherine E Chronaki, FHL7, FIAHSI, MBA Giorgio Cangioli
🚨 Upcoming Webinar | Hospitals on FHIR Series 🚨 Hospitals on FHIR, in collaboration with HL7 Europe and the XiA project, is pleased to announce the third free webinar in the series. HoF – Implementing the EU Lab Report at Your Hospital: Simplifying readiness for the #EHDS with HL7 #FHIR Standards Building on the regulatory foundations introduced in the first session and the semantic layer explored in the second, this webinar focuses on the core technical standard enabling EHDS implementation: HL7 FHIR. Participants will gain a structured introduction to the FHIR paradigm — its origins, its resource-based model, and why it represents a major shift in how health data is structured, exchanged, and reused across Europe. The session will also clarify the link between FHIR and semantic interoperability, and how standards-based architectures support EHDS readiness at hospital level. 🎙 Speaker Luc Chatty – FHIR #urbanist and architect, biomedical engineer by background, serving as French Ambassador for the Hospitals on FHIR community and consultant to HL7 Europe. He supports hospitals and European initiatives in implementing FHIR-based architectures and advancing interoperability in the context of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and innovation projects. ✅ Key takeaways 1 - A short history of HL7 and the emergence of FHIR 2 - Understanding FHIR resources and the resource-based model 3 - The link between FHIR and semantics 4 - Why FHIR represents a paradigm shift for interoperability 5 - Practical implications for EHDS-ready hospital architectures 🎯 Target audience Healthcare professionals, hospitals, health IT vendors, policymakers, and digital health interoperability stakeholders involved in EHDS implementation and standards-based data exchange. 📅 30 April 2026 🕒 15:00 CET 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/e_s9m3hK Looking forward to welcoming you! #HL7Europe #HospitalsOnFHIR #XiA #FHIR #EHDS #Interoperability #DigitalHealth #DataStandards Stefano Dalmiani Rhonda Facile Luc Chatty Catherine E Chronaki, FHL7, FIAHSI, MBA Giorgio Cangioli Jan-Eric SLOT
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