PreciseOnco Consortium Secures €14.9M Grant for Precision IO Project

February 12, 2026—The PreciseOnco research consortium has been awarded €14.9 million in funding from the European Union’s Innovative Health Initiative to support a 5-year program integrating spectral imaging, robotic guidance, and artificial intelligence (AI) into minimally invasive cancer treatment, according to a press release from the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE). The public funding will be complemented by €9 million in in-kind contributions and additional industry resources.

According to the press release, the initiative aims to standardize and enhance precision in interventional oncology (IO) procedures, including tumor ablation, radioembolization, and electrochemotherapy. CIRSE will support validation and dissemination efforts and lead the development of training and capacity-building programs focused on spectral imaging in the interventional suite.

The public-private partnership includes industry partners Philips, Quantum Surgical, and IGEA; the European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR); and several academic centers, including University Hospital Cologne, University Medical Center Utrecht, Leiden University Medical Center, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (Hôpital Henri-Mondor), and Hospices Civils de Lyon.

Central to the program is spectral CT and cone-beam CT, which capture multiparametric tissue data by analyzing x-rays at different energy levels. The consortium plans to combine this technology with robotic guidance systems capable of submillimeter instrument positioning based on real-time imaging data. AI algorithms are intended to enhance image quality, reduce radiation dose, streamline visualization workflows, and provide intraprocedural feedback on treatment completeness before the patient leaves the operating room.

As noted in the press release, PreciseOnco will conduct five multicenter clinical studies designed to validate these technologies across tumor types and workflows. VISTA will evaluate spectral imaging for liver and kidney ablation and liver radioembolization. SPOT ON will assess spectral CT for tumor targeting and treatment planning. HORA EST HCC 2 will study single-session thermal ablation plus transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma. SPECTRA-L will examine spectral imaging during TACE in a CT-equipped angio suite. LASER will focus on imaging biomarkers to predict treatment response across multiple locoregional therapies.

According to CIRSE, the consortium’s goal is to generate clinical and health economic evidence to support broader adoption of spectral imaging and robotic guidance across European cancer centers.