A look at age-friendly environments in Poland

On 9 and 10 May 2019 AGE Platform Europe participated in the meeting of one of the action groups of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, dedicated to age-friendly environments. Co-hosted by the LifeScience Park and the city of Krakow, the meeting was the opportunity to meet with different stakeholders and to better understand the dynamic in Poland around age-friendly environments – notably thanks to presentations delivered by two of AGE Polish members: Boguslawa Urbaniak, who presented the experience in Lodz and its surroundings, and Jolanta Perek-Bialas, who reported on what has been developed and implemented in Krakow.

This meeting was also the opportunity to present different EU-funded projects and initiatives which are relevant to the action group such as the SmartWork project. This project addresses the challenge faced by office workers as they grow old using digital tools and services in order to foster age-friendly working and living environments.
From a wider policy perspective, the European Commission (DG CONNECT) presented the forthcoming Horizon Europe and Digital Europe programme and the main priorities in relation to new technologies, ageing and health. It was the opportunity for the action group to clearly remind of the importance to have a comprehensive approach of ageing and to take into account the overall environment which greatly impacts health status in older age.

Last but not least, Julia Wadoux, from AGE Platform Europe, presented the main policy developments at global and European level in view of strengthening the links between the work and projects conducted by the action group members and larger processes like the forthcoming Decade of Healthy Ageing led by the World Health Organization (WHO).

For additional information, the presentations made during the two days are available at:

• On smart living and housing
• Policy development at EU and global level (by AGE)
• Health and Care in a digitising world (DG CONNECT)