On 24, 25 and 26 March, Suara Cooperativa hosted an institutional visit in Barcelona from Bryson Charitable Group, Ulster University and Eurecat to advance the development of European social and digital innovation projects.
This international meeting is part of the effort to build European alliances in the fields of home care, ageing, and technology applied to wellbeing, positioning Suara Cooperativa, and especially the Social Digital Lab, as a benchmark in social innovation in Catalonia and Europe.
Social innovation and technology applied to care services
The first day focused on presenting the innovation model of Suara Cooperativa’s Social Digital Lab, featuring projects aimed at improving people’s quality of life through technology, such as robotics, immersive reality, and digital care solutions.
Initiatives such as Cohabitem, Llars Connectades, Benestarum and VinclesBCN were also presented as examples of digital transformation in social services that promote autonomy and social connection.
European hackathon to define new innovation projects
The second day featured a collaborative European hackathon with the participation of all partner organisations, aimed at designing a new European project with social impact.
Teams worked on identifying shared challenges between Catalonia, Ireland and England, analysing needs, opportunities, and potential European funding pathways.
One of the most notable moments was the cross-pollination dynamic, which enabled knowledge sharing between teams and ensured strategic alignment from the very beginning of the project.
The day concluded with a pitch session simulating a European evaluation process, where proposals were validated and risks and opportunities were identified.
Knowledge transfer and real impact on social services
The third day included visits to key Suara services, such as the Telecare Service, the Home Care Service (SAD), and the VinclesBCN platform, strengthening the link between research, innovation, and real-world application in social services.
This exchange helped consolidate synergies and highlighted the importance of international collaboration to scale innovative solutions with social impact.
Suara Cooperativa, a key player in European social innovation projects
With this initiative, Suara reaffirms its commitment to European projects, demonstrating that effective innovation is not only based on technology, but also on co-creation, knowledge transfer, and networking at a European scale. Along this path, the Social Digital Lab is consolidating its role as a strategic space to foster international partnerships, experiment with new solutions, and transform social services through innovation.
