In 2017, the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC 2017) will reach its 15th birthday. It is a moment of both looking back and looking forward, whilst tackling the challenges that the EU regional and urban policy should be addressing, as of today, and over the coming years.

SCIROOCO is engaged via the session Meeting the Challenge of Ageing: “Putting the Citizens at the Heart of Integrated Care in Europe” that takes place  Tuesday, 10 October 2017, 11.15 – 13.00 CET at the Scotland House Conference Center, Rond Point Schuman, 6, 1040 Brussels [download agenda]

This EWRC 2017 event will showcase the work of a number of regions involved in the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) – a unique example of a partnership voluntarily-bringing together a wide range of regions, industries, research institutions, and end-user organisations committed to innovating for European citizens’ needs, by addressing a triple win: health and quality of life; sustainable and efficient care systems; and growth and the expansion of EU industry in line with the Commission’s priorities in jobs, growth and investment, as well as the digital transformation of health and care.

The session will stimulate discussion with policymakers and practitioners; share regional experience in developing and implementing innovative approaches to integrated care solutions, and reaching out to other regions to accelerate their journey towards innovative systems to meet future demands.

Main messages of the Scirocco event: 

• Putting citizens at the heart of integrated care can unlock the potential of innovation and build the capacities of European regions to address the challenge of ageing.
• Implementation and scaling up of integrated care solutions requires understanding and readiness of the environment that would enable adoption of these solutions.
• Assessing the readiness of a system of care to innovate e.g. with integrated care, helps to build resilience in regions and cities.