Overview
DICE-CD (Data Innovations in Collaborative Ecosystems for Clinical Domains) takes an end-to-end approach to closing these data gaps by building a connected clinical data ecosystem with the goal of increasing data maturity and enabling more data-driven treatment decisions for individual patients.
DICE-CD brings together clinical partners (Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Berlin) and industry partners (Netzpanda, Digital Masters). On the clinical side: the Institute for Biomedical Informatics, the Data Integration Center (MeDIC), the Department II of Internal Medicine (University Hospital Cologne), the Department of Nephrology (University Hospital Düsseldorf), and the Charité Berlin. On the industry side: Netzpanda and Digital Masters GmbH, two companies specializing in UX design and frontend development. Together, we are working toward an open reference architecture for clinical data ecosystems, interoperable data infrastructure, and user-centered tools that translate data into better patient care.
Kick-Off Meeting in Cologne
The full DICE-CD consortium met in person in Cologne for the first time in late April. The agenda covered introductions across all partners, a presentation from our project management agency PTKA, a walk-through of all work packages and milestones, and an early prototype built on synthetic data, available here: https://design-prototype.dice-cd.eu/.
The work package deep dive was particularly productive. The consortium worked through each work package together, surfacing dependencies, open questions, and early assumptions about where the challenges lie. Establishing this shared conceptual foundation within the consortium was a critical first step for the collaborative work ahead.
First 'DigiNutzenDat' Network Meeting in Stuttgart
A few weeks later, Oliver Diekmeier and Alina Troglio represented DICE-CD at the first network meeting of the 'DigiNutzenDat program', hosted by Fraunhofer IAO in Stuttgart.
The meeting was organized by KONVOY (Konfiguration und Co-Evolution von Datenöko- und Arbeitssystemen), the scientific companion project of the DigiNutzenDat funding program. KONVOY's role extends beyond coordination: it connects all funded projects, monitors the broader legal, ethical, and social impacts, and develops an integrative framework for how data ecosystems and work systems co-evolve. For the funded projects, this means regular participation in hands-on sessions, through which KONVOY acts not merely as a passive observer but as an active contributor, bringing together individual project results into a coherent overall picture.
The program encompasses a remarkably diverse set of projects, all centered on data ecosystems but operating in entirely different domains. Alongside DICE-CD in the health domain, participating projects included, for example, initiatives such as a data platform for social services and an AI-supported approach to architectural heritage reconstruction. After project presentations and a poster session, the afternoon continued with a World Café format addressing the fundamental challenges of data ecosystems: what enables their development, what blocks it, and what solutions are emerging across disciplines.
One core finding was how quickly the underlying questions converged, despite the differences between the projects, particularly with regard to trust, governance, data quality, and the shared challenge of fostering acceptance among stakeholders. It is precisely this kind of interdisciplinary exchange that the 'DigiNutzenDat' program aims to promote, and we look forward to continuing it and sharing the insights we have gained in the process.
With the consortium aligned and the first cross-project discussions underway, DICE-CD now moves into its first phase of hands-on work: refining the reference architecture, developing the data infrastructure, and iterating on the prototype together with clinical partners. We'll be sharing progress, insights, and lessons learned here on the website as the project evolves. To follow along or get in touch, visit www.dice-cd.eu - we welcome exchange with others working on clinical data ecosystems, ADPKD care, or the broader questions DigiNutzenDat is tackling.
DICE-CD is funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMFTR) and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), as part of the "Zukunft der Wertschöpfung" program “Nutzen in Daten-Ökosystemen: Wettbewerb - Kommunikation - Kooperation (DigiNutzenDat)”.