FAQIR Institute
Orchestrating health data
Press kitVisit FAQIR Foundation →
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A European health data company

Health data,
made human.

We make health data usable across care, research and public health.

Contact usExplore Qwenda →
Founded2022 · Ghent, Belgium
Part ofHealth data ecosystem connecting patients, care and research
FocusApplied health data for real-world impact
"We finally felt listened to." Working sessions with patients, clinicians and researchers — every week, on the whiteboard.FAQIR Institute
In collaboration with
About us

We make health data work for people.

Health data is often locked away. It is spread across registries, hospital systems, research silos, applications, devices and sensors. We believe it only creates value when it is findable, trustworthy and easy to use.

We work with patients, clinicians, researchers and policymakers to turn data into tools and systems that work in everyday care and research.

Together with the FAQIR Foundation and our product Qwenda, we build the infrastructure, standards and solutions that make health data work in real life.

Note: FAQIR Institute operates as part of a broader ecosystem. The FAQIR Foundation leads the non-profit mission and safeguards patient-centered data principles. FAQIR Institute delivers the tools, support and implementation. Qwenda is our product platform.
Hans ConstandtFilip Pattyn
Hans Constandt & Filip PattynCo-founders
How we make health data work in real life.

FAIR, plus a Q for Quality.

Bringing clarity and calm to complex health data.

Built on the 'FAIR data principles', with Quality at its core.

  1. F01 / 05

    Findable

    Available when it matters.

    If data cannot be found, it cannot be used. We make it easier to find when it matters, so the right answer is never hidden.

  2. A02 / 05

    Accessible

    Consent first. Respect by design.

    People know what data is available, how to access it, and how to use it. They decide what to share and can change that at any time.

  3. Q03 / 05

    Quality

    The standard we never lower.

    Quality makes data reliable and useful. We take the time to get it right, so it can be used with confidence in care, research and policy.

  4. I04 / 05

    Interoperable

    Speaks the same language everywhere.

    Health data often starts in local formats. We help translate it into shared standards so it can be used across systems and borders.

  5. R05 / 05

    Reusable

    Useful beyond a single purpose.

    Data should be usable beyond its original purpose. We make it easier to reuse data and insights, so each new step builds on what already exists.

Part of the FAQIR Foundation ecosystem

One mission. Two entities. Built to work together.

The FAQIR Foundation holds the mission. FAQIR Institute turns it into practice through Qwenda, its patient-centered data platform.

Together, the Foundation and the Institute form an ecosystem designed to keep health data patient-centered while making it work in real life.

FAQIR Foundation

Holds the mission

Independent, patient-centered foundation that safeguards the principles and supports the growth of FAIR health data across Europe.

faqir.org →
You are here

FAQIR Institute

Applied research and implementation

We turn health data into real-world solutions, working across research, care and patient communities.

Qwenda

The Institute's patient-centered data platform

Qwenda brings research into daily practice, helping health data work for patients, clinicians and research networks across Europe.

qwenda.com →
Qwenda

Your health data, easy to use and in your hands.

Qwenda is an app that helps people understand, use and share their health data on their terms.

It starts with the patient. From there, data can be shared to support care, research and the wider community.

From disconnected data to a clear health picture you can work with.

  • 01

    You are in control

    People have a personal space to access their data across sources. They decide what to share, with whom and for how long.

  • 02

    Designed to be easy to use

    People can quickly understand what matters and act on it with confidence.

  • 03

    Works across systems

    People can use their data across services and organizations, free to move when needed, while it stays connected to its source.

  • 04

    Built to last and grow

    People work with data that is structured from the start, so it can be reused, shared and improved over time.

Explore Qwenda →Get in touch →
Qwenda · Haemophilia Registry
app.qwenda.com
Overview
Patients
Cohorts
Studies
FAIR Audit
Active patients2,430+3.4% WoW
FAIR score98.4%Excellent
Federated nodes14All online
Consent events — last 12 weeksLive
UZ Gent · Karolinska · Radboud UMC querying live
Used today byHaemophilia registriesObesityVaccine surveillanceRare immunology networksClinical trial cohorts
Research

Research that puts patients in control of their health data.

We work with universities and industry partners to improve how health data is stored, shared and used. Our goal is to make health information easier to access, share and use securely, while ensuring patients stay in control of their own data.

Research project

PACSOIPatient-Centric Solid

PACSOI explores how personal data vaults, inspired by the open Solid standard and its underlying principles, can help break down the silos that currently separate health data. Citizens can securely store their health data in personal data vaults and remain in control of who can access which data, when, for what purpose and on what legal basis.

The project brings together personal, clinical and real-world health data, including data from wearables and remote monitoring devices. It also explores privacy-preserving analytics for secondary use of health data, taking into account GDPR and European Health Data Space (EHDS) requirements. A proof of concept focuses on the patient journey of people living with obesity.

What the project works on
  • Linked Data
  • Data vaults
  • Decentralized storage
  • Privacy and encryption
  • Data access management
  • Federated analytics
Our role
FAQIR Institute contributes to research on secure, AI-supported health data extraction and conversion, data governance, policy and consent management, and audit trails.
Consortium
FAQIR Institute, FAQIR Foundation, Byteflies, MoveUp, AContrario and the Imec – Ghent University research groups IDLab‑PreDICT, IDLab‑KNoWS and IDLab‑DISCOVER.
pacsoi.org →

PACSOI is an imec.icon research project, funded by imec and VLAIO (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship).

With the support ofVLAIO – Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen
imec
FAIR. Quality. Human.

How we make health data work in real life.

These three principles aren't decoration. They describe how we design every study, standard and system we touch.

01
Findable · Accessible · Interoperable · Reusable

Built on FAIR principles.

Data that can be found, used and shared across systems and borders. Knowledge can grow, evolve and improve over time.

02
Accuracy · Traceability · Trust

Quality before quantity.

We take the time to get the data right, so it can be trusted and used with confidence in real life, where it truly matters.

03
Patients · Clinicians · Researchers

People at the core.

We start with the patient, who decides what to share, and build solutions that work for clinicians, researchers and the wider community.

Founders

Two people, one mission. Built to make health data work.

Hans Constandt

Hans Constandt

Founder & CEO

Brings together research, care and patient communities across Europe, drawing on his experience building and advising health tech ventures.

Focused on turning health data into practical impact.

LinkedIn →
Filip Pattyn

Filip Pattyn

Founder & CTO

Professor and international expert in open data and standards.

Builds the systems that make health data usable across organizations and borders, turning FAIR principles into tools that work in daily practice.

LinkedIn →
Meet the full team on LinkedIn →
Careers

Build with us.

A small, fast-moving team in Ghent. Healthcare impact, real ownership.

There are no open positions at the moment. You can still send us a spontaneous application — we’d love to hear from you.

Send a spontaneous application →