The Project

The INTELLI-INGEST Consortium is a European research and training network funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks programme, with additional support from the UKRI Horizon Europe Guarantee. Scientifically, the project focuses on creating next-generation smart ingestible devices for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy in the gastrointestinal tract—addressing key challenges in localisation, actuation, diagnostics, sustainability, and clinical translation.

The Consortium provides cutting-edge doctoral training to 13 researchers, combining interdisciplinary research, hands-on technical experience, industry secondments, and professional development.

Partners span seven countries and include leading academic institutions such as Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Italy, Coordinator), Technical University of Denmark (Denmark), University of Birmingham (UK), University of Thessaly (Greece), and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France).

Industry partners include Ovesco Endoscopy AG (Germany), BodyCAP (France), BioCam (Poland), and Mycro3D (Denmark), who contribute expertise in device development, imaging technologies, wireless sensing, manufacturing, and regulatory pathways. Université de Rennes (France) through its extensive partnership with BodyCAP and CNRS provides further benefits to the consortium. Clinical expertise is supplied by Odense University Hospital (Region Syddanmark, Denmark). This diverse collaboration ensures the scientific innovation and translational readiness of Intelli-Ingest’s research and training activities.

Summary

The project aligns with key European objectives by promoting excellent science, fostering innovation, supporting the green transition, and preparing highly skilled researchers for leadership roles across sectors. It contributes to strengthening Europe’s global competitiveness in health technology while ensuring ethical, responsible, and sustainable research practices.

The project addresses four major scientific objectives:

  1. Localisation and Actuation – Developing precise tracking and actuation systems to enable targeted interventions within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
  2. Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics – Designing devices capable of in situ sensing, imaging, AI-powered analysis, and local drug delivery to enhance diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.
  3. Sustainability – Innovating with battery-free power sources, printed electronics, and life cycle assessment to minimise environmental impact.
  4. Translational Tools to Advance Innovation – Creating hybrid physical–virtual GI simulators to accelerate device development, reduce animal testing, and support clinical validation.

Together, these objectives support Intelli-Ingest’s mission to train 13 doctoral candidates through interdisciplinary, intersectoral, and international collaboration, equipping them with the skills to drive scientific discovery and address real-world healthcare challenges across Europe and beyond.

Expected Results

INTELLI-INGEST is tackling four significant scientific challenges to revolutionise the design and use of smart ingestible medical devices. Each objective targets a key innovation area, ranging from device control and diagnostics to sustainability and clinical translation. Each has clear expected scientific outcomes and potential for real-world healthcare impact.

Localisation and Actuation

Expected results include developing compact, precise localisation systems and soft, miniaturised actuation mechanisms suitable for the GI environment. Scientifically, this will advance the control and functionality of ingestible devices. The impact will be improved safety, accuracy, and effectiveness of minimally invasive interventions, supporting wider clinical adoption.

Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Outcomes will include ingestible systems capable of real-time sensing, AI-based image interpretation, and localised drug delivery. These advances will enable earlier, more accurate diagnosis and targeted treatments. The impact is reduced need for invasive procedures, improved patient outcomes, and enhanced capabilities for managing gastrointestinal diseases.

Sustainability

The project will deliver energy-harvesting systems, sustainable devices, and a life cycle assessment of ingestible devices. These scientific advances will guide the design of environmentally responsible ingestibles. The broader impact is reduced electronic waste, alignment with green healthcare goals, and influence on future regulatory and design standards.

Translational Tools to Advance Innovation

Expected outputs include a hybrid physical–virtual GI simulator and computational tools for design optimisation and testing. Scientifically, this supports reproducibility and rapid prototyping. The impact lies in accelerating device development, reducing reliance on animal models, and providing essential training platforms for clinicians and engineers.


Funding scheme: This research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network INTELLI-INGEST Grant Agreement N° 101169012 and the UKRI Horizon Europe Guarantee under Grant Agreement EP/U536726/1