INSTYTUT GRUZLICY I CHOROB PLUC

Their core work

The Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IGiChP) in Warsaw is Poland's leading specialized clinical and research institution focused on respiratory medicine. Their H2020 work spans two distinct but thematically connected areas: reconstructive surgery of the airway using bioengineered tracheal grafts seeded with the patient's own stem cells, and AI-powered digital diagnostics for sleep-disordered breathing conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea. As a clinical research center embedded in a hospital environment, they contribute patient access, clinical validation, and medical expertise to their consortia — they are not a basic science lab but an institution that bridges experimental medicine with real patient outcomes. Their respiratory specialization gives them a coherent identity: whether rebuilding a damaged trachea or diagnosing a sleeping disorder, they are always working on the airway.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2016–2019), the institute was squarely in the domain of advanced regenerative medicine — bioengineered tracheas, stem cell seeding, and scaffold construction, all aimed at surgically replacing damaged airways in patients with severe stenosis. By 2021, their focus shifted entirely toward digital and data-driven medicine: sleep diagnostics powered by AI, personalized health care through digital therapeutics, and machine learning applied to respiratory monitoring during sleep. The shift is dramatic in terms of technology — from biological implants to algorithmic diagnostics — but the clinical anchor remains consistent: the respiratory tract. This suggests the institute is deliberately expanding its methodological toolkit rather than drifting away from its core mission.

IGiChP appears to be moving toward digital health and AI-assisted diagnostics within respiratory medicine, making them a credible clinical partner for future projects combining pulmonology with data science or medical device development.

How they like to work

IGiChP has participated exclusively as a consortium partner in both H2020 projects — they have never coordinated a project in this dataset. With 51 unique partners across 19 countries from just two projects, they operate inside large, multinational research consortia, which is typical of RIA (Research and Innovation Action) projects in the health pillar. This suggests they are valued for their specific clinical capabilities and patient access rather than for project management leadership.

Despite only two projects, IGiChP has built a surprisingly broad network of 51 unique partners spanning 19 countries — an average of 25+ partners per project, characteristic of large health RIA consortia. Their reach is genuinely European, with no single geographic cluster identifiable from available data.

What sets them apart

IGiChP is one of the very few Eastern European clinical research institutions active in both advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) and AI-driven respiratory diagnostics — two of the highest-growth areas in European health research. As Poland's specialized lung disease institute, they offer something most academic labs cannot: direct access to a defined patient population with respiratory conditions, which is essential for clinical validation in both tracheal reconstruction and sleep apnea trials. For consortium builders needing a clinically credentialed Eastern European partner in respiratory medicine, IGiChP fills a rare and specific gap.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TETRA
  The largest-funded project for this institute (€365,000) and one of the few EU-funded efforts to bring autologous stem cell-seeded tracheal implants to clinical-stage validation — a high-complexity ATMP project with direct surgical application.
• SLEEP REVOLUTION
  An ongoing (2021–2025) large-scale initiative combining AI and digital diagnostics for sleep disorders, signaling the institute's pivot toward data-driven personalized medicine within its respiratory specialty.