European Research and Innovation Days 2025: Showcasing Collaboration to Transform Crohn’s Disease Research
On 16–17 September 2025, the European Commission will host its flagship policy event, the European Research and Innovation Days. At a crucial moment for shaping the EU’s next long-term budget and defining future research priorities, the event provides a unique opportunity to highlight how EU-funded projects are accelerating discovery, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and addressing global health challenges.
One such example is INTERCEPT, an Innovative Health Initiative (IHI JU) funded project pioneering a new approach to Crohn’s disease. Rather than waiting for symptoms to appear, INTERCEPT aims to shift the paradigm toward early detection and early intervention by using biomarkers to identify individuals at risk before disease onset in the pre-clinical phase. The project exemplifies how European, and worldwide, collaboration across academia, clinicians and industry can advance bold scientific ideas into tangible impact.
Industry partnerships are central to this effort. As industry lead in INTERCEPT, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited contributes critical expertise, data and resources from four major Crohn’s disease clinical studies. By providing in-kind support and fostering cross-sector collaboration, Takeda helps ensure that insights from basic science can be translated more efficiently into clinical innovation. This partnership reflects the EU’s vision of public-private cooperation as a driver of patient-centred breakthroughs.
“Innovation begins with small steps and a big idea. Collaboration from diverse fields moves us forward,” said Dr. Pratik Panchal, Medical Director and Head of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Product Science, Gastrointestinal and Inflammation Therapeutic Area at Takeda. “European Research and Innovation Days are an opportunity to continue pushing our creativity and passion forward—and to discover breakthroughs that will not only impact Europe, but the world.”
As the EU looks ahead to the next phase of Horizon Europe and beyond, projects like INTERCEPT highlight how research and innovation investments translate into real progress for patients, while strengthening Europe’s position as a global leader in health innovation.