The AI-Mind project, a European research project developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools for early dementia risk prediction, has been awarded the first-ever award for excellence in clinical trials, winning the category Innovative Environment of the Year. The award ceremony took place on 29 January 2026 at the Grand Hotel in Oslo during Norway’s inaugural national celebration of excellence in clinical research. The ceremony was attended by more than 190 representatives from across Norway’s research, industry and healthcare sectors. The event, opened by the Norwegian Minister of Health and Care Services, celebrated excellence across six categories of clinical research, recognising exceptional contributions to patient-oriented science and innovation. The Award for Excellence in Clinical Trials recognises outstanding achievements in patient-oriented and innovative clinical studies.
AI-Mind was selected by the jury for its pioneering integration of artificial intelligence into clinical research, its strong patient-centred design and its ability to translate complex biomedical data into clinically meaningful decision support tools.
The jury highlighted AI-Mind as one of the first clinical studies in Norway to apply artificial intelligence as a clinical method for early dementia risk identification. The project was also recognised for its strong emphasis on patient involvement, ethical responsibility, and long-term engagement, as well as for its standardised data collection and scalable design across multiple European clinical centres.
"We are deeply honoured to receive this award. This recognition belongs to the entire consortium and, in particular, to the dedicated clinical teams and study participants across Spain, Italy, Finland and Norway. AI-Mind is built on close collaboration between clinicians, researchers, technologists and patients, and this award highlights what can be achieved when expertise and commitment come together across borders to advance patient-centred clinical research”, said Ira Haraldsen, AI-Mind Project Coordinator.
