Supporting the Smart Specialization Approach in the Silver Economy to Increase Regional Innovation Capacity and Sustainable Growth
OSIRIS
 
PROGRAMME 2014-2020
priority
1 Innovation
objective
1.2 Smart specialisation

OSIRIS

OSIRIS helped to accelerate the development and market uptake of innovative products and services for the elder people.
Project summary

The ageing population – a major challenge for the Baltic Sea region

The governments of the Baltic Sea countries are currently facing the worldwide challenge of meeting the needs of ageing populations, particularly age-friendly housing, transportation, leisure, healthcare and social welfare services. In addition, increased life expectancy deepens concerns about the adequate supply of essential services. By strengthening all economic activities relevant to the needs of older adults, OSIRIS will address the region’s societal challenges.

International cooperation supporting the Silver Economy

The project aims to support the development of the Silver Economy, the part of the economy that concerns older citizens. OSIRIS wants to improve the capacity of innovation actors to apply smart specialization approaches for tackling the challenges brought about by the ageing of the region’s population. OSIRIS seeks to boost market uptake and scaling of user-driven technology innovations that accommodate age-specific needs and preferences and demonstrate a significant impact on the quality of life of the ageing population. Representing business, public sector and academic actors (triple helix) from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Russia and Finland, the OSIRIS transnational partnership unites expertise, resources, and knowledge in order to share practices and learning on how to apply the smart specialization approach for exploiting Silver Economy opportunities in the Baltic Sea Region.

Working methods

In each participating country, OSIRIS partners designed and piloted an innovation ecosystem model – Smart Silver Lab. This model connects researchers, product developers, financers and user organisations into a network. It enables all innovation actors to screen and accelerate the uptake of innovative products and services which enable older adults to continue living a comfortable, independent and active life.

Budgets

OSIRIS
in numbers
  • 2.38
    Million
    Total
  • 1.69
    Million
    Erdf
  • 0.24
    Million
    Eni + Russia
  • 0.00
    Million
    Norway

Achievements

Silver Cluster as a network

OSIRIS created a transnational “Silver Cluster”, which represents a network of six Smart Silver Labs from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Russia, and Finland. It aims to achieve common goals of smart specialisation and to exploit the silver economy opportunities in the Baltic Sea region. Just as an example, the Smart Silver Lab in Denmark consists of 14 policymakers (e.g. Aarhus Municipality, Herning Municipality), 23 business representatives (e.g. Danish Care, Danish Healthtech), 10 academia representatives and 9 associations of senior citizens.

Supporting tools introduced

The project equipped the regional labs with the innovation development toolkit, the financing mechanism, and the knowledge diffusion toolkit. These tools will support in developing new products or services, finding financial resources, and thus entering the market. These innovative solutions will enable senior citizens to continue living a comfortable, independent, and active life.

Outputs

Baltic Sea Joint Action Plan for capitalization of silver economy opportunities

The Joint Action Plan comprises measures and projects or policies that will be implemented in the next 5 years after the OSIRIS project ends. The intention with the Plan is to facilitate smart specialisation implementation for exploiting silver economy opportunities in the Baltic Sea region. The Joint Action Plan is a catalogue of ideas and suggestions to the Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3) authorities and to the Smart Silver Labs (SSL).

Silver Financing Program

It is a method for matching the financing needs of smart specialisation projects with investment financial instruments. Public authorities can use this pilot mechanism to organise public-private calls to finance specific innovation projects that are important to the Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3).

Digital Silver Hub virtual collaborative platform

RIS3 authorities are using the platform to generate specific priorities debates and collect proposals regarding policy changes. At the same time, the platform facilitates the joint development of new priorities or funding schemes. In this way, it allows to respond to the needs of regional innovation ecosystems or of Smart Silver Labs and to adapt to economic changes. Besides, businesses and research organisations are among the platform users to generate challenges, requests, or new innovation projects and invite each other to co-create.

Project Stories

Partners

Häme University of Applied Sciences

  • Town
    Hämeenlinna
  • Region
    Kanta-Häme
  • Country
    Finland
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
370,175.00
60.994858424.46654

Riihimäki Business Development Co.

  • Town
    Riihimäki
  • Region
    Kanta-Häme
  • Country
    Finland
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
159,935.00
60.739008924.7728148

Klaipėda State University of Applied Sciences

  • Town
    Klaipėda
  • Region
    Klaipėdos apskritis
  • Country
    Lithuania
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
172,275.00
54.292469222.8131913

JSC Iamus Innovations

  • Town
    Klaipėda
  • Region
    Klaipėdos apskritis
  • Country
    Lithuania
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
137,685.00
54.292469222.8131913

Lithuanian Innovation Centre

  • Town
    Vilnius
  • Region
    Vilniaus apskritis
  • Country
    Lithuania
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
178,337.50
54.687045825.2829111

Riga Technical University

  • Town
    Riga
  • Region
    Rīga
  • Country
    Latvia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
194,024.00
56.949397724.1051846

CONNECT Latvia

  • Town
    Riga
  • Region
    Rīga
  • Country
    Latvia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
153,555.00
56.949397724.1051846

Tallinn University of Technology

  • Town
    Tallinn
  • Region
    Põhja-Eesti
  • Country
    Estonia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
294,737.50
59.437215524.7453688

Center for Assisted Living Technology, Health and Care, Aarhus Municipality

  • Town
    Åbyhøj
  • Region
    Østjylland
  • Country
    Denmark
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
234,455.00
56.155279110.1655661

VIA University College

  • Town
    Aarhus
  • Region
    Østjylland
  • Country
    Denmark
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
210,137.50
56.149627810.2134046

Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technology, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO University)

  • Town
    St.Petersburg
  • Region
    City of St. Petersburg
  • Country
    Russian Federation
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
138,130.00
59.91785735000000630.380619357025516

Open Joint-Stock Company "Technopark of Saint-Petersburg"

  • Town
    St.Petersburg
  • Region
    City of St. Petersburg
  • Country
    Russian Federation
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
138,282.50
59.91785735000000630.380619357025516