The Eurecat technology centre is taking part in the BAGESS (Big Data, Analytics, Management and Strategy in Health and Social Care) Territorial Specialisation and Competitiveness Project which has a twofold purpose. Firstly it seeks to enhance the quality of life and further the social inclusion of people with dependency and chronic illnesses by making them into proactive actors for their health. Then secondly it is designed to drive economic transformation in the county by targeting the digital transition of the public and private health and social care sector by making it more competitive, sustainable and resilient with quality jobs.
The idea is to fashion a vibrant digital health ecosystem in el Bages which will generate a new, more efficient and high-quality health and social care model in the county. This is to be done in partnership with other local organisations through research and rolling out comprehensive and innovative digital solutions. The model will also be exportable to other regions as a shared agenda.
To this end the project addresses seven operations or action strands geared towards building technological tools and new care models which bring benefits to dependent and chronically ill people and their families along with the health and social workers who care for them and the entire ecosystem around them.
Eurecat’s mission is to “deploy and validate an integrated care model and solution drawing on personalised and precision medicine to enhance continuous care and the quality of life of patients, especially elderly people with chronic conditions,” says Felip Miralles, Eurecat’s director of Digital Health. “We’re also developing technology and strategies for healthy habits and personalised nutrition and putting in place technology watch tools for innovation applied to the ecosystem.”
“This project is the outcome of Eurecat’s commitment to Catalonia’s regions, in this case el Bages,” notes Juanjo Martín, Eurecat’s manager in Manresa. “We’ve worked closely with knowledge institutions in Central Catalonia, foundations and Manresa Town Council and are now looking to underpin the county’s smart specialisation in the health and social care domain.”
The technology centre’s Digital Health, Nutrition and Health and Consultancy technology units involved in this project “are working together to bring unique and high-value technology to the venture,” he adds.
Seven organisations heading the PECT Bages
The project is spearheaded by seven partners that will be funded to perform specific actions and four collaborating organisations supporting the initiative. Alongside Eurecat, the partners are Manresa Town Council, which is leading the project, Sant Andreu Salut, Althaia, the University Institute for Primary Healthcare Research Jordi Gol i Gurina, the Bages University Foundation and the AMPANS Foundation. Bages County Council, the Unió Consorci Formació, the Catalan Association of Association-based Entities and the TIC Salut Social Foundation are also involved.
Some of the project’s actions have been underway since 2019 and they should be completed as a whole by the end of 2022.
€2.7 million budget
The PECT BAGESS has a total budget coming to €2,762,752 and a €1,381,376 grant, earning the fifth best score out of 19 approved projects. It has been presented by the Catalan Government at a number of European forums as an example of a shared agenda between tiers of government and local organisations delivering innovative
