The idea of the project is to enhance elderly customers’ lifestyle while helping them to use energy in a cleaner and better way and improve energy saving until autonomy of their residence. This will be done through targeted project activities aimed at improving and sharing knowledge management regarding innovation, markets opportunities and new products of SMEs all along the supply chain of the eco-smart housing for independent living of elderly sector in all the 7 focused MED regional industrial areas. Indeed, thanks to the implementation of 7 regional targeted pilot projects and two Innovation Fairs, the selected local SMEs - actually or potentially belonging to the eco-smart housing for elderly sector - have the chance to gain, improve and share competencies regarding the increase of the value of their own products or the repositioning of new ones on wider target market segments through an energy efficiency and end-user centered approach.

One of the project partners, the Central European Initiative (CEI) is in charge of disseminating the specific knowledge and the experiences gained through the project activities to its Member States. CEI’s aim is threefold: to sensitise broader public in its Member States about the issue of elderly, to influence public policies as to elderly needs and possible solutions, and particularly to provide SMEs with innovative and specific ideas, information and know-how for new potential market niches and related opportunities for growth.

WIDER is co-financed by the EU Programme MED (2007-2013) with an overall budget of around 2,5M Euro.

For more information:radovanovic@cei.int