• 2026-01-23

Barleti Medical Group (BMG) has officially launched PEARL-Lab (Patient Engagement for Advancing Responsible Living Labs), a prestigious European-funded project awarded under the REINFORCING Incubator Call. Demonstrating strong competitiveness, PEARL-Lab was one of only eight projects selected from more than 180 applications across Europe.

The project officially kicked off on January 21, 2026, during an online assembly of Europe’s leading innovation initiatives. Coordinated by BMG in partnership with the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), PEARL-Lab aims to transform healthcare development by embedding Open and Responsible Research and Innovation (ORRI)principles into clinical and living lab environments.

Over the next 12 months, the project will develop structured governance and ethical tools to involve patients and citizens in co-creating digital health and AI-enabled solutions. These activities will be piloted at the Barleti University Polyclinicand the Barleti Home Health Agency.

A primary milestone will be the PEARL-Guidebook—an open-access resource providing practical protocols for inclusive patient involvement, to be shared via the REINFORCING ORRI Toolbox. Through this initiative, Barleti Medical Group strengthens Albania’s presence in the European landscape of ethical, patient-centered innovation.