ECoWeB · Project

Mobile App That Prevents Youth Mental Health Problems Through Personalized Emotional Training

healthTestedTRL 6

Imagine if your phone could figure out exactly where you struggle with emotions — maybe you bottle things up, or you can't read other people's feelings well — and then give you a personalized training program to fix that specific weak spot. That's what this team of 15 partners across 8 countries built: a mobile app that profiles your emotional skills and delivers targeted exercises to strengthen them. They tested it in large-scale trials with young people across Europe, aiming to stop mental health problems before they start, rather than treating them after the damage is done.

By the numbers

EUR 3,999,980

EU funding for development and validation

consortium partners involved in development

European countries represented in the consortium

validated digital app interventions delivered (knowledge, production, regulation)

total project deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Youth mental health is deteriorating across Europe, driving up costs for employers, insurers, and educational institutions. Current approaches are reactive — treating disorders after they develop — and counseling services cannot scale to meet demand. There is a gap for evidence-based digital prevention tools that can reach large populations before problems escalate into clinical conditions.

The solution

What was built

The project built a comprehensive mobile app with three validated digital interventions targeting different emotional competence components: emotion knowledge, emotion production, and emotion regulation. Each module includes assessment instruments that profile individual deficits and personalized self-help training exercises. These were tested in cohort multiple randomized trials with young people across multiple European countries.

Audience

Who needs this

Corporate wellness platform providers serving companies with young employeesHealth insurers looking to reduce mental health claims through preventionUniversities and student services struggling with mental health demandEdTech companies building digital mental health or well-being productsPublic health agencies seeking scalable youth mental health interventions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Corporate Wellness & HR Technology

enterprise

Target: Employee wellness platform providers or large employers with young workforce

If you are a corporate wellness provider dealing with rising employee mental health costs and absenteeism among younger workers — this project developed a validated mobile app that assesses individual emotional competence profiles and delivers personalized digital interventions. Built by 15 partners across 8 countries and tested in randomized trials, it could be integrated into your existing wellness platform to offer evidence-based prevention rather than reactive treatment.

Health Insurance

enterprise

Target: Health insurers or managed care organizations seeking prevention tools

If you are a health insurer facing growing mental health claims among young adults — this project built validated digital instruments that identify emotional skill deficits before they become clinical disorders. Developed with EUR 3,999,980 in EU funding and tested across multiple European countries, these personalized mobile interventions could reduce downstream treatment costs by catching problems at the prevention stage.

Education Technology

any

Target: EdTech companies or universities managing student mental health

If you are a university or EdTech platform struggling with student mental health crises — this project created a comprehensive mobile app that assesses three components of emotional competence (production, regulation, knowledge) and delivers targeted self-help training. Validated through cohort randomized trials with young people, it offers a scalable digital-first approach that can reach entire student populations without overwhelming counseling services.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate this technology?

The project was funded with EUR 3,999,980 under an EU Research and Innovation Action. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the University of Exeter as coordinator. As an RIA project, results may be available under favorable academic licensing conditions, but commercial terms are not publicly disclosed.

Can this scale to thousands or millions of users?

The app was specifically designed for population-level scalability — that was a core project goal. It was tested in cohort multiple randomized trials across multiple European countries, demonstrating capacity beyond small pilot groups. The mobile delivery format inherently supports large-scale deployment.

Who owns the intellectual property?

IP is distributed among the 15 consortium partners according to their EU grant agreement. The University of Exeter as coordinator would be the first point of contact. With 10 universities and 3 research organizations involved, licensing negotiations may require multi-party agreements.

Has this been tested with real users?

Yes. The project ran cohort multiple randomized trials with young people from many European countries. Three sets of validated instruments and digital app interventions were delivered — covering emotional knowledge, production, and regulation components. This goes well beyond lab testing.

How does the personalization actually work?

The app uses a systematic assessment of personal Emotional Competence profiles across three dimensions: emotion production, emotion regulation, and emotion knowledge. Based on identified deficits, it selects targeted interventions specific to each user's weak areas — a personalized medicine approach applied to mental health prevention.

What regulatory approvals does it have?

Based on available project data, the app was validated through randomized controlled trials, which is the gold standard for clinical evidence. However, specific medical device certifications or regulatory clearances (e.g., CE marking as a digital therapeutic) are not mentioned in the project data. This would need to be confirmed with the coordinator.

Does it work as a standalone product or needs integration?

The project delivered a comprehensive standalone mobile app with built-in assessment and intervention modules. However, it could also be integrated into existing wellness or health platforms. The 2 industry partners in the consortium may have explored integration pathways during the project.

Consortium

Who built it

The ECoWeB consortium of 15 partners across 8 countries is heavily academic, with 10 universities and 3 research organizations forming the core. Only 2 industry partners (both SMEs) participated, giving a 13% industry ratio — this means commercial translation was not the primary focus. The University of Exeter (UK) coordinated. For a business looking to adopt this technology, the low industry involvement means you would likely need to invest in productization and regulatory compliance beyond what the project delivered. On the positive side, the broad geographic spread (Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, UK) means the app was designed and tested for multi-cultural European audiences, not just one national context.

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETERCoordinator · UK
AUDEERING GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAT JAUME I DE CASTELLONparticipant · ES
LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHENparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITE DE GENEVEparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITEIT GENTparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIAthirdparty · ES
KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V BRNEparticipant · CZ
DEUTSCHES JUGENDINSTITUT EVparticipant · DE
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOWparticipant · UK
EREVNITIKO PANEPISTIMIAKO INSTITOUTO SYSTIMATON EPIKOINONION KAI YPOLOGISTONparticipant · EL
MONSENSO A/Sparticipant · DK

How to reach the team

The University of Exeter (UK) coordinated this project. Contact their research commercialization or technology transfer office for licensing inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can broker an introduction to the ECoWeB team and help structure a licensing or partnership discussion tailored to your business needs.

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