Last year, the EWUU institute for Preventive Health (i4PH) secured funding through the Health Holland PPP Call 2025. This funding has now been awarded to six new research projects under the Health Holland Tailored Lifestyle programme. This marks the first time i4PH has taken on the role of coordinating institute for receiving and distributing external programme funding across a portfolio of projects. The projects start in 2026 and will run for four years, bringing together researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology, Wageningen University & Research, Utrecht University, and UMC Utrecht, together with a wide range of public and private partners.
The six projects address health inequalities from different angles and life stages: from nutrition in the first thousand days of life to lifestyle support for people with serious mental illness. Three characteristics connect all six: they examine lifestyle in relation to living environment and socioeconomic context, they embed co-creation with citizens and communities throughout, and they combine data-driven methods with human-centred approaches.
The six Tailored Lifestyle projects
PRISTA 2.0 focuses on inclusive dietary support for families during the first 1,000 days of life, from before pregnancy to a child’s second birthday. Building on the earlier PRISTA app, the project broadens its scope to the whole household and co-creates an intervention that works for families with different literacy levels, resources, and cultural backgrounds. Led by Wageningen University & Research, in collaboration with Utrecht University, Groente & Meer, and Balance Buddy.
ALIGN develops a personalised digital lifestyle intervention for people in financial distress. Existing combined lifestyle interventions often do not reach financially vulnerable groups, or see high drop-out rates. ALIGN co-creates a digital intervention that integrates lifestyle and financial support, and will produce a scaling blueprint for municipalities and health systems. Led by Wageningen University & Research, in collaboration with Utrecht University, Ancora Health, GGD Noord- en Oost-Gelderland, and Sportservice Apeldoorn.
CityWave co-designs the WaveData platform: a digital tool that connects residents from diverse backgrounds with researchers and municipalities to generate inclusive, actionable insights for healthier living environments. The tool will be piloted in two case studies: De Nieuwe Defensie in Utrecht and De Enka and De Horsten in Ede. Led by UMC Utrecht, in collaboration with Utrecht University, Wageningen University & Research, Wavy Assistant, and the municipalities of Utrecht and Ede.
ELEVATE investigates how the built and natural environment shapes physical activity in daily life. Less than half of adults in the Netherlands meet the national guideline of 150 minutes of physical activity per week, with people of lower socioeconomic status often being less active. Using street-view imagery, AI, and smartphone sensing, combined with co-creative workshops with residents, ELEVATE develops a digital tool that helps municipalities and urban planners redesign streets and neighbourhoods to support active living. Data collection takes place in Amsterdam. Led by Utrecht University, in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology, GGD Amsterdam, Kenniscentrum Sport & Bewegen, and several private partners.
L4Change develops AI-driven personalised digital tools to support lasting lifestyle change across physical activity, nutrition, mental health, and sleep. Two Living Labs in Amsterdam and Eindhoven form the heart of the project, where citizens, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology developers co-create and test inclusive solutions. Led by Eindhoven University of Technology, in collaboration with Wageningen University & Research, Amsterdam UMC, Maxima MC, and multiple SMEs.
THRIVE addresses the urgent need for scalable, personalised lifestyle support for people with serious mental illness, a group of around 281,000 people in the Netherlands with a life expectancy 10 to 20 years shorter than average. The project co-develops an AI-driven lifestyle coach together with patients and mental healthcare professionals, aiming for integration with existing digital mental health platforms. Led by TNO, in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, GGz Centraal, Parnassia Groep, MIND, and several technology partners.
About the Health Holland Tailored Lifestyle programme
The six projects are part of the Tailored Lifestyle programme, coordinated by i4PH within the EWUU alliance. The programme contributes to the KIA ambition of more healthy life years and reduced health inequalities in the Netherlands. A formal kick-off with all project teams is planned for 22 September 2026.