News – Evolve2Care

One-year EVOLVE2CARE project: Highlights from the 3rd Virtual Plenary Meeting

On November 4–5, 2025, the EVOLVE2CARE consortium gathered online for its 3rd Plenary Meeting, marking a key milestone: the conclusion of the project’s first year and the transition into its second and final phase.

This two-day online meeting served as a moment of reflection and strategic alignment. Partners reviewed progress across all areas of the project, celebrated achievements, and laid the groundwork for the next steps — with a clear shift in focus from building foundations to generating impact.

Highlights from the 1st year – Building strong foundations

Over the past year, EVOLVE2CARE has made significant strides in supporting innovation in Transitional Care:

Overall, the project has already achieved 9 out of 19 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) — a strong signal of momentum and engagement. Work is actively underway to reach the remaining targets.
The Open Call for HealthTech innovators and Living Labs to collaborate and test digital solutions for Transitional Care scenarios attracted strong interest from EU’s ecosystems.
Two full training programs were delivered, featuring 12 webinars designed to empower both Living Labs and HealthTech innovators and researchers. These sessions helped build capacity, foster collaboration, and share practical knowledge across Europe.
The Accelup platform has continued to play a central role in the project as the matchmaking space between innovators and Living Labs. During the plenary meeting, partners shared feedback and discussed improvements to enhance its usability and ensure it remains a practical and intuitive place for collaboration.

Looking ahead – From results to impact

As EVOLVE2CARE enters its second year, the focus shifts toward disseminating outcomes, engaging with EU-level events, and contributing to policy dialogues. In fact, the project΄ key aims will revolve around:

Disseminating the results of the Open Call, with dedicated communication efforts to highlight the selected mini-projects and their expected impact; and
Organizing knowledge-sharing workshops to exchange best practices and insights with stakeholders.

Throughout the meeting, partners emphasized the importance of collaboration — not only within the consortium but also with external stakeholders, regulators, and decision-makers. The project’s second year will focus on turning lessons learned into actionable strategies, supporting the scalability and sustainability of innovations in Transitional Care. EVOLVE2CARE continues to connect people, platforms, and ideas — building a future where health innovation is inclusive, evidence-based, and ready to scale.

EVOLVE2CARE at the 8th Health IT Conference 2025

On October 30–31, 2025, EVOLVE2CARE proudly participated in the 8th Health IT Conference, held at the OTE Academy Amphitheater in Athens, Greece. This year’s conference, titled “Designing the Digital Healthcare Ecosystem in the Age of AI”, brought together industry leaders, innovators, Greek national authorities, and research communities to explore how artificial intelligence, data, and modern technologies can transform healthcare and strengthen the National Health System.

EVOLVE2CARE was represented by Despoina Petsani, Project Mission Coordinator, who joined the panel discussion “Innovative Digital Solutions and Modern Health Support Tools” alongside three synergy projects: COMFORTage, IRHIS, and SEARCH. In her presentation, “EVOLVE2CARE: Leveraging the Power of Living Labs for Innovation in Transitional Health Care”, Despoina Petsani highlighted how Living Labs act as enablers of real-world experimentation and multi-stakeholder collaboration, accelerating innovation in Transitional Care.

The conference served as a dynamic platform for open dialogue and collaboration, reinforcing EVOLVE2CARE’s commitment to building a sustainable and innovative future for digital health in Europe.

By presenting its approach, EVOLVE2CARE demonstrated the value of Living Labs as catalysts for innovation in Transitional Care, bridging the gap between technology and patient needs.

AUTH Conference HealthTech news & events

EVOLVE2CARE at Deep Tech CEE Summit 2025

From October 27–29, 2025, the Deep Tech CEE Summit 2025 transformed Warsaw into a vibrant hub of innovation, bringing together over 600 participants from 25+ countries. Founders, startups, investors, and ecosystem leaders gathered to explore the future of Deep Tech across Central and Eastern Europe, showcasing groundbreaking technologies and fostering cross-border collaboration to accelerate innovation.

EVOLVE2CARE was represented by Sploro, with Malgorzata Olszewska onsite actively engaging with innovators and stakeholders. Throughout the Summit, Malgorzata Olszewska introduced the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call, a unique opportunity for HealthTech innovators to collaborate with certified Living Labs and accelerate their digital solutions for Transitional Care scenarios through real-world testing and validation.

With the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call closing on November 6, 2025, the event was a timely occasion to raise awareness among potential applicants from the HealthTech sector. By participating, EVOLVE2CARE strengthened its mission to foster inclusive, human-centric healthcare innovation and connect HealthTech startups with a dynamic European Living Lab network.

Deep Tech CEE news & events SPLORO summit

Two training programs, one goal — Your feedback matters

Over the past months, EVOLVE2CARE has successfully wrapped up two insightful six-part training programs — one for HealthTech Innovators & Researchers, led by Anthology Ventures, and one for Living Labs, guided by ENoLL.

Across twelve sessions, we saw great participation, masterful speakers, and lively discussions that turned every meeting into a space for shared learning and collaboration. Together, we explored how innovation can move more quickly from the Living Labs to the market and how Living Labs can play a stronger role in supporting that journey.

Now, it’s your turn to assess the experience.

We invite all participants to share their feedback through our short questionnaires. Your insights will help us refine and improve future initiatives.

If you attended at least four out of six sessions, keep an eye on your inbox: your Certificate of Participation is coming soon!

The EVOLVE2CARE Open Call is still open! Take the next step and put what you have learned into practice; innovators and Living Labs are supported to collaborate and test a HealthTech solution in real-world conditions. Apply now: https://evolve2care.eu/open-call/

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EVOLVE2CARE Open Call deadline extended to 6 November 2025

In response to the strong interest generated by the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call for HealthTech Innovators and Living Labs, the project is pleased to announce an extension of the submission deadline to 6 November 2025 (17:00 Brussels Time).

The extension offers additional time for HealthTech stakeholders, researchers, SMEs, and innovators to prepare and submit their proposals. It’s a unique opportunity to collaborate with Health and Wellbeing Living Labs across Europe and accelerate innovation in the Transitional Care sector.

Through the Open Call, (up to) ten selected innovators will receive Living Lab services valued at up to €5,000, including co-creation, user engagement, product validation, and access to data and infrastructure. This support will enable innovators to test and refine their solutions in real-world environments before market launch.

The EVOLVE2CARE project team encourages all interested parties to take advantage of this extended timeline and submit their proposals by the new deadline of 6 November 2025.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://evolve2care.eu/open-call
For questions, contact us at: helpdesk@evolve2care.eu

deadline extentsion Open Call

EVOLVE2CARE at Open Living Lab Days 2025

EVOLVE2CARE proudly participated in Open Living Lab Days 2025, the flagship annual event of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), held in Andorra la Vella from September 30 to October 3, 2025. This year’s edition embraced a unique concept—transforming an entire country into a Living Lab—making Andorra a dynamic testing ground for innovation.

Under the theme “Living Labs for Regenerative Futures: Connecting Local and Global Innovation Ecosystems,” the event brought together Living Lab professionals, public officials, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, and innovators from around the world. Discussions focused on how Living Labs can go beyond sustainability to regenerate ecological, social, and economic systems actively.

EVOLVE2CARE had a strong and impactful presence, represented by key members from ENoLL and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH):

Marta I. De Los Rios White and Francesca Sperandio (ENoLL), who contributed to the organization and networking activities.
Evdokimos Konstantinidis, Project Coordinator of EVOLVE2CARE and Vice Chair of ENoLL (AUTH), presented the research paper “Optimizing Data Collection Planning for Living Labs’ Access and Effectiveness”.
Despoina Petsani, Project Mission Coordinator (AUTH) of EVOLVE2CARE, who presented the paper “Defining the Role of Living Labs to Clinical Research: Initial Findings for Framework Development.”
EVOLVE2CARE members supported the session “Bridging the Gap Between Living Labs and Companies: Towards a Stronger Collaboration Relationship.”

In addition, EVOLVE2CARE was featured at the ENoLL Valorisation Booth, showcasing its mission to accelerate HealthTech innovation through experimentation and collaboration between Living Labs and innovators. Our active participation reflects EVOLVE2CARE’s commitment to fostering collaboration between Living Labs and health innovation ecosystems, paving the way for solutions that regenerate and thrive.

Andorra event Living Labs OLLDs

EVOLVE2CARE at InnoHealth Forum 2025

On September 26–27, 2025, EVOLVE2CARE proudly participated in the InnoHealth Forum 2025, a dynamic two-day hybrid event held at JOIST Innovation Park in Larissa, Greece, and online. The forum brought together HealthTech innovators, startups, researchers, and policymakers to explore the future of health innovation in Europe.

EVOLVE2CARE was represented by AUTH and ViLabs, with active participation from Dr. Evdokimos Konstantinidis, Project Coordinator (AUTH Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Lab), Konstantina Tsimpita, and Anastasia Valtopoulou, both Research Associates at Medical Physics & Digital Innovation Lab, and Valia Giannakoudi, Junior Communications Manager at ViLabs.

Throughout the event, the EVOLVE2CARE team engaged directly with stakeholders in the matchmaking room, spreading the word about the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call and its unique opportunities for HealthTech innovators. Visitors to the EVOLVE2CARE stand learned how the project connects startups, SMEs, and research teams with Living Labs across Europe to co-create and test solutions in real-world environments.

A highlight of the forum was the panel discussion “Data-Driven Health | AI, Big Data & Decision Support”, held on Saturday, September 27, where Dr. Evdokimos Konstantinidis shared insights on how data and AI are transforming healthcare decision-making. His talk emphasized the importance of open, co-creative ecosystems in enabling impactful innovation in Transitional Care.

EVOLVE2CARE also shared the spotlight with its sister project, RAISE Science, highlighting their joint commitment to advancing inclusive, data-driven innovation in the HealthTech ecosystem.

event forum Greece InnoHealth Larissa

EVOLVE2CARE at TOGETHER4HEALTH 2025 in Denmark

From 16–18 September 2025, EVOLVE2CARE was proudly represented at TOGETHER4HEALTH 2025, a high-impact European event held in Denmark, dedicated to transforming and integrating healthcare systems across sectors. Hosted by the North Denmark Region in partnership with Aalborg University Hospital, the conference brought together health innovation stakeholders from across Europe and beyond to exchange knowledge, foster dialogue, and co-create solutions for a more connected and patient-centric healthcare future.

Adriane Thrash from Anthology Ventures (AV) participated actively in the event, engaging with healthcare professionals, policymakers, innovators, and researchers. Through targeted discussions and networking, she promoted the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call, emphasizing the project’s mission to accelerate HealthTech innovation by connecting startups and researchers with Living Labs across Europe.

Throughout the conference, several key themes emerged:

Northern Denmark region is investing heavily in digital healthcare, using a quadruple-helix model to build leadership in bio and life sciences.
Scandinavian citizens maintain high trust in their healthcare systems, but more must be done to remote communities across Europe.
Patient involvement in designing healthcare services is still limited and needs to be prioritized.
Imbalances in national health systems continue to hinder innovation from scaling across the EU.
Regulatory frameworks like EHDS and AI Act are complex and challenging for innovators; clearer pathways and accessible tools are needed.
Digital technologies such as robot caregivers are ready, but societal readiness lags behind—Asia is already ahead in integration.
Greater reliance on digital solutions risks alienating at-risk populations. Human-in-the-Loop (HitL) care models are multi-dimensional and offer benefits that go beyond what technology can easily measure. For example, group-living environments that encourage social interaction can lead to outcomes—like preventing dehydration—that surpass the effectiveness of digital tools such as “remember to drink your water” apps.

EVOLVE2CARE’s participation in TOGETHER4HEALTH 2025 reinforced the project’s commitment to building bridges between sectors and countries, and to shaping the future of healthcare through collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity.

Anthology Ventures Conference Denmark participation

Measuring impact & Evaluating success: A recap of the final training session for Living Labs

The sixth and final webinar of the EVOLVE2CARE Training Series for Living Labs took place on 19 September 2025, with a focus on measuring impact and scaling pilots. This session, titled “Measuring Impact & Evaluating Success”, was led by Prof. Dr. Dimitri Schuurman, Senior Research Strategist at the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).

Key takeaways from the session

Understanding Living Lab characteristics

Prof. Schuurman emphasized the core elements that define a Living Lab, which include:

Multi-stakeholder: Living Labs engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including researchers, businesses, governments, and end-users. This broad collaboration ensures that innovation is inclusive and relevant to all parties involved.
Active user involvement: Ensuring the continuous feedback of users throughout the innovation process, from idea generation to final implementation.
Orchestration: Orchestration refers to the strategic coordination of all actors in the Living Lab. By aligning the interests and expertise of different stakeholders, Living Labs facilitate effective collaboration and drive the innovation process forward.
Co-Creation: Involving all relevant stakeholders in the design and development processes.
Real-Life Setting: Unlike traditional laboratories, Living Labs test solutions in real environments, which increases the relevance and applicability of the results.
Multi-Method Approach: Each Living Lab adapts its methods based on the problem and stakeholders involved, blending exploratory and confirmatory approaches.

Impact Models and Measuring Outcomes

One of the central frameworks discussed during the session was the Impact Model. This model is essential for understanding how to track the effectiveness of Living Labs over time. It incorporates the Theory of Change, which categorizes results into:

Input: Resources and efforts that go into the project.
Process: The activities and interactions that drive the project forward.
Output (Short-Term): Direct deliverables and tangible results produced immediately after implementation.
Outcome (Medium-Term): The effects of those outputs on the targeted stakeholders or systems.
Impact (Long-Term): The ultimate, lasting change or influence of the project, contributing to broader societal goals.

This model helps Living Labs track not just the immediate outputs, but also the long-term impacts, offering a roadmap for continuous improvement.

Living Lab Assessment Method

To effectively evaluate the impact of Living Lab projects, the Living Lab Assessment Method was introduced. It is designed to measure the effectiveness across six key areas:

Skill Capacity Enhancement
Instrumental Capacity Enhancement
Network Capacity Enhancement
Knowledge Capacity Enhancement
Agenda Setting
Real Solution Generation

These indicators are critical for understanding how well a Living Lab is contributing to innovation and systemic change in its targeted sector.
A heartfelt thank you to all participants who joined us for the six-part EVOLVE2CARE Training Program for Living Labs led by ENoLL from June to September 2025. Your engagement and contributions made this series a great success. In the coming weeks, all the session recordings will be made available at the ENoLL Living Labbers Academy, so you can revisit the valuable insights shared throughout the program. We look forward to continuing the journey of innovation with you!

evaluation impact Living Labs session training webinar

Measuring impact & scaling pilots — Highlights from the last session for Innovators & Researchers

The final session of the EVOLVE2CARE Training Series for HealthTech Innovators and Researchers was held on 19 September 2025, bringing the six-part journey to a close with a focus on how to measure meaningful outcomes and scale innovation with purpose. The session, titled “Measuring Impact & Scaling Pilots — Driving Evidence-Based Growth in Living Labs,” was led by Despoina Petsani, Project Manager at ThessAHALL – Thessaloniki Action for HeAlth & Wellbeing Living Lab.

Drawing from practical experience and Living Lab methodology, the session guided participants through the mindset and tools needed to move from small-scale pilot projects to real, system-level change.

From activities to outcomes

Despoina Petsani opened with a key challenge in innovation evaluation: many projects focus on reporting what they did (outputs), rather than what they achieved (outcomes). For example, counting users reached is not the same as understanding whether user behavior or well-being improved. To build real impact, innovators must start with clear goals and plan for measurable change from the beginning.

Planning for impact from day one

Participants were encouraged to define 2–3 priority outcomes before launching a pilot. These should be tied to the needs of users and stakeholders. The use of SMART indicators—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—was recommended to track progress clearly and objectively.

How to evaluate a pilot

Effective evaluation goes beyond proving that something worked. It explores how, why, and for whom it worked. Despoina presented a step-by-step evaluation framework that includes:

Defining pilot objectives (What are you trying to learn or prove?)
Set evaluation questions (e.g., Does this tool improve patient engagement in rural clinics?
Set evaluation questions (Who are your users? Where and how long will the pilot run?)
Set evaluation questions (Understand the “before” to measure the “after”)
Ethics and Privacy (Data protection, informed consent – especially in health and education sectors)

A mixed-methods approach was strongly recommended, blending quantitative and qualitative tools to provide both scale and depth.

Scaling pilots responsibly

Scaling isn’t simply about growing bigger—it’s about expanding what works, in ways that fit new contexts. Before scaling, a solution should show strong user feedback, positive outcomes, operational readiness, and a clear value proposition.

Three paths to scale were introduced:

Replication – Apply the same model in a similar setting – High control, but limited adaptability
Adaptation – Tailor to different user needs/settings – Maintain core principles, flex where needed
Dissemination – Spread knowledge, frameworks, and tools – Enable others to replicate/adapt independently
The instructor also emphasized the importance of partnerships, technology infrastructure, business model and policy and systems alignment.

Final reflections

The session closed with a strong message: evidence is essential for impact. It builds trust, informs decisions, and enables scale. Living Labs and innovators must embed evaluation early and treat it not just as a reporting tool, but as a driver of learning and growth.

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