SAge-Hub Presented at the 2nd Panhellenic Congress of Geriatrics in Thessaloniki

SAge-Hub was presented at the 2nd Panhellenic Congress of Geriatrics, which took place from 4 to 6 June 2026 at the Centre for Dissemination of Research Results, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The project was introduced to the congress audience by Fotis Tekos, SAge-Hub Regional Innovation Ambassador, CEO of FoodOxys, and applicant to the SAge-Hub SME Call. His participation created an important opportunity to bring SAge-Hub closer to professionals, researchers, healthcare actors and innovation stakeholders working in the field of healthy and active ageing.

The congress, entitled “Healthy Ageing and Longevity: Falls and Ethical Dilemmas in Modern Geriatrics”, focused on key challenges in the care and wellbeing of older adults. Its topics included falls prevention, longevity, digital technologies in dementia care, artificial intelligence, empathy in geriatric practice, ethical issues, and multidisciplinary approaches to older-person care. These themes are closely connected to the mission of SAge-Hub, which aims to strengthen Europe’s capacity to respond to demographic change through Smart Ageing innovation.

During the presentation, Mr Tekos introduced SAge-Hub as a European interregional cooperation project dedicated to developing, testing and scaling Smart Ageing solutions. The project brings together SMEs, start-ups, public authorities, policymakers, research institutions, universities, Digital Innovation Hubs, Living Labs, civil society, care actors and community stakeholders.

A key message of the presentation was that SAge-Hub does not only promote innovation in theory. It offers SMEs a practical pathway to validate their solutions in real-life environments, receive capacity-building support, connect with regional ecosystems and prepare for interregional scale-up.

The contribution of Fotis Tekos also highlighted the important role of the Regional Innovation Ambassadors in the project. Ambassadors act as connectors between the project and regional ecosystems, helping to raise awareness, engage relevant stakeholders, support SME participation and promote the uptake of Smart Ageing solutions that respond to real needs.

SAge-Hub will continue to build bridges between innovation actors, healthcare and care ecosystems, SMEs, researchers, public authorities and citizens, supporting the development of practical solutions for healthy and active ageing across Europe.

Interested SMEs and stakeholders are encouraged to follow SAge-Hub updates and explore the opportunities offered through the project’s SME Call, Living Labs and Ambassador Network.