The vision of Campania Reference Site is stimulating and supporting the set-up of a local ecosystem to face the challenge of an ageing population with a lifecourse approach, where innovations are exploited to improve health outcomes, quality of life and sustainability of social and health services. The recognition of “Reference Site” to Campania was awarded for the first time in 2012 to Research and Development Unit of Federico II University Hospital, as the referent for Campania cluster. The RS subsequently obtained a first regional recognition (Regional Resolution n.622/2012), which established a specific coordination group for achieving the objectives of the European Partnership for Healthy and Active Aging. Federico II University Hospital resubmitted the application to the European Commission in 2016, obtaining the recognition of “3 stars RS”. The Regional Resolution n.221/2017 established an interdisciplinary group for the coordination and management of the RS. The latest “4 stars RS” award was obtained in 2019, and confirmed in 2021, supported by Federico II University Department of Public Health. Campania RS coalition is connected to the regional ProMIS network, and is intended as an open, quadruple helix ecosystem, evolving over time, to remain inclusive and capable of addressing the current and emerging health needs of the population, exploiting the opportunities offered by innovative good practices at international, national and local level. Campania RS ecosystem follows the indications of the WHO “One Health” approach for the implementation of sustainable development goals across all policies, in an inter-sectoral effort (Health, Environment, Education and training, Research, Tourism), including different stakeholders along the quadruple helix of innovation (Academia, Industry, Non-Governmental Organisations, Public Administration).
Campania RS focuses on connecting innovations with its stakeholders in different domains of lifecourse active and healthy ageing, and acknowledges the relevance of building collaborations in an international and open environment, where experiences, tools and expertise can be shared and exchanged. Campania RS ambition is connecting innovations with endusers by:
- Increasing health equity for Campania citizens by improving sustainability through change management strategies and large scale adoption of ICT supported services;
- Overcoming the boundaries of a system oriented to manage diseases, and strengthen the focus on lifecourse health promotion and disease prevention;
- Strengthening the transfer of biomedical and technological innovations to the market, exploiting the integration between research, training and service provision through research international collaborations and innovative procurements;
- Stimulating multidisciplinary and multi-actor collaborations, through living labs that are designed to fit local socio-cultural contexts.
Campania Reference Site has been an active partner of the RSCN since its early stages in 2013. Since then, the RSCN has been providing the opportunity to liaise with other regions from the national and international context and creating a knowledge-sharing base where the collaborative approach to innovations applied to active and healthy ageing thrived.