Lithuanian Innovation Centre organized 1st Stakeholder group meeting for HoCare project in Vilnius, Lithuania on 29th September 2016. 23 representatives from all stakeholder groups – business, government, science and community were brought together by Lithuanian innovation centre in order to form the stakeholder working group.
HoCare project with a focus on development of solutions and recommendations for improving regional development policies and programs that focus on the promotion of innovative Home Care solutions was initiated this year by eight European countries. Ad hoc working parties are being formed across different European countries with an aim that the opinions on policy and investment measures of all interested parties are represented. One of those working parties will be formed in Lithuania, whose role will be to participate in drafting and approving recommendations as well as developing new and improving existing political measures and instruments that are directed at the promotion of innovative Home Care solutions.
A welcoming word was given by Mantas Vilys, the director of Lithuanian Innovation centre, who explained the general idea and importance of the HoCare project, it's objectives and the plan to fulfil them as well as the main functions and responsibilities of different stakeholder groups. Mantas Vilys presented the situation of Home Care system in Lithuania, the main problems and challenges encountered when generating innovative Home Care solutions, products and services in the regional innovation chains. Statistical demographic data of Lithuania was then provided, showing that Lithuanian society, as well as all the population of EU regions, is aging rapidly, causing numerous social changes and challenges, for which adequate innovative solutions need to be found. Those were said to be the reasons for this need of improvement of policy instruments related to Home Care as well as promotion of new ones, maximizing the potential of generation of innovative Home Care solutions, products andservices.
The group emphasized that there is hope for improvement in field of Home Care in Lithuania since a multi-stakeholder group like this will work together in attempt to develop new and improve the existing political measures and instruments directed at the promotion of the aging population and Home Care solutions, because as it is seen from the discussion there is a strong need for generation of innovative Home Care solutions and changes in Lithuania.
