SAge-Hub

Description

The SAge-hub project aims to address the societal challenge of an ageing population by developing and scaling innovative Smart Ageing solutions across Europe (Romania, Greece, Portugal, Canary Islands, Finland, Catalonia), focusing on creating a robust ecosystem that integrates SMEs, public authorities, research institutions, and regional innovation hubs. The project leverages the power of Digital Living Labs and the expertise of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) to build a robust, collaborative ecosystem. Over 24 months, SAge-hub will:

• Establish a network of Digital Living Labs to co-create, test, and validate user-centred Smart Ageing solutions in real-world settings.
• Strengthen regional value chains and foster interregional cooperation, equipping SMEs with the capacity for digital transformation and interregional business activities.
• Create an Interregional Investment Pipeline to connect validated business cases with investors, ensuring high-potential solutions can scale across Europe.

i2CAT plays a pivotal role in the whole project and leads Work Package 2 – Living Labs for Co-Creation and Value Chain Development. The heart of this WP lies in establishing Digital Living Labs across the partner regions. These labs are dynamic, real-world environments where innovative Smart Ageing solutions—be it remote health monitoring, AI-driven care tools, or immersive VR-based training—are co-created, tested, and rigorously validated with the direct input of elderly citizens and caregivers. This ensures every solution is user-centered and perfectly aligned with the unique needs and Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) of each local region.

The Catalan research centre will also contribute to WP1 – Project Management, Monitoring, and Interregional Cooperation, aimed at ensuring the project’s effective execution, coordination, and monitoring of progress across the consortium. This WP will also facilitate interregional cooperation and continuous evaluation of value chain participation and ecosystem building.

Finally, i2CAT will also be significantly involved in WP4 – Policy Development, Governance, and Industry Engagement. Within this WP, researchers will develop, test, and refine policy measures that support regional innovation in Smart Ageing, aligning with Smart Specialization Strategies (S3) and focusing on the digital and green transitions. They will also establish frameworks for sustained industry cooperation, leveraging the Regional Innovation Ambassador Network to promote interregional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and governance improvements, and design policy instruments and mechanisms to engage SMEs in Smart Ageing innovation and internationalization, facilitating access to resources and partnerships.

Estimated impact

The SAge-hub project aims for widespread positive change across social, territorial, and environmental domains in participating European regions.

Social

• Skill Development and Talent Retention: Enhancing the skills of young professionals through dedicated training and mentorship programs within SAGE Living Labs to encourage them to stay and work in the digital health and healthcare sectors.
• Inclusion and Diversity: Guaranteeing equal access to business development activities and training for underrepresented groups, including women and minorities, thereby promoting social equality and diversity.
• Enhanced Community Engagement: Actively involving local communities in co-creation workshops to ensure that Smart Ageing solutions meet genuine needs, fostering community cohesion and a sense of ownership over the resulting technologies.
• Support for Ageing Populations: Directly contributing to a better quality of life for older adults by developing solutions that enhance health outcomes and promote social inclusion.

Territorial

• Reduction of Regional Disparities: Bridging innovation gaps between more and less developed regions by focusing on capacity building and interregional cooperation, boosting the competitiveness of less developed regions in the Smart Ageing sector.
• Enhanced Regional Attractiveness for Investment: Developing a robust Smart Ageing innovation ecosystem that attracts new talent, businesses, and investors, ensuring long-term, sustainable economic growth.
• Strengthening of Regional Innovation Ecosystems: Empowering local structures, including Living Labs and regional ambassador networks, to facilitate the sustained growth of innovation-driven start-ups and SMEs.
• Improved Accessibility to Healthcare Innovations: Ensuring that regional residents, especially older adults, benefit from locally-developed digital health solutions that effectively address specific regional healthcare challenges.

Environmental

• Promotion of Eco-Innovation and Circularity: Supporting SMEs in developing and scaling “green digital health solutions” and encouraging the adoption of circular economy practices, especially for device prototyping and lifecycle management within healthcare.
• Reduction of Healthcare’s Carbon Footprint: Promoting digital transformation in healthcare to reduce the need for physical resources, travel, and energy consumption, thereby lowering the sector’s overall carbon footprint.
• Sustainable Project Practices: Implementing specific operational measures, such as virtual meetings and green procurement policies, to minimize the project’s overall environmental footprint.

“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”