Philips-Led SEISMIC Consortium Secures EU Funding to Advance Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Across Europe

Philips-Led SEISMIC Consortium Secures EU Funding to Advance Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery Across Europe

(IN BRIEF) Royal Philips, together with Erasmus MC and a broad consortium of industry, academic, and patient partners, has secured funding from the EU’s Innovative Health Initiative to coordinate the five-year SEISMIC research program aimed at transforming neurosurgery through the integration of advanced imaging and minimally invasive techniques. With a total budget of EUR 38.4 million, including EUR 23.5 million in public funding, the project will conduct eight clinical studies to validate new technological solutions for safer, more precise brain surgery. SEISMIC will develop real-time ultrasound and X-ray navigation, simulation-based training platforms, and novel minimally invasive tools, focusing on intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and brain tumors. The initiative seeks to reduce surgical trauma, improve patient outcomes, and expand access to specialized neurosurgical care while addressing the growing global burden of neurological disease through a strong public-private partnership.

(PRESS RELEASE) AMSTERDAM, 12-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, has announced that the SEISMIC research consortium, which it coordinates in collaboration with Erasmus MC as academic lead, has received funding from the European Union’s Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) to drive a major transformation in neurosurgical care. The five-year research and innovation program, backed by a total budget of EUR 38.4 million, will integrate advanced medical imaging with minimally invasive surgical techniques to improve the treatment of brain bleeding and tumors. The public funding of EUR 23.5 million will be supplemented by EUR 14.9 million in in-kind contributions and additional resources from industry partners, supporting a comprehensive agenda that includes eight clinical studies aimed at validating new technical solutions for minimally invasive neurosurgery.

The initiative responds to a growing need for safer, more precise, and less invasive approaches to treating complex neurological conditions. Traditional brain surgery often requires large openings in the skull and relies on preoperative imaging and fragmented intraoperative visualization, which can disrupt workflows and limit precision. SEISMIC seeks to address these limitations by developing integrated, real-time imaging and navigation systems that enhance surgical accuracy while reducing patient risk and recovery time.

Bert van Meurs, Chief Business Leader for Image Guided Therapy at Royal Philips, emphasized that the transition from open brain surgery to minimally invasive procedures represents a major shift in clinical practice. He highlighted that SEISMIC brings together a multidisciplinary ecosystem of medical specialists, technology developers, and patient representatives to overcome existing barriers in neurosurgical care. By combining precision instruments, real-time imaging, and intelligent decision-support tools, the program aims to simplify complex interventions, improve outcomes, and expand access to advanced neurosurgical treatments across Europe and beyond.

Pieter Kruizinga, researcher at Erasmus MC and academic lead of the SEISMIC consortium, underscored the inherent complexity and sensitivity of the brain. He noted that neurosurgery operates within a narrow margin between therapeutic benefit and potential harm, making precision and real-time guidance critical. Through SEISMIC, the goal is to make neurosurgical procedures less invasive, more data-driven, and better supported by advanced imaging and training systems, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and surgical practice.

Public-private partnership driving innovation

The SEISMIC consortium brings together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including nine medical technology companies, two patient organizations, and seven academic institutions. Industry partners include Philips, Oldelft Ultrasound, DEMCON Curix, Yaskawa, us4us, Caresyntax, Surgical Science, Boston Scientific, and Bracco. Patient organizations participating in the project are Fundacio Ictus, representing stroke patients, and Cancer Patients Europe. Academic partners comprise Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), Hospital Clinic Barcelona with IDIBAPS, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and its research institute VHIR, and the University of Ljubljana.

Addressing the burden of neurological disease

Neurological disorders, including intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and brain tumors, represent a major global health challenge, contributing significantly to disability, mortality, and long-term socioeconomic costs. As populations age, the demand for effective and accessible neurosurgical treatments continues to rise, placing increasing pressure on healthcare systems and caregivers.

Despite technological progress in many surgical fields, neurosurgery has lagged in adopting minimally invasive techniques. SEISMIC aims to close this gap by developing an integrated technological platform that combines real-time ultrasound and X-ray imaging with advanced surgical navigation, simulation-based clinician training, and novel minimally invasive treatment tools. The project will focus on four key clinical applications:

For intracerebral hemorrhage, the team will evaluate how real-time imaging can guide a minimally invasive drainage device through a small skull opening to accurately reach and remove deep brain bleeding.

In cases of subdural hematoma, SEISMIC will explore a combined image-guided procedure that integrates hematoma drainage with embolization of the middle meningeal artery, an approach intended to reduce the approximately 30 percent recurrence rate observed after conventional surgery.

For brain tumor diagnosis, the project will investigate whether focused ultrasound-enhanced liquid biopsy techniques can provide diagnostic insights without the need for open surgical tissue sampling.

In brain tumor treatment, SEISMIC will assess the use of cryoablation, a technique that destroys tissue using extreme cold, as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgery. The approach would involve inserting a cryoablation probe through a small skull opening, guided by real-time X-ray and ultrasound imaging.

By shortening procedure times, minimizing surgical trauma, and accelerating recovery, SEISMIC aims to improve clinical outcomes and extend access to specialized neurosurgical care, particularly for underserved patient populations. A dedicated project website is being prepared, and further information is available through the CORDIS project page and the IHI factsheet for SEISMIC.

The SEISMIC website will be live soon: www.seismic-project.eu.

The CORDIS project page for SEISMIC can be accessed here. The IHI factsheet for SEISMIC can be found here.

Sources

[1] The Lancet Global Health: Global brain health—the time to act is now; https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(23)00602-2/fulltext. The Lancet Neurology: Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021; https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00038-3/fulltext.

This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101253085. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program and life science industries represented by COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe and Vaccines Europe. SEISMIC is funded by the European Union, private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.

Media Contacts:

Joost Maltha
Philips Global External Relations
Tel: +31610558116

Steve Klink
Philips Medical and Scientific Communications
Tel: +31610888824

SOURCE: Philips