1- What has been your biggest challenge working on TRACE project? 

The F6S team is responsible for the FSTP (Financial Support to Third Parties) of the project, and we would say the biggest challenge we encountered is to translate clearly the needs of the partners in their ecosystems to concrete challenges for the upcoming open call. Dealing with innovative solutions on the healthcare sector requires planning and an understanding of the ethical alignments, technical standards, and strict regulatory frameworks like the GDPR. Because we are dealing with three distinct ecosystems -Portugal, Poland, and Serbia – the “maturity level” of public health infrastructure, the data accessibility, and the engagement of the community-based entities varies dramatically from one country to another.  

2- How do you think the TRACE project can make a difference? 

Right now, across Europe, over 40% of the cancer burden is tied to preventable risks like unhealthy lifestyles and poor environmental conditions. Yet, less than 6% of total healthcare spending in the EU goes toward prevention. TRACE stands for Translational Research in Action for Cancer in Regional Ecosystems and our mission is to bridge the gap between complex lab research and daily healthcare practice. We are actively building localized “quadruple-helix” networks that unite universities, local healthcare systems, small businesses, and grassroots citizen organizations to design tailored cancer awareness and prevention initiatives where they are needed most. And that is where the project can make a difference and where we can contribute. 

3- For you, what is the main result that TRACE will deliver? 

Probably helping citizens through our citizen science initiatives and public health campaigns and training programmes to hopefully boost health literacy. And the open call that is designed to support the communities and healthcare providers in developing sustainable, evidence-based solutions that address regional gaps in cancer prevention and care, contributing for the major goal of helping people. 

4- We reached the 6-month mark of the project; how do you see the progress made in these months?  

We have made significant progress. Our partners have established strong collaboration frameworks, aligned on key objectives, and actively raised awareness of our work at several recent events. We look forward for the future!