The European Genomic Data Infrastructure (GDI) consortium is expanding with the participation of organisations from four new EU countries, including biobank.cy, the University of Cyprus’ Centre of Excellence for Biobanking and Biomedical Research.
The GDI project, co-funded by the European Digital Europe Programme (Digital), aims to implement the 1+ million genomes (1+MG) initiative to promote genetic medicine in Europe. As of 12 April, organisations from Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and Romania have officially joined the project. The expansion of the project is a step towards the creation of a cross-border data infrastructure for secure access to high-quality human genomes and corresponding clinical data across Europe.
The 1+MG initiative was signed by representatives of the governments of Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and Romania who will participate in Pillar I of the project, contributing to discussions on long-term sustainability, governance models and legal framework. Pillar I connects sustainability and governance experts of the 1+MG initiative in order to reach consensus on how to support the 1+MG infrastructure in the long term.
Representatives from the four countries will also participate in Pillar II, which focuses on defining the technical requirements for implementing the infrastructure. Pillar II of the project supports the national nodes to progress through the maturity assessment in three phases: registration, implementation and operation.
New countries will have an accelerated membership in the 1+MG initiative, with the aim of completing the registration phase by 2026. Enrolment includes the establishment of the ‘mirroring group’, the development of national genomic plans and the implementation and testing of the 1+MG data infrastructure.
The addition of organisations from Cyprus, Hungary, Malta and Romania demonstrates the commitment of these countries to advancing research and improving health outcomes for their citizens and the wider European community. The participation of more EU countries in the GDI will ultimately expand access to genetic medicine across Europe.
Source: University of Cyprus | Latest news (https://shorturl.at/abjM5)