Porto4Ageing, a Reference Site and Partner Plus of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, launched on the 7th of July, a twinned online platform: Academia do Bem Envelhecer - the academy of ageing well.

 The development of this platform was the central activity of the 2016 Pilot Twinning Support Scheme of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP  on AHA). Under this call, the reference sites Porto4Ageing (Metropolitan Region of Porto, Portugal) and Gérontopôle Autonomie Longévité des Pays de la Loire (Nantes, France) were granted funds to transfer the innovative and successful French good practice ALOHA initiative to Portugal.

The ALOHA platform integrates an innovative e-health expert system for the prevention of infectious diseases in seniors over 50 with or without non-communicable chronic diseases, thus aiming to reduce the burden of such diseases. This initiative also aims to provide a web portal to inform, educate and engage seniors and healthcare professionals on prevention (vaccination, nutrition, physical activity, controlled used of antibiotics), providing tools for personal and tailored recommendations, in order to empower users and enable them to make correct and good preventive choices. Through this twinning activity, Portugal has now also the opportunity to implement such valuable solutions.

This EU-funded action aimed to support the EIP on AHA objective and to accelerate the scaling-up of innovative approaches and practices in the field of active and healthy ageing, by fostering active knowledge exchange among regions through dedicated mentoring activities.

The Porto4Ageing consortium brings together over 90 organisations, the large majority of them established within the Porto Metropolitan Area, in the Northern Region of Portugal. The consortium revolves around a shared vision and common targets, where each organisation actively contributes in a specific way to the overall goal of responding to the citizens' needs. The Porto4Ageing alliance is committed to promoting local convergence and improving the health innovation ecosystem, while reducing and overcoming existing bottlenecks. It is doing so by promoting joint work for high impact, thus bridging the gap between public and private actions and instruments and, ultimately, facilitating knowledge exchanges and scaling up of results. More information about Porto4Ageing can be found here.

 

 

Support to scaling up of innovations in Active and Healthy Ageing (Scale AHA) is happy to announce the 2016 Call for Commitments of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA).

Are you a leader in innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing?

Join us in the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) and help us transform the future of our ageing society.
You can benefit from the largest European network of organisations active in the promotion, development and deployment of active and healthy ageing innovation. Access an extensive "evidence-base" of innovative practices for active and healthy ageing, get the latest information about European, national and regional initiatives, and discover the right partners that can help you succeed in developing new projects and scaling up innovation for active and healthy ageing.

What is the Call for Commitments of the EIP on AHA?
Every three years, the EIP on AHA opens a new "Call for Commitments" inviting organisations from all over the world, involved in developing, promoting or deploying innovative solutions for active and healthy ageing, to come forward with projects and initiatives that they will implement in the coming 3 years. The commitments are organised within action groups and must be in line with the overall priorities of the EIP on AHA.

Are there any fees required to take part?
Becoming a partner of the EIP on AHA is not subject to any fees or financial contribution. All work carried out by the partners of the EIP on AHA is purely on a voluntary basis. The EIP on AHA is supported by the European Commission and the only contribution that partners are expected to make is to main a positive and active contribution to the work of the EIP on AHA Action groups and activities.

What's the added value of being a partner of the EIP on AHA?
Partners are driven by their willingness to collaborate with other organisations that share complementary expertise or that have gone through similar projects, therefore avoiding the "reinvention of the wheel". The active participation in the work of the action groups of the EIP on AHA is a way of interacting and having access to organisations who share similar goals and access some of the leading international experts in the field.

Submit your commitment today! 
If you are interested in becoming a partner of the EIP on AHA, please complete the online form and submit your commitment. See also the Call for Commitments FAQs page and solve your main doubts. Submit your commitment today! The call will be open from 15th of February to 15th of April 2016.

Support to scaling up of innovations in Active and Healthy Ageing (Scale AHA) is happy to announce the inauguration of the AAL Smart Ageing Prize under the initiative of the AAL Forum. The AAL Smart Ageing Prize is a €50,000 Challenge Prize to find the best innovation in internet connected devices and technologies (Internet of Things) that will empower older adults to achieve the quality of life they aspire to socially and independently.

The Prize aims to find innovations that improve connectivity between older adults, devices and technologies related to any aspect of their life (e.g. home, social, work, study, transport or services). The idea should present a business opportunity which has the potential to be commercially viable. Applications must involve older adults in the development and testing of the technology.

With support from AAL, the most innovative ideas will turn into real products that can be financially sustainable. Fifteen of the most promising applications will be chosen as Finalists and will be invited to a social innovation mentoring academy in Brussels. Each of the Finalists will be awarded a €500 Euro grant to develop a prototype to demonstrate at the Academy. The winner will be awarded a prize of €50,000 at the AAL Forum in Switzerland in late September.

The Prize is open to individuals, groups and organisations in the 28 member countries of the European Union, as well as Israel, Canada, Norway and Switzerland. The deadline for applications is Friday 13 May 2016 at Midday (12pm) Central European Time.

ScaleAHA would like to encourage partners of EIP on AHA related projects to consider this opportunity. For full details and to apply please visit the AAL website.

Are you a leader in innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing? Would you like to become one of the Reference Sites of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing? Then apply before 15 April 2016!

What are Reference Sites?
Reference Sites are highly inspirational ecosystems, delivering creative and workable solutions that improve the lives and health of older people. These solutions can be scaled-up and replicated across the EU.
For a more formal definition, they are "ecosystems which comprise different players, including regional and/or local authorities, cities, integrated hospitals/care organisations, industry organisations, SMEs and/or start-ups, research and innovation organisations, that jointly implement a comprehensive, innovation-based approach to active and healthy ageing, and can give evidence and concrete illustrations of the impact of such approaches on the ground".

A first call published in 2012 resulted in 32 regions being recognised as Reference Sites. They received their recognition diplomas in July 2013 during an award ceremony presided by European Commission Vice-President at the time, Neelie Kroes.

Why become a Reference Site?
The benefits of becoming a Reference Site are manifold. For many of the Reference Sites the recognition of their leadership has been a catalyst in their region. It brought other stakeholders on board to collaboratively work in developing innovative solutions, thereby ensuring a "whole system approach".
Additionally, networking is a fundamental part of the EIP on AHA. The 32 sites see themselves as a band of pioneers and have created strong links between them. This collaboration has allowed them to share good practices and build collaboration across borders.

What are the conditions to become a Reference Site?
Reference Sites should showcase innovative components of their care model/systems that can serve as illustrations of good practice to other regions. Robust proof of their impact on the ground and presentation of sound indicators aligned notably with the indicators supported by the Monitoring and Assessment Framework of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (MAFEIP) and grouped under "Quality of Life", "Sustainability of Healthcare systems" and "Economic growth and jobs". They should also be actively engaged in the scaling up/replicability process by submitting good practices to the EIP on AHA Repository of Innovative Practices, for example, coaching other regions that wish to implement their good practices and already engaged (or to become engaged) with the Action Groups of the EIP on AHA.

Start your application today!
The call will be open until 15 April 2016. If you are interested in (re) applying to become a Reference Site of the EIP on AHA please download the call document and fill in the self-assessment form online.