A good practice: Centre of Expertise Healthy Ageing
Centre of Expertise Healthy Ageing is focused on innovation related to health and care themes with 48 Living Labs where partners contributed 14 million euros in collaborative projects.
Demographic change and healthy ageing are a big challenge in many parts of the world. Healthy Ageing is one of the strategic themes in the Northern Netherlands. Hanze University of Applied Sciences collaborates with 160 active organisations in public private partnership in living labs/innovation labs to develop and implement innovations health and welfare. From 2013, the CoE HA has realised 48 innovation labs in the Northern Netherlands of which in 2019, 23 are active. Main elements of the living labs are applies research, innovation of professional education and business development. The activities of partners in a living lab are focused on realisation of economic and societal impact. Most important themes are health & technology and healthy environments. Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen is lead partner. Main partners are 2 Northern universities of applied sciences, the Research University/Medical Centre Groningen, 5 Vocational Training Institutes, 50 health and welfare organisations, 50 companies (mostly SME), regional authorities (municipalities and 3 northern provinces). Because of co-creation of innovation with partners in living labs, many innovations are directly implemented in practice.
Why is this practice considered as good?
More than 160 partners are actively involved in PPP for innovation in living labs of the Centre of Expertise Healthy Ageing. The quality of proposals for living labs is judged by the CoE HA, after approval, living labs get 20.000 as start grant from the CoE HA, and partners are owner their living labs.
Results from 2013 - now: 60 fte new applied research projects, 5000 students involved in living labs, 600 European credits new educational courses on Healthy Ageing, 50 innovations realised, 60 student start ups; many new investments, economic and societal impact in the region.
Link to where further information on the good practice can be found