KOMPETENZNETZ VORHOFFLIMMERN E.V.

Their core work

AFNET (Atrial Fibrillation Network) is a German registered association that serves as a clinical research network dedicated to atrial fibrillation — the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia and a major cause of stroke. They coordinate multi-center clinical studies, develop risk stratification tools, and work on translating biological understanding of atrial fibrillation into better patient management. Their core contribution is bridging basic science on AF mechanisms with clinical practice, including digital screening tools and AI-based early detection platforms.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier work (2015-2019, CATCH ME), AFNET focused on understanding the fundamental biology and disease mechanisms of atrial fibrillation — physiology, biological risk factors, ECG analysis, and translating these into stratified therapies. From 2020 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward digital tools, population-scale screening, and AI-powered diagnostics, as seen in AFFECT-EU and MAESTRIA. The trajectory is clear: from "understand the disease" to "detect it early at scale using technology."

AFNET is moving rapidly toward AI and digital health platforms for cardiac arrhythmia detection, making them a strong partner for digital diagnostics and population health projects.

How they like to work

AFNET participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for a clinical research network that contributes domain expertise and patient cohort access rather than project management. With 47 unique partners across 17 countries, they operate in large European consortia and bring extensive clinical network connections. Their consistent participant role and broad partner base suggest they are a sought-after specialist contributor valued for their deep AF expertise and clinical infrastructure.

AFNET has collaborated with 47 unique partners across 17 countries, indicating a wide European network spanning clinical centers, universities, and technology developers. Their geographic reach covers much of the EU, with no visible concentration in a single region.

What sets them apart

AFNET is one of very few organizations in Europe structured specifically as a competence network for atrial fibrillation — not a university department or hospital, but a dedicated association that connects clinical researchers across institutions. This gives them unusual convening power: they can mobilize multi-center clinical studies and patient data access that individual research groups cannot. For any consortium working on cardiac arrhythmia, stroke prevention, or digital cardiac diagnostics, AFNET brings both deep domain authority and a ready-made clinical network.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MAESTRIA
  Largest funding (EUR 2.7M to AFNET alone), applies AI and machine learning to build a digital diagnostic platform for early AF and stroke detection — their most ambitious and technology-forward project.
• CATCH ME
  Foundational project that connected AF disease mechanisms to personalized therapy, establishing AFNET's role as a translational research partner in EU health consortia.
• AFFECT-EU
  Focused on population-level digital screening for AF across the European community, representing AFNET's pivot toward public health impact and scalable digital tools.