20 Years of Pioneering Partnerships for Patient Impact: Shaping the Future of Health Data

From research projects to shared data infrastructure

As biomedical research became increasingly data-driven, the ability to securely share, manage, and analyze research data emerged as a critical challenge. Recognizing this need early, Lygature's legacy organizations helped develop solutions that enable researchers to collaborate more effectively across institutions and disciplines.

A defining milestone was the launch of Translational Research IT (TraIT), which was established to provide researchers with an accessible infrastructure for sharing and integrating data across the four key domains of translational research: clinical, imaging, biobanking, and molecular (“omics”) data.

With projects from Lygature's legacy organization, the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine (CTMM), serving as a launching platform, TraIT quickly expanded. By 2017, it had grown into a national facility supporting thousands of users, demonstrating both the growing demand for collaborative data infrastructures and the value of shared digital platforms. 

Jan-Willem Boiten, Partnership Director at Lygature, reflects on the significance of TraIT: “TraIT demonstrated that data infrastructure is about much more than technology. By making it easier for researchers to securely share and use data across organizations, we helped create the conditions for collaboration that ultimately accelerates scientific discovery and benefits patients.”

Building the foundations for Health-RI

As TraIT matured, it became clear that the Netherlands would benefit from a more integrated national health data infrastructure. Together with Health~Holland, DTL, the NFU (now UMCNL), and many other partners, Lygature helped bring together existing initiatives around a shared vision for the future.

Between 2017 and 2021, Lygature coordinated the Health-RI initiative and worked with partners to bring together complementary programs such as TraIT, Parelsnoer, BBMRI-NL, and Data4LifeSciences. This collaborative effort culminated in 2021, when Health-RI was awarded €69 million through the Dutch National Growth Fund, enabling it to establish itself as an independent organization.

Today, Lygature continues to support Health-RI through program management, finance, and HR services, while maintaining a close partnership that reflects the long-term nature of ecosystem development. 

Leone Flikweert, CEO of Health-RI, highlights Lygature's contributions to Health-RI: “Health-RI has always been a collective effort, bringing together organizations around a shared ambition for better use of health data. Lygature has been part of that journey from the beginning, helping to connect initiatives and stakeholders and providing the support and expertise needed to develop Health-RI into the organization it is today.”

Contributing to a European data ecosystem

The need for trusted, interoperable data infrastructure extends well beyond national borders. Over the past decade, Lygature has contributed to more than 10 European projects — including  FAIRplus, EOSC-Life, CANDLE, BY-COVID, Bigpicture, and IDERHA — focused on improving data sharing, interoperability, and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data practices.

This work contributes to the broader development of the European Health Data Space, where trusted data infrastructures are complemented by the legal, ethical, and governance frameworks needed to enable the safe and responsible reuse of health data for research and innovation. 

Jorg Janssen, Managing Director of Lygature, comments on the growing importance of trusted data infrastructure: “Collaboration increasingly depends on our ability to share and reuse data responsibly. Over the past two decades, Lygature has helped create not only partnerships between people and organizations, but also the trusted frameworks that allow data to be used safely and effectively in the service of better health.”

Data as a catalyst for health innovation

Data is becoming an increasingly important driver of health innovation. As research becomes more digital and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence opens new opportunities for healthcare, access to high-quality, interoperable, and responsibly governed data is more critical than ever. 

Over the past 20 years, Lygature has helped connect people, organizations, and data, contributing to the trusted infrastructures and governance frameworks needed for collaborative innovation. As technologies continue to evolve, this work will  play an important role in ensuring that scientific advances are translated into real-world benefits for patients and society.

Learn more about our Data Infrastructure expertise

This article is part of Lygature’s 20-year anniversary story series, celebrating two decades of pioneering partnerships for patient impact.