On May 12–13, 2025, the EVOLVE2CARE project team gathered at Başakşehir Living Lab in Istanbul, Turkey, for two days packed with strategizing the project’s next steps and engagement with stakeholders from the global network of Living Labs specialised in Healthcare!

The first day was dedicated to the project’s internal plenary meeting; not just another coordination meetup, but a valuable opportunity to gather in person, take a step back, and align on how to move forward. The second day took a different shape: EVOLVE2CARE stepped into the spotlight of the “Health & Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2025” as a key contributor and facilitator to the event’s agenda!

Day 1: A strategic in-person meeting with a purpose

Hosting the meeting in Istanbul served to connect the project’s internal momentum with the wider energy of the Living Lab community.

The agenda of the meeting focused on five main priorities:

• Finalising the Open Call process that connects healthcare innovators with Living Labs, along with its promotion strategy
• Confirming the timeline for the upcoming training programmes for both Living Labs and innovators
• Discussing the forthcoming “EVOLVE2CARE Action Plan” deliverable
• Outlining the feedback loop required to address regulatory aspects relevant to HealthTech experimentation
• Preliminary planning for the final project event

Key highlights:

• Presenting the purpose and promotion of the key performance indicator framework, based on barriers and enablers identified in Deliverable 1.1, “Roadmap on Navigating the Complexities of Enabling Innovative Technologies in Transitional Care”
• Demonstrating the AccelUp and SPLORO platforms for application processing for the Open Call and discussing data management procedures
• Sharing a draft version of the six training modules for Living Labs and innovators, including session structure and learning objectives
• Showcasing communication achievements using meaningful KPIs from the website and social media channels
• Highlighting upcoming milestones to support the Open Call and planning participation in targeted events to boost project visibility

Key decisions from the EVOLVE2CARE plenary meeting:

• Final adjustments are being made to the Open Call procedure to ensure that the whole process, as well as the AccelUp and SPLORO platforms, are fully functional and seamless for applicants.
• Agreement to enhance the AccelUp platform with structured fields and profiling techniques to better support the application and matchmaking procedures.
• Core structure and timeline for the six training sessions for Living Labs and parallel programmes for innovators and researchers.
• A new phase of communication efforts will be launched, including updated outreach materials, demo videos for both platforms, a FAQ-based social media series

Day 2: Sharing the EVOLVE2CARE vision within the HealthTech community

The next day, the EVOLVE2CARE team participated in the Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2025, which gathered local and international stakeholders from the HealthTech sector. As part of the Symposium, the project team designed and delivered an interactive workshop titled “Unlocking HealthTech Innovation: Living Labs & Transitional Care with EVOLVE2CARE.” The session was chaired by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), with SPLORO and ViLabs facilitating as moderators, and included an open exchange of information with the audience — primarily Living Labs from across Europe.

The session covered:

• The role of Living Labs in HealthTech Experimentation and Innovation
• The structure and purpose of the EVOLVE2CARE Open Call
• A hands-on demonstration of the AccelUp platform
• An interactive exercise where participants paired up as “innovators” and “living labs” to simulate real-world engagement

It wasn’t just a presentation — it was a conversation. With most attendees representing Living Labs, the session created space for practical dialogue around the Open Call, the project’s vision in the Transitional Care sector, and future collaboration opportunities.

The Health and Wellbeing Living Lab Symposium 2025 was organised with the support of EVOLVE2CARE, reflecting the project’s commitment to advancing collaboration and knowledge exchange in the HealthTech field. The AUTH coordination team also participated in the event’s Best Papers Award Committees, contributing to the evaluation and recognition of innovative work presented during the Symposium.

EVOLVE2CARE left Istanbul with renewed momentum, stronger partnerships, and a shared sense of purpose for the next phase of the project!