Innovative solutions to support BSR in providing more senior – friendly public spaces due to increased capacity of BSR companies and public institutions

BaltSe@nioR 2.0

PROGRAMME 2014-2020

priority

1 Innovation

objective

1.3 Non-technological innovation

BaltSe@nioR 2.0

Manufacturers, public institutions and experts jointly developed solutions for smart senior-friendly furniture in public spaces, while advancing innovative and social business development.

Project summary

Age-friendlier public spaces

Five nations from the Baltic Sea region are among ten oldest in the world. All in all, 18% of the EU population is now 60+, and the ratio of seniors in societies is continuously growing. The progressing age of societies in the Baltic Sea region poses a societal and economic challenge in adjusting market offers to the needs of the elderly. As the number of seniors rises, public spaces need transformation to reduce ageism and be friendly to all.

The BaltSe@nioR 2.0 project brought together municipalities, universities, businesses, and NGOs to create new business models as well as demo spaces in public locations furnished with smart furniture. This way the project triggered public institutions and manufacturing companies in the region to start a transformation of museums, theatres, city halls, restaurants, and other public spaces into friendlier places for seniors.

Shared expertise

The needs of the seniors and the ways to meet them were thoroughly explored by public institutions, manufacturing companies, designers and experts together. This helped to properly test and provide senior-friendly smart furniture in various public spaces, as well as develop prototypes to promote further innovative manufacturing considering the needs of the seniors.

Budgets

BaltSe@nioR 2.0
in numbers

2.13

Million

Total
1.60

Million

Erdf
0.10

Million

Eni + Russia
0.00

Million

Norway

Achievements

Cross-national needs’ assessment

The partners conducted a cross-national survey on the needs of seniors and public institutions in all Baltic Sea region countries. 562 public institutions and 2088 seniors from the whole region took part.

Senior-friendly smart furniture prototypes

To demonstrate the possibilities of implementing ICT solutions into furniture and focus the attention of manufacturers on a senior-friendly design, the project partners developed prototypes of smart furniture addressing seniors’ needs, e.g. three designs of smart tablecloths, a table facilitating VR/AR usage, a medical smart bed, a smart cushion, automated robotic support for seniors to stand up. In addition, 20 concepts for new senior-friendly products were created, including a swinging bench for outdoor use, a chest for multigenerational planting, and a rotating board game cube.

Senior-friendly model public spaces

The project partners created four permanent and one pop-up senior-friendly model public spaces in five BSR countries (Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Finland) using the prototype products and concepts developed during the project. The project rearranged various spaces: outdoor spaces and indoor spaces being a relaxation zone, a co-working zone, an educational zone, assisted ambient living facility, medical training and simulation rooms, physiotherapy, and social rooms to demonstrate how public spaces can be made more senior-friendly. These model spaces showcase a change that can be implemented in the Baltic Sea region and act as good practice examples of how to create a public space that everyone can easily enter and use, including seniors or people with disabilities.

Outputs

From words to actions. A guide to senior-friendly public space

As the number of seniors rises worldwide, modern public spaces need a radical change to reduce ageism and be friendly to all. What if regions and cities knew how to redesign the public space to meet the needs of their senior citizens, and benefit from happier, healthier, and more active seniors in their communities? What if this knowledge could be shared freely to create a more sustainable, more inclusive, and more beautiful Europe? Check out the BaltSe@nioR 2.0 e-book.

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Knowledge database on senior-friendly public spaces

The database can support designers, furniture manufacturers, and owners of the public space in developing solutions that promote the rules of inclusive design and make public space more accessible for senior citizens. Moreover, public institutions can receive a picture of the situation on implementing senior-friendly solutions in other public institutions located in various countries in the Baltic Sea region.

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Accessibility VR Game

A game-like service simulator has been developed with VR technology. It demonstrates the challenges senior users face in public spaces. Two public space examples are presented – a library and a park. The player is in a role of an older adult with various challenges in functioning. The player interacts with the game by moving through the public spaces while fulfilling tasks that aim at functioning in the public spaces. The examples of the tasks point to physical limitations, sight and hearing limitations that often occur in older age. It is an innovative knowledge transfer tool that can support BSR furniture companies and public institutions in enhancing institutionalised knowledge and competencies concerning creating senior-friendly furniture and interior design elements to be used in public spaces. The game is available for free download as a .apk file.

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Social Business Model

The social business model is an interactive tool working with 3 levels: Profit, People, and Planet. It is a template for designing a business in a way that supports not only financial issues but more importantly social aspects, such as responsibility towards people and the planet we live on. Two inspiring case studies of Polish and Danish public institutions already making those aspects visible in their activities are presented in the template.

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