Over the course of the project, the Smart Bear consortium successfully completed the development of its digital platform and related health services. It ran five large-scale pilot studies across Europe, collected a vast amount of data, and carried out in-depth analyses to evaluate the platform’s effectiveness.
The Smart Bear system was built to manage data collected from wearable sensors, smart devices, and medical records. From the start, strong emphasis was placed on data protection and privacy, using state-of-the-art technologies and international best practices. Personal data was securely handled at all times, following the Privacy by Design approach, and the system continues to be monitored for compliance.
To ensure the platform could work across different healthcare systems and countries, Smart Bear used international data standards. This makes it easier to share and interpret information safely, and allows healthcare providers to make better use of the data. The platform was also designed to work with information from other EU projects: it can securely receive and process medical data from different sources using automated channels. Thanks to this flexible design, the system can support a wide range of medical needs and continue to evolve beyond the project's lifetime.
The pilot studies were conducted in France, Greece, Italy, Romania, and Portugal, involving over 3,000 older adults (aged 65+). Participants benefited from 24/7 monitoring of their health and home environment, and used user-friendly tools that offered practical feedback and health recommendations.
Smart Bear also introduced advanced artificial intelligence tools capable of understanding how multiple health conditions interact, and how the platform could improve overall well-being. To strengthen our impact and expand access to healthcare, we partnered with other EU initiatives. For example, in Portugal, we worked closely with the Regional Health System of Madeira and the Smart4Health project. In Greece, we collaborated with the Holobalance program to support people with balance disorders.
Overall, Smart Bear demonstrated how digital health solutions can help older adults live more independently, support better decision-making by healthcare providers, and reduce strain on public health systems.
