Press Release

01/21/2026

FZI Brings Digital Oncology Solutions to Rural Areas

Project RegioOnkoNet launched

Rersearch Focus: Applied Artificial Intelligence

RegioOnkoNet launches: In the Karlsruhe–Freiburg model region, a new digital infrastructure is improving care for cancer patients outside of major cities. To this end, the FZI is transferring prototypical digital solutions into the everyday care routine of doctors and patients.

Modern diagnostics and therapies for treating cancer patients in rural areas are a key challenge for the healthcare system. This is where the RegioOnkoNet joint project, launched in October 2025, comes in. The common goal of the four funded and three associated partners is to improve the care of cancer patients in the Karlsruhe–Freiburg model region through digital solutions. This will save patients from long journeys and waiting times for appointments. The decline in referrals of cancer patients will relieve the burden on specialist practices and clinics in urban centers.

Highly secure digital communication network

At the heart of RegioOnkoNet is the establishment of a decentralized, highly secure digital communication network. The network connects oncology specialists, general practitioners, and patients directly. Dr.-Ing. Christina Erler, project manager at the FZI Research Center for Information Technology, explains the role of the FZI in the project:

“The FZI developed the prototype technical infrastructure in the predecessor project. Now, with RegioOnkoNet, we are implementing the proven research solutions in an entire model region for the first time. This has great value for the healthcare system and for patients.”

A key feature of RegioOnkoNet is that it enables patients to manage their health data efficiently and share it in a targeted manner. This means that sensitive medical data remains where it is generated, for example, in specialist oncology clinics and GP practices. In addition, the decentralized communication network enables secure data use across locations in specific care situations.

For patients, an app serves as the central front end of the communication network. Direct digital communication between participants takes place via secure peer-to-peer connections. The authentication of all participants is based on secure digital identities. This creates the conditions for trust, reliability, and legally compliant communication. The combination of secure identity management, decentralized data storage, and clear access control creates an infrastructure that enables both data protection and care. This effectively addresses the need of many patients for increased security and protection of their health data.

Existing resources in the healthcare system can be used more efficiently

In addition, the RegioOnkoNet infrastructure gives general practitioners access to a digital competence and training platform. The platform makes practical oncological expertise available locally. This increases general practitioners’ confidence in their everyday care and helps ensure that existing healthcare system resources are used more efficiently.

If this model of a digital infrastructure for modern diagnostics and treatment of oncology patients proves successful, it will later be implemented in other regions as well. The project duration for RegioOnkoNet is scheduled for five years, with completion planned for September 2030. The project network is coordinated by the Oncology Center at the Karlsruhe Municipal Hospital (SKK). Project partners are the Institute for General Practice and Interprofessional Care at the University Hospital of Tübingen, the Chair of Self-Help Research with a focus on cancer self-help of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg (CCCF), and the FZI Research Center for Information Technology. Associated partners include the Northern Baden Regional Office of the Baden-Württemberg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVBW), the Psychosocial Counselling Centre for Cancer Patients and Relatives at AWO Karlsruhe, and the Department of Internal Medicine I at the University Medical Center Freiburg.

About the FZI

The FZI Research Center for Information Technology, with headquarters in Karlsruhe and a branch office in Berlin, is a non-profit institution for information technology application research and technology transfer. It delivers the latest scientific findings in information technology to companies and public institutions and qualifies individuals for academic and business careers or the leap into self-employment. Supervised by professors from various faculties, the research groups at the FZI develop interdisciplinary concepts, software, hardware and system solutions for their clients and implement the solutions found as prototypes. The FZI House of Living Labs provides a unique research environment for application research. The FZI is an innovation partner of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and strategic partner of the German Informatics Society (GI).