A VISUAL of the NICCoLLa project is enclosed in the annexes with this application. CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND:The Network for Innovative Care Competence Learning through Labs (NICCoLLa) focuses on profound issues, priorities and challenges in care and wellbeing like demographic ageing and shortages of care workers. Technological solutions are a key answer to meet these challenges. Many applications are available and the market is developing rapidly. Care professionals are needed that can work with and co-create care technologies which deliver effective and user-friendly services. In a future where (care) technology is becoming more important, ’future-proof’ care professionals with transdisciplinary technological competencies are needed.OBJECTIVES:To improve the education of (future) professionals, the focus of this project will foremost be on the development of curricular content (competencies, methodology and content) for the education of care and wellbeing professionals (focusing on use and implementation of care technologies) as well as for technology and ICT professionals (focusing on design and development of care technologies). The aim is to increase and amplify the skills needed for the successful implementation of technology and ICT in the care and wellbeing sector. Furthermore, for future purposes of continuous transdisciplinary development and innovation in this area, supported by co-creative learning, a blueprint for the development of a ‘Care Technology Lab’ will be realized.PARTICIPANTS:72 students, 8 teachers and researchers from different disciplines, and 8 care professionals will participate in the project. Target groups (i.e. clients, patient; 8 in total) and associated partners (e.g. service/technology providers, 8 in total) will participate in the project activities to enhance the students’ learning experience.ACTIVITIES:An iterative series of project activities will support NICCoLLa in realizing the intellectual outputs. Through transnational project meetings, activities will be developed, organized, monitored, and evaluated. A Kick off conference is organized for two-way knowledge sharing with the main target groups and stakeholders.A cycle of 2 intensive study programmes (ISPs) will test and contribute to further improvement of the intellectual outputs. The ISPs will address the disciplinary language gap and discourse, fuelling students to develop innovative thinking, explore technologies, understand needs and challenges, and legal and ethical aspects. Care professionals, representatives from local organizations and clients/patients will be involved to achieve insights in daily experiences and needs from the perspective of relevant stakeholders and target groups.In a final symposium, the results of the activities will be shared, and the next steps will be presented. Discussion panels on regional and national healthcare/wellbeing eco-systems will be organized to discuss technological solutions for the care and wellbeing sector.METHODOLOGY:Based on a quadruple helix approach and by involving relevant external stakeholders and target groups directly in the project activities, this transnational project will foster transnational, transdisciplinary co-creative learning and development, built around innovative learning methodologies such as hackathons, blended learning, and patient/client journeys.Learning through care technology labs ensures sustainable development of competencies and updated curricular content. Connecting with existing labs will foster joint development of transnational and transdisciplinary projects. A framework, guidelines and specific courses for the education of care and wellbeing students and professionals on the topic of technology implementation, and for the education of technology students will be made widely available and easily accessible.RESULTS & IMPACT:Students, professionals and clients/patients throughout Europe can profit from the expertise and vision of designing and developing innovations for the care and wellbeing sector. Innovative courses and trainings for students and professionals, including didactical/pedagogical models and guidelines will be developed on how to use and implement care technologies. Furthermore, continuous sharing of experience and knowledge will be fuelled through initiating the development of a standard for care technology labs fostering transnational and transdisciplinary projects. The business/industry will add value to these labs with workshops, transdisciplinary research projects and internships placements.The project aims at having a long term impact on educating ‘future-proof’ technology/ICT, healthcare and wellbeing students and professionals through co-creative transdisciplinary collaboration. NICCoLLa will thus contribute to generating future proof professionals which will be able to deal with the current challenges of our care and wellbeing systems which in turn benefits clients/patients across Europe.

This project describes a teaming partnership between the University of Coimbra (UC) (partner in a low-performing country) and the University of Newcastle (UNEW) (partner in a high-performing country) to create, in Coimbra, a new Centre of Excellence in Ageing Research - the Coimbra Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA). This flagship project for the Centro Region of Portugal is aligned with the regional RIS3 and will be coordinated by the regional authority CCDRC (strategic coordinator) and by UC (operational coordinator). The Newcastle University Institute for Ageing (NUIA) is one of the largest and longest established institutions in translational ageing research worldwide. In this teaming project, NUIA is supported by two further world-leading centres in translational ageing research; the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and the Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging. European Member states are committed to increase human healthy life expectancy by two years on average by 2020. Present increases in healthy life expectancy are largely due to increasing differences in ageing rates between member states, regions, communities and individuals. This massively worsens socioeconomic inequalities. Recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of ageing suggests that social, lifestyle, nutritional and pharmaceutical interventions can, effectively, reduce these differences by targeting the faster ageing members of the population. The overall objective of the new Centre for Excellence is to improve health and wellbeing of an ageing population. It will gain a forefront position in ageing research and develop, validate and deliver interventions that can improve human healthy life expectancy. It will train young researchers and engage the public in support and implementation of innovative good practices. MIA will be integrated into the Ageing@Coimbra Vitality Campus, a European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing Reference Site.

The present Teaming second phase application will create the first Centre of Excellence in Ageing Research in Southern Europe and in a R&D low-performing EU member state, to reduce disparities and to bridge the gap between fundamental research and its translation into human intervention. The new Centre of Excellence, the Multidisciplinary Institute of Ageing (MIA-Portugal), will be a new Strategic Research Institute with the University of Coimbra as the core scientific element of a new living laboratory, Ageing@Coimbra’. The overall objective of the new Centre of Excellence is to improve health and wellbeing of an ageing population and benefit from excellence science and innovation potential to deliver business opportunities. Based on an international forefront position in Biology of Ageing, it will create knowledge to promote healthy living, develop, validate and deliver interventions that improve human healthy life expectancy, with a specific focus on those members of both genders of the population with the lowest healthy life expectancy, and promote innovation transfer into practices and services. This will contribute to reduce the socioeconomic burden of chronic diseases and inadequate ageing of population and will foster functional independence, stimulate the economy and raise new high-qualified jobs. MIA-Portugal will be a stepping-stone and sustainable flagship project of the Centro Region of Portugal. The direct investment of MIA-Portugal mounts to >50 million euros. MIA-Portugal is a teaming partnership between the University of Coimbra (UC) (partner in a low R&D-performing country) and the University of Newcastle (UNEW) plus the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) (partners in high R&D-performing countries), with strong support from a Technology Park (IPN) and the Regional Authority CCDRC, and synergies with EIT Health Knowledge and Innovation Communities and the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing Reference Sites.

<< Objectives >>By improving the digital competences of older adults we intend to create the basis for an increased social inclusion of thesecitizens, in the country of the partners. Considering the limited number of people impacted (80/country), theproject aims to embody a sort of macro laboratory that will operate in 4 EU countries. The digital teacher will be trained students between 20 -25 YO, getting micro-credentials at the end of the training to adults.<< Implementation >>1.need analysis 2.Methodology for transferring the knowledge to the trainers and to the older adults3. Digital skills manual and toolkit4. MICROCREDENTIALS recognition for students and exploitability of the results of the projects5. Evaluation method and tools,<< Results >>Better and wider use of digital tools for older people in various domains such as health care, mobility, leisure, e-banking andaccess to digital services from public bodies;Formative possibility for university students who get the chance to teach basic digital skills to other generation and get theirwork recognized by university;Supporting social care professionals, older people’s caregivers providing them with a methodology and instruments to teachdigital skills to older adults;Tapping in