News

In June 2018, we invited a range of Portuguese organizations to create a broad network of partners around the themes of Inclusive Environments for All Ages and Ageing in Place.

This invitation was brought on the context of several initiatives already under way in which Cáritas Coimbra and Coimbra’s Nursing School participate at the European level, in particular:

• The Thematic Network Smart Healthy Age Friendly Environments (TN SHAFE), approved by the EC for 2018 that Caritas Coimbra coordinates with AFEdemy
• ECHAlliance, which streamlines health-related ecosystems throughout the world (and has already integrated ours in their network)

In this international context it is also worth referring:

• The European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, where these organizations are Coordinators or members of Action Groups and Ageing@Coimbra
• The European Covenant on Demographic Change, in which Caritas Coimbra is Vice-President
• The International Health Literacy Association (IHLA), in which Caritas Coimbra is a member of the Advisory Committee on Policy and Advocacy
• ESEnfC is also a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization and Portugal Center for Evidence Based Practice: the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Center of Excellence

Because it did not make sense for us to be at the forefront of so many important initiatives in Europe and not have a more cohesive and organized national representation, we laid the foundation stone for the creation of this Portuguese Network on Smart, Healthy and Age-Friendly Environments.

 

CONCEPT

 

The Portuguese Network on Smart, Healthy and Age-Friendly Environments brings together a wide range of Portuguese organizations committed to promoting a joint agenda for the implementation of Inclusive Environments for All Ages, with a particular focus on Health, Social Support, ICT and Building Environments.

The Portuguese Network also favors a quadruple helix participation and actively promotes the collaboration between research/academia, public authorities, companies and civil society /citizens, with the aim of finding common solutions to national challenges in this theme, based on the following principles:

 

PRINCIPLES OF THE NETWORK

 

1. Governance

The Network is promoted by a Working Group composed of 2 main bodies:

– Coordination

• The Technical Coordination is ensured by Carina Dantas | Caritas Coimbra, Diana Guardado | Cáritas Coimbra,  Flávia Rodrigues | Cáritas Coimbra
• The Scientific Coordination is under the responsibility of João Apóstolo | ESEnfC,  Rosa Silva | ESEnfC

– Advisory Board

The Advisory Board brings together ten high-level experts at national level:

• José Pereira Miguel, Coordinator of the Working Group proposing the National Strategy for Active and Healthy Ageing (ENEAS) 2017-2025
• Patrícia Calado| NCP Horizonte 2020, GPPQ | FCT | ANI
• Manuel Veríssimo | Coordinator Ageing @ Coimbra
• Elísio Costa| Coordinator Porto4Ageing
• Joaquim Cunha | Executive Director Health Cluster Portugal
• Jorge Dias | UC/IPN
• Gil Gonçalves | CSO Inova +
• Rui Maia | Director of Replicar Socialform
• Sandra Rafael Pais | Coordinator International Center on Ageing, UAlg
• Alexandra Rodrigues | Director of Services at CCDRC

These bodies ensure the promotion of the Network’s activities and are responsible for bringing real priorities and challenges, providing guidance on the content to be explored and potential stakeholders relevant to the work agenda, as well as for the planning of meetings and events; the articulation between the various partners; relationship with the media and the dissemination of relevant information.

 

2. Participation and financing

Participation in the Network is open to all interested organizations, is free and is formalized by subscribing to an online form, which guarantees the subscription of the Institutional Data Privacy Policy.

The Network events are free, and the costs associated with travel or others are assured by each of the participants. The realization costs associated with the events are borne by the host partner or shared between partners by prior agreement.

 

3. Communication

The Network activities are supported in a web page, assured in the first year of operation by Cáritas Coimbra. This page will include the Network’s identity, Work Group identification and partners, strategic agenda, dissemination of relevant activities and good practices.

Communication is privileged, whenever possible, through digital tools, in order to avoid financial constraints and to allow the broadening of participation to all partners.

Regular work events and meetings are essential to implement the network’s strategic objectives, foster collaboration among the various partners, allowing to share challenges, explore opportunities, and implement the scheduled agenda.

These events include:

• Kick-off event
• Regular Network Meetings
• Participation in external events

The Portuguese Network participates in the International Network of ECHAlliance, and the Technical Coordination ensures this relationship and coordinates it with the other members.