Dalarna has an old population, 30% is over 65 years old and the proportion of elderly over 75+ will considerably expand in 10-15 years. This poses challenges but also great opportunities for companies to develop services and products for a senior market that is not so well explored yet.

In Dalarna’s Agenda for smart specialisation two of the prioritized areas have a clear connection to the Silver Economy; Innovative experience production and health & welfare. We are developing an innovation system with clusters, societal actors and support from the research profiles in the Dalarna University College. The Operational programme for North Mid Sweden is an important tool in creating this, but the existing measures does not fully grasp the potential to promote actions through opportunities in the Silver Economy.

The Silver SMEs project affects directly to the priority axe number 3 which is related to two main investment priorities:

3a) To promote entrepreneurship, in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators. Goal: To increase the number of enterprises with a growth potential.

3d) Supporting the capacity of small and medium sized enterprises to invest in the growth of regional, national and international markets and engage in innovation processes. Goal: Increased growth in the regions small and medium sized enterprises.

The silver project will contribute to fill the measures of the above policy instrument with a larger content from a focus on the opportunities for business development in the light of the demographic change; the ageing population in Europe.

As a result from Silver SMEs we want to see a higher number of innovative projects within the Silver economy in Dalarna the next programming period; 2021-2027.

The SME competitiveness and growth depends on innovation capacity, enabling SMEs to create new products and services, add value to the product, make the difference from the competition and gain control over the value chain. The diagnostic on the Northern Region of Portugal highlights innovation and technology transfer difficulties to market and low investment by SMEs in R & D & i .

In this sense, the objective of this Policy Instrument (PI) is to support the implementation within priority areas of smart specialization strategy the development of pilot projects, pre-commercial and commercial, to accelerate the introduction of new specialized services, with great knowledge, technologies and products on the market, increasing business investment in innovation, especially concerning the elderly people with specific needs and very demanding on quality, culture, kowledge, health, customized services.

 The Silver Economy is a strategic subsector that is not mentioned in the PI so far, but that can bring plenty of opportunities for economic diversification, employment and growth, in line with the objectives of the PI. There is a clear need to improve the PI thus by including Silver Economy on the map, through specific references and innovative projects, especially to support new business projects that could create new products and services.

he specific objective of this priority is to increase employment levels in micro-enterprises in the S&E Region by supporting business start-ups, business expansion and higher innovation levels in micro-enterprises.

It will support innovative and growth oriented micro-enterprise business start-ups and expansions, with a particular emphasis on high-growth and potentially high-growth sectors through the provision of business information, advisory services, capability building, mentoring and financial supports.

Main Features: Linked to RIS3, opportunities for connected health and independent living technologies are technologies that facilitate remote delivery of healthcare and assisted living, moving the emphasis of care to the patient in their own home.

Objective: To harness for business the potential to transform healthcare and service delivery, thereby reducing burdens on health systems and improving the quality of life and independence of our ageing populations.

 Reasons: The focus within the Silver SMEs project will be to implement effective mechanisms for industry engagement with the health system for exchange of ideas, trialling and developing new products and services by SMEs.

Why it should be improved: There are pressing demographic reasons due to an aging economy to develop more sustainable means of supporting independent living in older people. This presents a series of new opportunities for SMEs to engage in innovation directed at this sector.

OP for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the Period 2014-2020; Priority axis 3. Dynamic and competitive entrepreneurship for green economic growth; Specific objective 3.2: Increase the added value of SMEs; 3.5 Social innovation, transnational cooperation and contribution to thematic objectives 1–7

Within the above-mentioned policy instrument document, there are no special actions regarding the development of Silver Economy (SE), but yes the specific objective 3.2 (Increase the added value of SMEs) within which it promotes the growth and development of SMEs in order to develop new and innovative products and services.

It also includes instruments of to enhance access to financial sources, such as: instruments of debt and equity financial sources, non-reimbursable financial sources for specific purposes and target groups, mentorship, business consulting.

The O.P. also supports contribution to broader social objectives, including social innovation, and sustainable development.

However and as mentioned, in O.P. ERDF 2014-2020 Slovenia there aren’t any specific measures on SE, while demographic trends of aging population is a clear opportunity for SMEs, start-up and especially for social enterprises to develop new products and services and for creation of new jobs.

New measures, concerning demographically endangered areas, should encourage directly SMEs, start-ups and social enterprises to contribute with innovative products to longevity of rapidly ageing population.

Castilla y León has among its distinguishing features being an eminently rural territory, with a large dispersion of population and aging.

According to official data (2016) the total population of Castilla y León is 2.447. 519 inhabitants. This represents a decrease in 60.977 inhabitants during the last 20 years (period 1996-2016). The current data of population aged over 65 years is 598.328 people, increasing the statistics of the year 1996 in 86.993 inhabitants.

On these grounds, Castilla y León is going through a major societal challenge in the form of a rapidly ageing population due to increased longevity combined with stagnating or falling birth rates in rural areas. An ageing society represents a number of opportunities for creation of jobs and growth that should be reflected in our strategies.

 The Operational Programme ERDF 2014-2020 in the region of Castilla y León includes six different priority axes related to thematic objectives linked mainly to the smart and sustainable growth pillar of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The regional policy instrument is dealing with two investment priorities addressed by SILVER SMES project: “promotion of business spirit facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and inspiring the creation on new enterprises and the support to SMEs’ capacity to grow in regional, national and international markets as well as innovation processes” but not especially oriented neither rural areas nor silver economy.

Our activities are to support foreign companies willing to set up a business in Northern France and to support Northern France companies in their development, a large part belongs to the Silver Economy sector.

Indeed, with 1.3 million of seniors in 2012, Silver economy is today one the main strategical axis of development for 400 healthcare companies representing 8,000 jobs.

Consequently, Eurasanté will bring its experience in European projects and in supporting business projects devoted to the Silver Economy.

For example, we are working very closely with the Region on Silver economy sector.

Then, we created in September 2015 a call for proposal called “Silver Surfer” to develop innovations or technologies for the elderly people and to support silver economy SMEs.

And finally, we decided to launch in 2017 a special event on Silver economy called “AgeingFit” which is the 1st business convention at the European scale dedicated to innovation in the healthy ageing sector.“

The main objective of the programme is a long-term, intelligent and sustainable growth and increase in qualify of living of the inhabitants of Lubuskie Voivodeship through the use and strengthening the potential of the region and focus on combating development barriers.

The above goals include various TG, including persons above 50+, however, provisions concerning SME, acting for the benefit of these stakeholders, support require improvement (provision of services, production of goods). Possible for proposing solutions are, among others, support of entrepreneurs in the scope of internationalization, including both expansion of outlet markets and the possibility of international cooperation in the scope of knowledge exchange and gaining new experiences (i.e. OP 1 action 1.4 ROP). Furthermore, it is necessary to launch dedicated financial instruments for the above group of SME under OP 6. So far solutions support development of entrepreneurship, however, without taking into account the opportunities derived from the Silver Economy.

 The region's policy is heading towards the support for actions towards the elderly persons. In order to fill the gap financial instruments supporting an increase of competitiveness of SME sector providing services and creating goods for healthy and active ageing would need to be created. In the region, the most difficult situation of these persons is noticeable within rural areas with limited nr. of SMEs provide services.