NEC joins €6.5m European project using AI for pandemic vaccine design

pharmafile.com | November 6, 2026 | News story | |  EU, Immunology, Infections and infestations, Pharmacy, Vaccine, collaboration, pandemic 

NEC OncoImmunity, a subsidiary of NEC Corporation, is leading the AI-powered antigen prediction and vaccine design work in a four-year European research project aimed at improving preparedness for future pandemics.

The PREPAIR VAC project, funded through the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, has a total budget of approximately €6.5m and brings together partners from academia, industry and public health.

NEC OncoImmunity will apply AI to anticipate viral evolution and identify broadly protective antigens, with the aim of accelerating the development of vaccine candidates against emerging infectious diseases.

Coordinated by the European Vaccine Initiative, the consortium will also address vaccine manufacturing, formulation and preclinical validation, alongside ethical, regulatory and societal considerations, including public trust in the use of AI.

The project began in September 2026 and will run for four years.

Pic: Pranidchakan Boonrom