Final Event

Digital innovation is transforming the future of ageing, placing person-centered wellbeing and healthcare among Europe’s top priorities. Initiatives such as Madeira Digital
Health and Wellbeing drive technological solutions that promote autonomy, inclusion, and quality of life for the ageing population. From artificial intelligence to remote monitoring, digitalisation enables more efficient and humanised responses to the challenges of ageing.

Smart Bear (Smart Big Data Platform to Offer Evidence-based Personalised Support for Healthy and Independent Living at Home) is a flagship European project funded by the Horizon 2020 programme. Its goal is to develop innovative digital solutions to improve the quality of life for older adults. It combines health monitoring technologies, smart devices, and large-scale data analysis to provide personalised, evidence-based support. The project involves approximately 5,000 older adults across five European countries (Portugal, France, Greece, Italy, and Romania), allowing solutions to be validated in diverse regional and social contexts. Portugal, through the Autonomous Region of Madeira, has been recognised by the European Commission as the “Pilot of the Pilots” due to its exemplary innovation in digital health and its impact on the ageing population.

As a result, the European Commission has decided that the Smart Bear final event will take place in Madeira from 24 to 28 February 2025, bringing together researchers,
policymakers, healthcare professionals, and representatives from the European Commission. Organised by the Institute for Development and Technological Innovation
(IDEA), with the support of regional partners, the event will be a unique opportunity to share key project outcomes and discuss the future of digital health in Europe.

On 28 February 2025, the public session “SMART BEAR: Digital Innovation for Healthy Ageing” will provide an opportunity to showcase the project’s key results, with a particular focus on those making a significant impact in Portugal and serving as a reference for Europe. Additionally, the event will strengthen strategic partnerships to ensure the sustainability and expansion of the developed solutions. Many project participants will be present, further consolidating Madeira as a reference hub for innovation in healthy and independent ageing.

The presence of high-level national, regional, and European authorities at this session, including the President of the Government of Madeira, The Minister of Health of Portugal and the Secretary of Health and Civil Protection of Madeira, is essential to strengthen the commitment to this European agenda and drive policies that promote healthier, more dignified, and sustainable ageing—always focused on the needs and well-being of citizens.