INSPIRE · Project

Standardized Tools and Data for Proton Beam Therapy Centers Across Europe

healthTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine a new type of cancer treatment that zaps tumours with pinpoint accuracy, sparing the healthy tissue around them — that's proton beam therapy. Europe has been pouring money into building these centres, but each one was basically figuring things out on its own. INSPIRE connected 18 partners across 12 countries to build shared testing tools, quality standards, and planning models so every centre doesn't have to reinvent the wheel. They even 3D-printed special dummy bodies (phantoms) that mimic real tissue, so hospitals can calibrate their machines the same way everywhere.

By the numbers

consortium partners collaborating on PBT standards

countries with connected PBT research infrastructure

EU member states with PBT in operation or under development

EUR 4,999,867

EU investment in PBT research infrastructure

total deliverables produced

major PBT equipment manufacturers involved as partners

The business problem

What needed solving

Proton beam therapy is expanding fast across Europe — 11 EU member states now have centres operating or in development — but each facility has been developing its own quality assurance methods, dosimetry benchmarks, and patient selection criteria independently. This fragmentation means inconsistent treatment quality, duplicated R&D effort, and no reliable way for health systems to forecast demand or compare outcomes across sites.

The solution

What was built

The project produced 26 deliverables including 3D-printed tissue-equivalent phantoms for standardised dosimetry measurements, advanced radiobiological phantoms for studying radiation effectiveness along the proton beam path, and the Malthus decision-tree model incorporating PBT indications for modelling radiotherapy demand.

Audience

Who needs this

Proton beam therapy equipment manufacturers needing standardised QA benchmarksNational health services planning new proton therapy centre investmentsMedical physics companies developing dosimetry calibration productsHospital networks expanding into advanced radiotherapy servicesHealth economics consultancies modelling cancer treatment demand

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical device manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Companies that manufacture proton beam therapy equipment or dosimetry instruments

If you are a PBT equipment manufacturer dealing with inconsistent quality benchmarks across different clinical centres — this project developed standardized 3D-printed tissue-equivalent phantoms and dosimetry protocols tested across 18 partner institutions in 12 countries. These shared standards could reduce your calibration and validation costs while giving your customers confidence in cross-site consistency.

Hospital and healthcare systems

enterprise

Target: Hospital networks or national health services planning new proton therapy centres

If you are a healthcare system investing in proton beam therapy but struggling to predict patient demand and select the right indications — this project built the Malthus decision-tree model for modelling radiotherapy demand and incorporated PBT indications into it. With 11 EU member states now operating or developing PBT capability, this planning tool can help justify your investment with evidence-based demand forecasting.

Radiation therapy quality assurance

SME

Target: Companies providing QA services or calibration equipment for radiation oncology

If you are a QA service provider needing reliable reference standards for proton beam measurements — this project developed and tested advanced radiobiological phantoms for measuring how radiation effectiveness changes along the proton beam's path. These tools, validated across multiple European centres, give you a tested benchmark for your own calibration and audit services.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access these tools or datasets?

The project operated with EUR 4,999,867 in EU funding and committed to open access through its Open Access Gateway for databases and software. Specific licensing or access fees for individual tools like the phantoms or the Malthus model are not detailed in available project data — you would need to contact the consortium.

Can these tools work at industrial scale across multiple hospital sites?

Yes, that was a core goal. INSPIRE connected 18 partners across 12 countries specifically to standardize tools for cross-site use. The tissue-equivalent phantoms were designed for round-robin experiments across centres, meaning they were built to produce consistent results when shipped between facilities.

Who owns the intellectual property for the phantoms and models?

Based on available project data, IP would be shared among the 18 consortium partners under standard Horizon 2020 rules. The project committed to open access for databases and software through its Open Access Gateway, but physical products like phantoms may have different licensing arrangements.

Is this compatible with existing proton therapy equipment from major manufacturers?

The consortium includes 2 of the world's largest PBT equipment manufacturers as partners. This means the phantoms and dosimetry protocols were developed and validated on commercial clinical systems already in use across Europe.

How mature are these tools — are they ready for clinical or commercial use?

The project ran from 2018 to 2022 and produced 26 deliverables including tested phantoms and a demand-modelling tool with PBT-specific decision trees. These are validated research tools, not off-the-shelf commercial products, but they have been tested in real clinical-energy proton beam environments.

What regulatory considerations apply?

Proton beam therapy is a regulated medical treatment, so any tools used in clinical dosimetry or treatment planning would need to meet national and EU medical device regulations. Based on available project data, the phantoms and models were developed for research and quality assurance rather than direct patient treatment decisions.

Consortium

Who built it

The INSPIRE consortium of 18 partners across 12 countries is well-structured for a business looking to enter the proton therapy space. It includes 7 universities and 5 research organisations providing deep scientific expertise, plus 3 industry partners — critically including 2 of the world's largest PBT equipment manufacturers. The 17% industry ratio is modest but meaningful given that this is a capital-intensive medical technology field. With only 1 SME, the consortium leans heavily toward large institutions, which reflects the reality that proton therapy centres require massive upfront investment. For a business partner, the key value is access to a validated, pan-European network that has already standardised tools and protocols across 11 member states with active PBT programmes.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTERCoordinator · UK
AARHUS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
THE CHRISTIE NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTparticipant · UK
ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGENparticipant · NL
THE HENRYK NIEWODNICZANSKI INSTITUTE OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS, POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCESparticipant · PL
ION BEAM APPLICATIONS SAparticipant · BE
GSI HELMHOLTZZENTRUM FUR SCHWERIONENFORSCHUNG GMBHparticipant · DE
KOMMUNALFORBUNDET SKANDIONKLINIKENparticipant · SE
LIETUVOS SVEIKATOS MOKSLU UNIVERSITETASparticipant · LT
USTAV JADERNE FYZIKY AV CRparticipant · CZ
INSTITUT CURIEparticipant · FR
PAUL SCHERRER INSTITUTparticipant · CH
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGENparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITE DE NAMURparticipant · BE
VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS PARTICLE THERAPY GMBH & CO. KGparticipant · DE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDENparticipant · DE
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FISICA NUCLEAREparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

The University of Manchester (UK) coordinated this project. Contact their proton beam therapy research group for partnership or licensing enquiries.

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

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the INSPIRE team or a tailored briefing on how their PBT tools fit your business? SciTransfer can arrange a direct connection — contact us for matchmaking.

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