The SIRENE national events have successfully brought together our stakeholders to exchange opinions, discuss, and gain inspiration from the Social Innovation Framework developed within the project. To date, we have organised eight national events in Spain, Portugal (two), Serbia, Italy and the Netherlands (three) gathering over 380 participants from diverse sectors, including health and social care, policy and funding, housing, and community interventions. These events provided an excellent platform to present the Social Innovation Framework to stakeholders and collect their valuable feedback. In addition to our national events, the Social Innovation Framework has also been presented and discussed at various other events where SIRENE participated. This has strengthened our message and vision, further spreading awareness about the Social Innovation Framework. We are looking forward to organising one more national event in September 2024.
National Event #1 in Basque Country, Spain
Spanish national event took place on April 23, 2024 in Bilbao. The event began with a dynamic agenda highlighting Basque Country’s commitment to becoming a Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Region. Key speakers from Grupo SSI, Achucarro, and ADINBERRI shared insights into regional social innovation initiatives. Discussions focused on promoting entrepreneurial and social innovation skills for inclusive development. TECNALIA presented the Social Innovation (SI) Framework, followed by a productive discussion on amendments and support mechanisms.
National Events #2 and #3 in Portugal
On May 7, 2024, the SIRENE National Event #2 was held in Porto, Portugal, during the Conference on Building Sustainable and Participatory Environments, co-hosted by SHINE 2Europe and the University of Porto. The event featured the presentation of SIRENE’s progress, engagement activities, and the fictional Garcia Family to illustrate generational challenges. An interactive session using Mentimeter engaged 104 attendees, with 49 active participants. Discussions focused on support through health, social care, community interventions, and education. Key initiatives included community support, caregiver programs, technology for remote monitoring, and special needs education support.
On June 20, 2024, one more SIRENE National Event was held in Leiria, Portugal, as part of the “Double Helix of Care: in the Community and in Organizations” conference by Aproximar. Natália Machado from SHINE 2Europe presented the Social Innovation Framework, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder networking to empower local social innovators.
The event, attended by 27 participants, facilitated valuable discussions on co-creation methodologies and citizen involvement in care processes. The insights and suggestions gathered will be leveraged by SIRENE to enhance its initiatives.
National Event #4 in Novi Sad, Serbia
The fourth SIRENE National Event was organised by F6S in Novi Sad, Serbia, in collaboration with the Novi Sad Humanitarian Center (NSHC). The event included presentations on NSHC’s projects, F6S’s services, and the SIRENE project, followed by an interactive workshop on social innovation solutions.
Key speakers included Tajana Medakovic and Vukasin Orsic from F6S. The event gathered 22 participants, including citizens, civil organizations, government institutions, and the business sector. Participants emphasised the importance of developing supportive environments and promoting healthy ageing through community infrastructure, peer support, and individual living spaces.
National Event #5 in Treviso, Italy
The Italian SIRENE National Event, “Abitare in autonomia. Progettare nuove forme dell’abitare per una popolazione che invecchia,” was held on June 12, 2024, in Treviso. The event focused on addressing the challenges of an ageing population and promoting independent living through inclusive, responsive, and sustainable living environments. Presentations covered local experiences and initiatives, as well as European macrotrends, the SIRENE project, and the Social Innovation Framework.
Key speakers included Mauro Michielon (President of ISRAA), Giorgio Pavan (Director of ISRAA), Eva Gatto (President of Ordine degli Ingegneri della Provincia di Treviso), Bruno Mazzariol (President of Anap Confartigianato Persone Mandamento di Treviso), Enzo Angiolini (Architect), Francesca Furlanetto (Architect at ISRAA), and Oscar Zanutto (Head of the Innovation and Development Department at ISRAA).
National Events #6, #7 and #8 – The Netherlands
On May 15, 2024, the SIRENE National Event in The Hague, co-organised by AFEdemy, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Leiden University of Applied Sciences, Zorgsaam Wonen, and Movisie, focused on creating age-friendly cities and societies. The event featured key speakers, including Willeke van Staalduinen from AFEdemy, who discussed the SIRENE project and social innovation for smart, inclusive environments. The program included keynote speeches and interactive working groups.
Key stakeholders included representatives from the municipalities of The Hague and Leiden, older people and their councils, universities, housing companies, social work, public health administrations, health and social care organisations, and community care organisations.
The event saw 95 attendees and provided an excellent platform for discussing strategies to develop age-friendly environments, highlighting the importance of inclusive design and community engagement.
On May 16, 2024, one more national event was organised as part of the Smart Healthy Environments conference. Tecnalia and AFEdemy co-organized a workshop titled “Social Innovation as a Motor for Smart Inclusive Environments.” The workshop aimed to explore innovative strategies for fostering inclusive environments, featuring speakers from TU Eindhoven, Tecnalia, and AFEdemy. Key stakeholders included representatives from municipalities, health and social care organisations, and universities from the Netherlands and Belgium. The event facilitated impactful discussions among 10 participants, highlighting collaborative efforts to advance social innovation for healthier communities.
One more national event was organised on June 3, 2024 in the Hague, by AFEdemy as part of the meeting of the Knowledge Platform Monitoring age-friendly. The meeting focused on SHAFE and its implementation efforts through projects like SIRENE. Keynote speaker Willeke van Staalduinen highlighted strategies from the SIRENE and presented the Social Innovation Framework.
