empirica has been supporting the European Commission through the study Scale AHA in conducting the Call for Reference sites 2016 which was launched in December 2015 December 2015 at the Conference of Partners of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. As a result of the call, a total of 74 regional and local organisations have been awarded “Reference Site” status.
These organisations have demonstrated the existence of comprehensive strategies to advance innovation for active and healthy ageing, based on a “Quadruple Helix” model that includes stakeholders from industry, civil society, academia and government authorities at a regional and local level.
Together these regions represent a commitment of over four billion (2016-2019 period) to invest in innovative solutions that will lead to improvements in the quality of life of the ageing population, support efficiencies and sustainability of health and social care delivery and finally, stimulate economic growth and competitiveness. These investments will benefit an expected five million people in the next three years.
The Reference Site status is granted to organisations who have demonstrated excellence in the development, adoption and scaling up of innovative practices for active and healthy ageing, in line with the strategic objectives of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) and particularly the European Scaling Up Strategy for Innovation in Active and Healthy Ageing. The Scaling Up strategy supports the European Commission priority of establishing a Digital Single Market to unlock online opportunities for digital products and services.
For the first time, as a result of the peer-review and expert review process in the 2016 Call, and given the “national and cross-regional dimension” of the applicant’s activities, the panel of experts has decided to award the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, the status of “National Reference for Excellence in promoting Innovation for Active and Healthy Ageing“. Future calls will further explore the potential to have government-led National initiatives interested in participating in the EIP on AHA, proving an opportunity to showcase their innovative practices and contribution to scaling up innovation for the ageing population.
A complete list of regions can be found on the Scale-AHA website.
About Scale AHA
Support to scaling up of innovations in Active and Healthy Ageing (Scale AHA) is an action to support the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA). Scale AHA is conducted by empirica and sub-contractors EuroRec and EUREGHA. Its objective is to accelerate the scaling-up of innovative approaches and practices in Active and Healthy Ageing in Europe by fostering active knowledge exchange among regions through dedicated mentoring sessions.