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SIRENE

SIRENE | Social Innovation Responsive Environments Network

Client / Funding programme:

SIRENE | Social Innovation Responsive Environments Network is a Coordination and Support Action, co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe Programme (topic HORIZON-EIE-2022-CONNECT-01-02) through the Grant Agreement n. 101096077.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.

Website: sireneproject.eu

Start and end dates:
01-11-2022 – 31-10-2024

AFEdemy role in the project:

AFEdemy is Work Package lead.

☒ Coordination
☒ Research
☐ Training
☒ Curriculum development
☐ e-Learning Platform
☒ Networking
☐ Policy recommendation
☒ Sustainability

Description

SIRENE | Social Innovation Responsive Environments Network, which will last for two years, aims to support the growth of social innovation ecosystems delivering eco-friendly and sustainable community-based services for SHAFE (Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments) implementation in Europe, by providing a workable framework for investment and the broad adoption of high-quality smart living solutions, combining the housing sector and ICT infrastructure.

Social innovation can be understood as innovation in social relations, in power dynamics and in governance transformations, and includes institutional and systems transformations. In order to support this needed transformation, six organisations form the consortium:

SHINE 2Europe Lda (Portugal) | Coordinator
AFEdemy, Academy on Age-Friendly Environments in Europe BV (The Netherlands)
ECHALLIANCE Company Limited by Guarantee (Ireland)
F6S Network Ireland Limited (Ireland)
ISRAA – Istituto per Servizi di Ricovero e Assistenza Agli Anziani (Italy)
Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Spain).

There have been several initiatives aiming to promote innovation and support stakeholders to increase investments in relevant societal areas. However, their impact often runs short in the mid- and long-term. SIRENE identifies as a winning approach to connect stakeholders by having them working together towards a Social Innovation framework and supporting tools, claiming that this joint collaborative and co-creative work will increase awareness on social innovation, create alliances and synergies between stakeholders and ensure that business actors have access to social innovation and entrepreneurial knowledge.

For the next 2 years, SIRENE will thus connect experts and ecosystems in all 27 EU countries and co-create a workable social innovation framework for promoting large-scale investment in building, retrofitting and adaptation of the housing market.

Through a set of support activities and tools, SIRENE will also develop a sustainability strategy to enable the framework implementation and access to funding, by harnessing the potential of smart technologies to support inclusive, eco-friendly and independent living.

The SIRENE project will leverage on the networks and outcomes of the SHAFE Network and COST Action 19136 NET4Age-Friendly (SHINE and AFEdemy coordination) the ECTP and Homes4Life (Tecnalia), the Thematic Inovation Ecosystem on Housing and Health (ECHA and ISRAA), as well as the F6S business community.

Main objective

SIRENE will develop and sustain a social innovation framework and tools for creation and nurturing of ecosystems in the area of Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments, with a special focus on eco-friendly smart housing, that support social entrepreneurs to gain awareness on the topic, access to the relevant constellation of actors and to funding opportunities, enabling innovation investments that meet the changing needs of citizens across their lifetime.

OBJECTIVE 1: Promote social innovation implementation and investments on eco-friendly inclusive environments, by developing a robust framework and tools for SI ecosystems build and expansion.

OBJECTIVE 2: Install and promote a co-creation network of experts and local ecosystems that enables the identification of requirements and needs and that validates the framework.

OBJECTIVE 3: Develop a sustainability strategy to enable the framework implementation and access to funding, by harnessing the potential of SI to support inclusive, eco-friendly and independent living.

AFE Related Topics

☒ Outdoor spaces and buildings
☒ Social participation
☐ Transport and mobility
☒ Social inclusion and non-discrimination
☒ Housing
☐ Civic engagement and employment
☒ Communication and information
☒ Community and health services

Target group

Ecosystems, experts and stakeholders on inclusive environments and independent living.

Partners

Coordinator: SHINE 2Europe Lda (Portugal)
AFEdemy, Academy on Age-Friendly Environments in Europe BV (The Netherlands)
ECHALLIANCE Company Limited by Guarantee (Ireland)
ISRAA – Istituto per Servizi di Ricovero e Assistenza Agli Anziani (Italy)
Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Spain).
F6S Network Ireland Limited (Ireland)

Project results

Social innovation framework on responsive inclusive environments

It will include 5 main features:

a) a manual for innovation actors on SI methods and concepts, especially focused on those that can be used to promote responsive, inclusive, eco-friendly environments;

b) a capacity-building framework for social entrepreneurs especially focused on funding opportunities and securing investment; c) a hands-on toolkit of networking and learning exchange initiatives;

d) a sustainability strategy that includes examples of SHAFE business models and practical ideas for SI investments on SHAFE;

e) a blueprint of good practices and SI initiatives in the area of SHAFE for benchmark and future twinnings.

Media

SIRENE logo

SIRENE Leaflet (1)

Images