On Monday, October 26, the Scientific Workshop on "The development of Active and Healthy Ageing in the Region of Crete in the light of the care crisis" was successfully held at FORTH. The event was co-organized by the Region of Crete with the Center for eHealth Applications and Services of FORTH-ICS and the Social Administration Research Laboratory of the University of West Attica, in the framework of the Social Inclusion Strategy of the Region of Crete and on the occasion of the UN International Day for Care and Support.
This action is part of the broad cooperation of the Center for eHealth Applications and Services with the Region of Crete through a series of joint actions such as the ΖΩΗ Program, the Reference Center for Active and Healthy Aging and emblematic European projects such as PRECISEU and the Health and Care Partnership, but also in the context of the Center's memorandum of cooperation with the Social Administration Research Laboratory of the University of West Attica, which was signed in May 2026, aiming to leverage the know-how, scientific infrastructure and human resources of the two bodies, in order to develop research and study actions to understand and address complex challenges, such as demographic ageing, universal access to health services, the social care crisis, the social inclusion of vulnerable groups and inclusive regional development.
The Workshop initiated the discussion between Local Government Organizations (Region and Municipalities), social partners, Civil Society organizations and the academic and research community in the critical areas of demographic policy, social protection, health, social care and local development.
The event was honored by the presence of the Deputy Regional Governor – Supervisor of the Health and Mobile Sectors, Mr. Georgios Pitsoulis, the Deputy Regional Governor for Social Policy and Solidarity of the Region of Crete, Mr. Stelios Vorgias, the Deputy Mayor of Social Welfare, Ms. Stella Archontaki-Kalogeraki, and the Deputy Director of FORTH-ICS and Distinguished Member of FORTH, Professor Dimitris Plexousakis, who addressed a greeting at the beginning of the conference. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Antonios Papadakis, General Director of Public Health and Social Welfare, and Maria Loukadaki, Director of Social Welfare of the Region of Crete.
On behalf of the Center for eHealth Applications and Services (CeHA) of the Institute of Computer Science of FORTH, Dimitris Katehakis Head of the Center, stated: "Today's event, with the significant participation and the great interest it gained, highlighted that aging of the population is a complex challenge, with significant dimensions for the health, social care and quality of life of citizens. The common conclusion of all participants was that we need to move from identifying the problems to specific actions and collaborations. In this direction, the Region of Crete can play a decisive coordinating role, utilizing the scientific know-how of FORTH and the University of West Attica."
On behalf of the Research Laboratory of Social Administration of the University of West Attica (UNIWA), Professor Gabriel Amitsis stated: "The fruitful dialogue developed during the Scientific Workshop highlighted the strong socio-political and research advantages of the cooperation between the Region of Crete, FORTH and UNIWA for the development of Active and Healthy Ageing at a regional level. The main axis of the relevant cooperation will be the creation of a resilient ecosystem to improve the quality of life of the elderly of Crete and their families, utilizing the holistic model of active and healthy ageing in accordance with the guiding principles of the UN and the EU. The relevant initiatives are expected to benefit all residents over 60 years of age in the Region of Crete, which amounts to 163,730 people, constituting approximately 26.2% of the total population of the island (624,408 inhabitants)."
On behalf of the Social Policy and Solidarity Sector of the Region of Crete, the Deputy Regional Governor Mr. Vorgias stated that "active and healthy ageing is a key priority of the social policy of the Region of Crete", noting that the goal is a resilient care ecosystem that will utilize science, technology and the cooperation of institutions, "so that every person, regardless of age or place of residence, can age safely and with dignity".
Information: Dimitrios Katehakis Head, Center for eHealth Applications and Services Institute of Computer Science, FORTH ehealth@ics.forth.gr
