5th Local Stakeholders Group Meeting in Ferrara, Italia
An aging society presents complex challenges, but also extraordinary opportunities for innovation and development. This awareness was the starting point for the meeting on April 16, 2025, promoted by CNA Ferrara and CNA Retirees Ferrara, as part of the fifth “Local Stakeholders Group Meeting – Product and Service Innovation to Improve Quality of Life.” Organized with the support of CNA Emilia-Romagna, the event is part of the European project NOTRE – Novel methods improving production innovation potential with examples of senior care-related solutions, in which CNA Emilia-Romagna is a partner.
The discussion table was coordinated by Amelia Grandi, Head of the Economic Area of CNA Ferrara, and included Giorgio Lugli, President of CNA Reggio Emilia; Ughetta Ciatti, Vice President of CNA Retirees Ferrara; Davide Bellotti, President of CNA Ferrara; Marcella Contini, Head of the Industrial Policies Department of CNA Emilia-Romagna; Cristina Coletti, Councillor of Ferrara Municipality for Family Policies, Social-Health Policies, Housing Policies, Security, Fractions, and Heritage; Franco Romagnoni, Director of Elderly, Disabled-Adult Assistance at AUSL Ferrara; Anna Linda Imbroscio, Sector Sustainable Innovation, Enterprises and Production Chains of the Emilia-Romagna Region; Michele Felisatti, Adjunct Professor at the University of Ferrara and CEO & Co-Founder of Esercizio Vita Medical Fitness; and Luca Pomidori, CEO & Co-Founder of Esercizio Vita Medical Fitness and Adjunct Professor at the University of Ferrara.
The framework outlined by the European project provided a strategic vision of the ongoing work, the results achieved, and the objectives to be pursued in the light of key demographic data depicting a deeply transforming scenario. Europe, and particularly Emilia-Romagna, is at the heart of an advanced population aging process. In our region, the aging index has reached 189 elderly for every 100 children. By 2040, there will be 270 elderly for every 100 children. These figures highlight an increasing pressure on the socioeconomic system and regional welfare, urgently requiring innovative policies to support active aging and promote birth rates*.
From the Emilia-Romagna Region, Dr. Anna Linda Imbroscio illustrated the tools activated to support active aging and personal autonomy: from calls for adapting housing, to promoting telemedicine and digital training for disadvantaged citizens. All elements of an integrated and inclusion-oriented regional strategy.
The voices from the territory—from CNA Ferrara President Davide Bellotti to AUSL Director Franco Romagnoni, to Municipal Councillor Cristina Coletti—reinforced the shared vision of a territorial care network that unites health, social, and innovation. It is central the idea that life extension requires a continuous evolution of services and technologies to ensure high quality of life, counter loneliness, and promote active participation of the elderly, while offering tangible support to caregivers.
However, it was clearly highlighted that these solutions are not always easily accessible. The real challenge lies in making these tools truly usable by everyone, especially the most fragile and vulnerable individuals.
The contribution of Esercizio Vita Medical Fitness, represented by Michele Felisatti and Luca Pomidori, emphasized the importance of personalized physical activity as a tool for prevention, well-being, and economic sustainability of the healthcare system. The integration of advanced technologies represents one of the most promising frontiers for public health today.
Finally, Ughetta Ciatti, Vice President of CNA Pensionati Ferrara, stressed the importance of the relational and listening dimension, citing the experience of the Women's Café, which has become a space for intergenerational and intersectoral dialogue on issues of advanced age.
In the context of demographic aging, it is essential to adopt an integrated vision that centers on people and enhances local resources. The European project NOTRE demonstrates how innovation can provide concrete responses to the needs related to longevity, fostering collaboration between businesses, institutions, and the third sector to build a more equitable and connected future for all generations.
*(Source: Report on the Resident Population in Emilia-Romagna as of January 1, 2024 – Emilia-Romagna Region, Directorate General Resources, Europe, Innovation and Institutions, Digital Innovation, Data, Technology, and Archival Pole Sector, Statistics Office)