AB.ACUS SRL

Their core work

AB.ACUS is a Milan-based SME specializing in user-centered design, human factors research, and digital service design — particularly for healthcare and assistive technology applications. They bring expertise in understanding end-user needs, designing interfaces, and evaluating how people interact with complex systems like robotic assistants, mobile health tools, and data platforms. Their role in consortia is typically to bridge the gap between technical development and real-world usability, ensuring that research prototypes actually work for patients, caregivers, and citizens. More recently, they have expanded into health data analytics and FAIR data tooling for epidemiological research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015-2018), AB.ACUS worked across a broad range of digital topics — from maker culture and digital fabrication (DiDIY) to urban mobility (SocialCar) and robotic rehabilitation (RETRAINER) — acting as a versatile UX and human factors partner. From 2017 onward, their portfolio sharpened toward health and care applications, with projects on elderly care (MoveCare) and ethical robotics (REELER). Their most recent and largest project, LONGITOOLS (2020-2025), marks a clear pivot toward health data science, exposome research, and FAIR data infrastructure — suggesting a deliberate move from interface design into deeper health informatics.

AB.ACUS is transitioning from general UX consultancy toward specialized health data and digital health expertise, positioning themselves for Horizon Europe health missions and data space initiatives.

How they like to work

AB.ACUS operates predominantly as a consortium partner (6 of 7 projects) rather than a coordinator, though they successfully led RETRAINER, demonstrating they can manage projects when the topic aligns with their core expertise. With 88 unique partners across 22 countries, they have an exceptionally wide network for an SME of their size, suggesting they are valued as a flexible, reliable partner that integrates well into diverse teams. Their consistent participation in mid-to-large consortia indicates they are sought after for their specific human factors contribution rather than building repeat partnerships with the same groups.

AB.ACUS has collaborated with 88 distinct organizations across 22 countries, an unusually broad network for an SME. Their partnerships span most of Europe, with no apparent geographic concentration beyond their Italian base.

What sets them apart

AB.ACUS occupies a distinctive niche as a human-centered design SME that consistently works at the intersection of digital technology and healthcare — a combination that is rare among Italian SMEs in H2020. Where many design firms stay in consumer tech, AB.ACUS has built a track record in regulated, high-impact domains like rehabilitation robotics, mental health, and epidemiological data. Their recent move into FAIR data and longitudinal health analytics adds a technical depth that complements their design roots, making them a strong partner for projects that need both data capability and user-facing design.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RETRAINER
  Their only coordinator role — a robotic rehabilitation project for neurological patients, demonstrating deep domain ownership in assistive technology.
• LONGITOOLS
  Their largest funded project (EUR 574K) and most recent, signaling a strategic shift into health data science, FAIR data, and cardiometabolic disease research.
• MoveCare
  A high-budget project (EUR 487K) on virtual empathic caregiving for the elderly, combining their UX expertise with AI-driven care — a socially impactful application.