For the nearly 50 million people living with epilepsy worldwide, a seizure can arrive without warning. For some, it may pass quickly. For others, especially those living with drug-resistant epilepsy, prolonged or cluster seizures can become a medical emergency, requiring urgent intervention to prevent serious neurological damage or even death.
Addressing this challenge is the ambition behind CLUSTREL, a €2.5 million project funded under the European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition programme. Running from June 2026 to June 2029, the project brings together clinicians, researchers, engineers, and business experts to advance a patented epilepsy technology towards future clinical and commercial deployment.
At the core of CLUSTREL’s approach is graphene, an ultra-thin nanomaterial known for its unique mechanical, electronic, and chemical properties, as well as its potential to revolutionise healthcare technologies. By turning graphene into an intelligent drug-delivery system, the team aims to develop a device that responds rapidly during seizure emergencies while remaining practical and easy to use for patients and caregivers.
The challenge is not only scientific. Moving a promising technology from the laboratory into real-world clinical settings requires a deep understanding of patient needs, stakeholder expectations, market opportunities, and future adoption pathways.
To support this transition, Future Needs will lead the project’s business development and patient engagement aspects.
“Our focus is to ensure CLUSTREL achieves maximum market impact. Through strategic business planning and deep stakeholder alignment, we are paving the way for future adoption across the healthcare ecosystem.” – Lina Giannivasili, Innovation Project Manager at Future Needs
Working closely with clinicians, researchers, patients, caregivers, healthcare organisations, and industry stakeholders, Future Needs will contribute to market validation, business modelling, patient engagement activities, exploitation planning, and future commercialisation pathways.
Over the next three years, the consortium aims to deliver a clinically relevant prototype of a medical device that is practical, scalable, and responsive to real-world patient needs.
Alongside its business and exploitation activities, Future Needs is also responsible for the project’s communication and dissemination activities. Within the first month of the project, the team developed CLUSTREL’s visual identity, launched its website and social media presence, and laid the foundations for future stakeholder engagement and outreach activities that will continue throughout the project’s lifetime.
“Science communication is extremely important. We want not only healthcare and med-tech professionals to stay informed about the project’s progress, but also patients, caregivers, and the wider public to better understand how innovation can contribute to improving healthcare outcomes.” Emma Tsai, Communication and Dissemination Manager at Future Needs
CLUSTREL officially launched in July 2026 during its kick-off meeting in Modena, Italy, bringing together partners from Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Sindrel MedTech, University of Trieste, and Future Needs.
