The EU: s innovation partnership for active and healthy aging
Region Norrbotten has a long experience of work with developing digital solutions which the health sector and has since many years been a driving actor within care service, as implementing digital solutions to conquer long distances and sparse care receivers.
In being a part of the network European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA), Norrbotten has an information exchange within health innovation with other European regions that also are so called “reference sites”. Each reference site is awarded 1-4 stars depending on how many criteria they live up to.
In 2016 Norrbotten was given the status of reference site. At the 2019 call there were 88 European regional and local organizations that were awarded the status, amongst whom only 25 were awarded four stars. Amongst the 25 was Norrbotten, going from three to four stars.

The benefits for Norrbotten in being a reference site
In being a reference site Norrbotten gets a special standing which comes with greater transparency and possibility to give feedback in early stages in the EU-commission lawmaking process within the health policy area. This also means that the region is identified as a leader within the sector and can in a more effective way broaden their network, making it easier to be a part of, or inspire other actors to join, in projects.
Norrbotten also functions, like other European reference sites, as sources of inspirations for the whole of the EU and contribute to creating creative and useful solutions for raising the standard of living and better health for the elderly.

Read more about Norrbottens engagement in the innovation partnership.

Learn about Norrbotten becoming a reference site in 2016

Read mote about the innovation partnership
 
/Julia Hanson