Concept & Methodology
Overall Concept
NextGEM aims to provide a safe living environment in the face of rapid technological advancements that necessitate fast and reliable access to relevant scientific knowledge. NextGEM will create the European NextGEM Innovation and Knowledge Hub (NIKH) for EMF and Health: a go-to tool for European regulatory authorities, the scientific community, and citizens. The project is characterised by the following two dimensions:
NextGEM Scientific / Research Dimension
The assessment of causal exposure-outcome associations will be based on:
- an integrated appraisal of the evidence provided by various horizontal research activities encapsulated in the Case Studies;
- experimental studies in humans, small organisms, cell cultures and isolated biological systems, including replication studies.
NextGEM Technological Dimension
The NIKH will collect and store information on EMF measurements, research data and risk assessment presented through effective means of communication to stakeholders. Its operability will be demonstrated using the NextGEM research output as a benchmark for the inclusion of existing data from previous research or through synergies with projects funded by Horizon Europe or other EU programmes.
NextGEM Methodology
The methodology of NextGEM is structured on the following pillars:
Sensing and data source
Data for EMF exposure assessment will be collected from literature and/or experimentally measured in different real-life scenarios through the case studies conceived and developed during the project. With regards to new generation communication networks, novel measurement paradigms will be developed, as well as wearable sensing devices suitable for 5G mm-wave band.
Analytics and experimentation
The combination of multiple approaches from real-life case scenarios, exposure assessment and umbrella reviews of epidemiological data in combination with experimental in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo and human studies will help to elucidate possible interactions and their mechanisms between EMF and biological systems related to health effects.
Applications, tools and services
NextGEM will provide novel exposure assessment methods and protocols, and risk assessment tools that are integrated into the NIKH, representing the main key exploitable outcomes.