On the third day of the EU Week on Sustainable and Inclusive Communities: the Future is SHAFE, the NET4Age-Friendly network contributed significantly to the discussions, reinforcing its mission to create smart, healthy, and inclusive environments.
Carina Dantas, the Action’s Chair, opened the working day and chaired the first session on "Implementing societal missions – policy and organisational enablers and challenges," where Marius Geanta, Gianna Tsakou and Maciej Bobowicz highlighted how policy frameworks can drive societal missions.
Miriam Cabrita, from SHINE 2Europe was he following moderator of the session on "Trustworthy AI – ethics, legal and regulatory aspects in practical use cases" where Sara Colantonio, Aleksandar Jevremovic, Maria Jose Romero, and Ira Haavisto presented and discussed the topic and their projects and initiatives in the field.
Tatjana Loncar-Turukalo, Action’s Grants Committee Member, closed the morning facilitating the dialogue on "Social inclusion and participatory approaches through digital solutions", with lively debate between Elisio Costa, Anna Urbaniak, Arlind Reuter and Sofia Nunes.
In parallel, Willeke van Staalduinen, NET4 Vice-Chair, together with Inês Saavedra and Pedro Roseiro, NET4 WG5 leader, led a workshop for young researchers based on the Garcia Family method, exploring how to design the perfect New European Bauhaus (NEB) neighbourhood. The Garcia family, representing a typical EU family, faces challenges like cognitive decline, mobility issues, and mental health. The workshop aimed to design neighbourhoods that promote well-being and sustainability for such families.
In the afternoon, a session organized by the ENSA network (European Network of Social Authorities) represented by Elena Curtopassi, brought together speakers such as Inês Saavedra from SHINE 2Europe, Maria Jose Rico Llorca from IVASS Valencia, Michele Calabrò from EUREGHA, and others, including Oscar Zanutto from ISRAA Treviso, leader of NET4Age-Friendly’s WG, who brought his expertise to the panel titled "The impact of Demographic Change – holistic and integrated solutions." Their contributions highlighted how the ageing population requires comprehensive strategies, combining technology, health, and social approaches to create age-friendly solutions. The experts discussed the "Impact of Demographic Change – holistic and integrated solutions" and "Well-being for all – Disability, culture, and accessibility," highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies combining technology, health, and social solutions to support an ageing population.
Throughout the event, experts emphasized the integration of digital, social, and health approaches to build inclusive communities, reflecting the core mission of SHAFE and NET4Age-Friendly.