8 partners from Cyprus, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic work together on the HoCare project "Innovative solutions for home care by strengthening cooperation in regional innovation chains." Lead partner is the Agency for Development of Nicosia ) from Cyprus.
The HoCare project deals with the problems of aging. It aims to improve the implementation of regional development policies and programs that support the delivery of innovation by participants in regional innovation chains. Local partners work closely with various stakeholders in different areas of home care, as well as with the Structural Funds contracting authorities in partner countries to improve home funding policies.
The Bulgarian partner is the Business Agency Association and the Ministry of Economy is an associated strategic partner.
On March 27 and 28, 2017 in Budapest, the 2nd International Thematic Seminar on "Generating Innovation, implementing the" Innovation Driven by Public Institutions "was held. More than 60 participants attended the event, organized by Hungary's National Health Service Center (AEEK), including representatives of Bulgaria's stakeholders and experts from OP MA 2014-2020 Bulgaria. The first seminar on "Generating Innovation by Addressing Unresponsive Needs, formulated by Health Service Providers" was held in Funchal, Madeira, on 26-27 January.
The HoCare project follows the "Quadruple Spiral" approach, which is a model of innovation co-operation where consumers, businesses, academia and researchers, and government bodies collaborate to generate innovation. In addition to the project partners, stakeholder representatives also participated in the events in Madeira and Budapest. Seminars offer many opportunities for sharing experience and good practice in innovative home care solutions.
During the seminars, the possible ways of transferring and implementing specific projects, management models and strategic focus of the operational programs in 4 interactive working groups were discussed. These working discussions focused on methods and ways of stimulating innovation in health care with a special emphasis on unanswered needs (Madeira) and on the "Innovation driven by public institutions" approach (in Budapest). The thematic homework seminars organized in Madeira and Budapest have revealed many good practices in the field of innovative home care solutions and have contributed to the exchange of knowledge and experience among participants from different European regions. It is planned to finalize 27 best practices identified during the HoCare project, which will be transferable to other regions.
Seminars were preceded by organizing local stakeholder meetings in partner countries to review local conditions and the needs for innovations in home care. The meetings will continue throughout the project until 2020.
The third thematic international seminar on "Bringing Innovative Home Care Solutions Faster to the Market" is to be held on 7-8 June in Lithia, Slovenia.
The HoCare project is being implemented within the Interreg Europe 2014-2020 program
