National Roadmap subsidy for new consortium
In the coming years, the consortium will create a shared infrastructure – an assembly line for brain technology – where scientists can design smarter brain-machine interfaces, test advanced implants and develop digital brain models. Together, these tools will help researchers better understand how the brain works and pave the way for new therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
‘With EBRAINS-Neurotech, we are building the foundation for a new generation of brain research tools,’ says Professor Cyriel Pennartz of the UvA, coordinator of the consortium. ‘This collaboration will speed up innovation and bring treatments for brain disorders closer to reality.’
From reading the brain to writing to it
Neurotechnology – devices that can read out or influence brain activity – has advanced rapidly in recent years. But integrating these technologies remains a major challenge.
A striking example is a brain-computer interface (BCI) that records brain signals from a paralysed person and converts them into commands to control a robotic arm. While promising, current BCIs are bulky, slow and limited in how much information they can handle.
EBRAINS-Neurotech aims to change that. Through a coordinated chain of laboratories across the Netherlands, researchers will develop smaller, faster and more powerful brain interfaces. They will expand the number of electrodes for recording brain signals, improve implant durability and increase stimulation points for more precise control of neural circuits. Devices will be miniaturised using nanotechnology, allowing them to be placed on the body to process brain signals directly, much like a pacemaker does with the heart.
‘Our goal is to make neurotechnological devices not only more effective, but also more practical for patients and researchers,’ says Pennartz. ‘By combining advances in nanotechnology, neuroscience and computing, we can build implants that work better and last longer.’ In the long term, this infrastructure is expected to fuel breakthroughs in treating blindness, stroke, epilepsy, paralysis (including ALS), depression and Parkinson’s disease.
Smarter devices, greener computing
Researchers will combine optogenetics – using light to activate neurons – with large-scale recordings of brain activity to better understand how brain circuits work in mediating sensations, cognition and motor behaviour.
The project will also use neuromorphic chips, which mimic how neurons process information. These chips are faster and more energy-efficient than traditional computers, making them a sustainable alternative to power-hungry AI systems.
To predict how brain stimulation works, the consortium will build digital twin models – detailed computer simulations of the brain’s anatomy and physiology. Other models will explore how micro-electronic neural network models may restore brain functions lost after stroke or injury.
Responsible innovation
Beyond technology, EBRAINS-Neurotech will also focus on the ethical and societal implications of neurotechnology. Researchers will study how to protect data privacy, reduce biases in algorithms and ensure brain stimulation methods remain safe and responsible.
‘It’s crucial that these powerful technologies are developed responsibly,’ says Pennartz. ‘We want to make sure innovation goes hand in hand with safety, fairness and transparency.’
About EBRAINS-Neurotech
The consortium includes: University of Amsterdam (lead), University of Twente, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Erasmus University Medical Centre. The consortium will also cooperate with partners in the following Dutch institutions: Technical University Eindhoven, University of Maastricht, Leiden University Medical Center, Amsterdam UMC, the Health Research Infrastructure and the eScience Centre.
EBRAINS-Neurotech will work closely with the European digital brain research platform EBRAINS and other (inter)national consortia.
Source: University of Amsterdam
Image: Adobe Stock