“BILGAI” IS BORN: THE PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPTHAT IS REVOLUTIONIZING BLOOD SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Antares Vision Group is contributing to its industrial and scientific expertise to develop, together with other key players, a digital platform supporting the national transfusion system
Antares Vision Group, a multinational leader in traceability and quality control that ensures product safety and supply chain transparency through integrated data management, is among the key partners of BILGAI (Blood Innovative Logistic, Government and AI system). This Research and Development project aims to digitally redesign the management and governance of the entire blood supply chain through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), advanced sensors, and next-generation traceability systems.
The project, co-funded by the Lombardy Region under the 2021–2027 ERDF Program “Collabora & Innova,” brings together Antares Vision Group, Tesi (a Gpi Group company), Komete (an innovative startup active in IoT and RTLS solutions for industry), and CSMT, the Technology Transfer and Business Acceleration Center of the University of Brescia.
These organizations will pool their industrial and scientific know-how to develop a new platform that leverages the innovative traceability and monitoring technologies of the participating partners. The platform will integrate predictive analytics tools based on AI and machine learning technologies capable of forecasting blood component demand, optimizing logistics routes, and simulating alternative scenarios to assess the impact of operational decisions. For example, the system will be able to anticipate potential spikes in demand for specific blood groups.
From a technological standpoint, the project introduces advanced solutions such as IoT (Internet of Things) sensors for continuous monitoring of blood bags, geolocated dashboards for inventory management, and the adoption of international standards that ensure interoperability and scalability of the model. These innovations can deliver concrete benefits in terms of efficiency, reliability, and continuity of care, considering that in Italy the transfusion system involves 1.7 million donors, 2.8 million transfusions per year, and 639,000 patients.
With a two-year duration and a total investment of approximately €4 million—€2.37 million of which funded by the Lombardy Region—BILGAI represents a tangible step forward toward integrated and efficient management of the blood supply chain. The project also strengthens collaboration between large enterprises, SMEs, and the research community, in line with the priorities of the Lombardy Region’s S3 Strategy.
“BILGAI gives us the opportunity to put the expertise and technologies we have gained over many years working alongside major pharmaceutical companies at the service of the Italian healthcare system. We are grateful to the Lombardy Region for understanding the value of the project and supporting it concretely. From the very start, the quality and enthusiasm of our team and partners have been evident, and this will undoubtedly lead to concrete results benefiting both regional and national blood supply chains,” said Adriano Fusco, Director of the Digital Healthcare Department at Antares Vision Group.