Connecting Galicia with the Netherlands – Learning Expedition
From September 30 to October 5, the ECHAlliance organised and lead the Learning Expedition of Cluste Saúde de Galicia (CSG) to the Netherlands, visiting ecosystems, innovators, social and health care providers in Friesland, Groningen, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Brabant, within the Interreg POCTEP CODIGOMAIS project . The main objective was to get to know the Dutch ecosystem of health and socio-health innovation to study the different technological solutions and new processes that are being applied to face the aging of its population. The so-called Silver Economy is a strategic and structural issue for Galicia that has also starred in the IV Forum RIES19 , the international CSG forum that took place in A Coruña on October 23 and 24.
The Galician delegation, with a total of 15 participants, was composed of public representatives of the governments of Galicia and Asturias, external experts of the CSG (SMEs, universities and patient associations) as well as members of the CODIGOMAIS consortium. The members of the delegation shared their experience and analyzed the good practices that can be imported or shared for the benefit of both territories, such as innovative measures around the chronification of diseases or pioneering ideas about the new services required in the Health and social system.
During the complete agenda of this visit, the team led by ECHAlliance and Cluster Saúde de Galicia has met several agencies and clusters of innovation in health, different models of accommodation for the elderly, hospitals, laboratories and technology companies.
On this trip the different European projects in which the members of the Galician delegation also participated were presented. Some examples are the CODIGOMAIS project (Galicia-North Portugal health innovation ecosystem), the HANNN project (network of projects for healthy aging) and the EDEN project (which highlights the importance of the family member and caregiver in the Alzheimer’s process) among others.
Thematic of the IV Forum RIES19
The challenges and opportunities that open up around population aging were the central topic of debate in the latest edition of the IV RIES Forum19, which took place in A Coruña on October 23 and 24. Two ECHAlliance representatives were the speakers on the main floor of the conference, Andy Bleaden, Director Ecosystems and Membership and Gregor Cuzak, International Ecosystem Coordinator.
