The first part of the project was mostly concerned with strengthening scientific excellence, and innovation capacity at ULISBOA, and on the transfer of knowledge about living lab methodologies:
I. We organised a Kick-Off Workshop (Lisbon), which convened researchers and local businesses to assess the ULISBOA’s R&D gaps and needs.
Building on this, we conducted a SWOT analysis to help ULISBOA define its strategy for setting-up the HEALx-LAB;
II. We organised 4 Academic Symposiums, where scholars from the participant institutions presented their work and identified opportunities for collaboration:
a) ‘Innovation in Care’ and Redesign and Quality of Care’ (Maastricht);
b) ‘Health and Silver Tourism’, ‘Health Technologies’ and ‘Gamification’ (Macerata);
c) ‘Activities of Daily Living Detection’, ‘Assistive Technologies for Elderly’, and ‘Human-Computer Interaction/Serious Gaming’ (Leuven);
d) ‘Living Lab Methodologies’ (Lisbon).
Building on this, we organised 10 of Staff-Exchanges.
III. We also organised 3 Joint Seminars, to discuss best-practices in promoting the collaboration between academia and the local business:
o ‘Best Practices in Innovation in the context of the Academic Collaborative Centre on Care for Older People’ (Maastricht);
o ‘Support to Innovation at KU Leven’ (Leuven);
o ‘Support to Innovation at KU Leven’ (Macerata);
In context of these Joint seminars, we organised onsite visits by which ULISBOA researchers could learn about best practices in innovation and the implementation of the living lab methodology, including:
o Living Labs, such as E-Living Regional Cluster Association (Macerata)
o Innovative companies, such as Arion Group (Maastricht), Custom8 (Leuven);
o Business incubators - CreaHUB (Macerata);
o Nursing homes - Lückerheide Nursing Home (Maastricht), La Valence Nursing Home (Maastricht), Edouard Remy (Leuven);
o Senior tourism facilities – La Catellata (Macerata);
o Research groups - Division of Biomechanics of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (Leuven), Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences (Leuven).
IV. As a means to promote a culture of entrepreneurship in ULISBOA’s research community, we organised a Summer School on ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation’. Participants worked in teams to develop 3 business ideas that were evaluated by a panel of local business leaders.
The second part of our project was more focused on helping ULISBOA in laying the ground for the HEALx-LAB:
I. In collaboration with a HEALx-LAB strategic partner (José Mello Residências e Serviços S.A.) we conducted two pilot-studies to test the living lab methodology (ALHTOUR Venture Lab):
a) Pilot I - Validation study of a robotic platform for promoting physical exercise among seniors – led by Alexandre Bernardino (IST-ULISBOA);
b) Pilot II - Measuring the risk of musculoskeletal disorders due to heavy physical loads in formal carers, led by Filomena Carnide (FMH-ULISBOA).
II. We have created a Community of Practices Platform, which will help to structure future HEALx-LAB activities. This Community of Practices will include:
o An e-learning repository;
o 3 thematic forums on: Active ageing and tourism, Health technologies and Innovation in care;
o A shared calendar with events relevant to the stakeholders.
III. We organised a Brokerage Event where ULISBOA researchers and entrepreneurs presented their business ideas to (potential) investors and regional stakeholders, and could identify potential collaborative ventures that could be developed in the context of the HEALx-LAB.
In order to maximise the impact of the project, we have implemented a comprehensive strategy of dissemination and exploitation, which included setting a project website and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In), press-releases and press conferences in key project events, dissemination of project information through brochures, factsheets and electronic bulletins, and engaging relevant international stakeholders through networking and participation at relevant international events, and through the organisation of the Final Conference and Brokerage Event.
