ArtiQ (Belgium) – AI for Lung Function Diagnostics and European Strategic Autonomy
A small Belgian spin-off is quietly reshaping how doctors diagnose lung diseases. ArtiQ emerged from a university lab with a clear vision: use artificial intelligence to interpret complex pulmonary function tests faster and more accurately than human experts. In just a few years, its software has analyzed tens of thousands of lung tests at Belgian hospitals, proving that machine learning can rival top pulmonologists in detecting conditions like asthma, COPD, and fibrosis[1][2]. This success has not only attracted patients and physicians – it has also drawn the attention of global industry. By 2024, ArtiQ’s unique technology was integrated into an American healthcare platform, raising intriguing questions about Europe’s ability to retain strategic medical innovations[3][4]. As the EU strives for technological sovereignty and NATO emphasizes resilience, ArtiQ’s story offers a compelling case study of European AI innovation, its dual-use potential for civil and defense health domains, and the challenges of keeping homegrown deep-tech under European control.