Health Industry and Silver Economy

We aim to create a strong social and territorial impact in order to increase the quality of human capital. 

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Spoke 5: Health Industry and Silver Economy

The project deals with the Health Industry and Silver Economy, inspired by the ecological transition model and digital transition processes. 

It is coordinated by the University of Eastern Piedmont (UPO) in its three campus cities: Alessandria, Novara and Vercelli. 

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News

Notizie
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VR-WISE: la campagna sperimentale ha inizio!
L'approvazione da parte del Comitato Etico segna l'avvio ufficiale della fase sperimentale del progetto.    L'invecchiamento sano rappresenta una sfida cruciale per la società moderna, con una crescita dei costi pubblici stimata fino al 28,3% del PIL italiano entro il 2040. Il progressivo declino delle capacità motorie e cognitive nella popolazione anziana richiede strategie innovative; tra queste, la realtà virtuale (VR) si sta affermando come strumento promettente grazie alla sua capacità di creare ambienti immersivi, migliorando coinvolgimento, memoria, attenzione e problem-solving, oltre ad offrire anche benefici psicosociali, riducendo isolamento e depressione.    In questo contesto, il progetto ''VR-AGEWISE'' mira ad esplorare l'uso di dispositivi di visualizzazione avanzata per valutare l'efficacia dell'utilizzo della VR su soggetti anziani. Gli obiettivi principali sono: misurare l'impatto su funzioni cognitive e motorie, analizzare usabilità e accettabilità della tecnologia, confrontare giovani e anziani sui benefici cognitivi e fisici e studiare longitudinalmente l'effetto sull'andamento del declino cognitivo.    La recente approvazione ottenuta dal Comitato Etico segna l'avvio ufficiale della fase sperimentale del progetto. Questa campagna si baserà sull'impiego delle tecnologie digitali identificate e sviluppate nei primi due anni di lavoro, con l'obiettivo di testarne l'efficacia in modo sistematico. In particolare, l'attenzione sarà rivolta alla realtà virtuale (VR), valutandone i benefici attraverso un confronto diretto tra differenti coorti di partecipanti, giovani e anziani. Verranno analizzati diversi parametri cognitivi e motori per comprendere meglio come l'età influenzi la risposta alla tecnologia.  Oltre a misurare gli effetti delle attività in VR, lo studio si propone di raccogliere feedback qualitativi e quantitativi dei partecipanti, informazioni fondamentali per perfezionare e ottimizzare l'usabilità delle soluzioni proposte. L'obiettivo finale è massimizzare l'impatto positivo delle tecnologie digitali sulla qualità della vita, promuovendo un loro impiego diffuso e consapevole all'interno della società contemporanea.      

Notizie
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Imprese e Innovazione: I PoC Industrali protagonisti del Roadshow di Primavera dello Spoke 5
Una tappa significativa e densa di idee, ispirazione e concretezza ha animato il Rettorato dell’Università del Piemonte Orientale il 14 aprile, in occasione dell’evento “Impresa e Innovazione: la Primavera della Salute e della Silver Economy”, organizzato dallo Spoke 5 del progetto NODES nell’ambito del Roadshow dedicato alle imprese finanziate dai bandi a cascata.   L'iniziativa, finanziata dal MUR attraverso il PNRR e i fondi NextGenerationEU, ha acceso i riflettori sulle soluzioni innovative e sviluppate da imprese e ricercatori per affrontare le sfide della sanità moderna con un focus su digitalizzazione, intelligenza artificiale, tecnologie biomedicali e medicina personalizzata.    Dopo i saluti istituzionali del Magnifico Rettore Prof. Menico Rizzi e del Prof. Marco Invernizzi, Project Manager dello Spoke 5, il pubblico ha potuto conoscere i primi risultati dei flagship projects INNDIANA e TINCARE, rispettivamente illustrati dalle ricercatrici dott.ssa Elena Canciani e dott.ssa Ines Basso e una panoramica sui bandi a cascata, strumenti fondamentali per il sostegno all’innovazione nelle imprese presentata dalla dott.ssa Chiara Caucino, Junior Innovation Manager & Business Development del BioIndustryPark.   Grande attenzione è stata riservata ai progetti finanziati dai bandi a cascata: in pitch di 4 minuti ciascuno, le imprese hanno presentato con entusiasmo i loro risultati e prototipi, spaziando dalla robotica assistiva alla telemedicina, dalla nutraceutica per la longevità fino alle nanotecnologie applicate all'oncologia.    L'evento ha confermato la forza dell'ecosistema NODES nel creare sinergie tra mondo accademico, impresa e territorio, e nel sostenere lo sviluppo di tecnologie al servizio della persona, della prevenzione e della qualità della vita.    Continuate a seguire il progetto NODES e lo Spoke 5 per scoprire le prossime novità sul fronte della salute e dell'innovazione.   

News
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The MOVEWISE study has received ethical committee approval at all five sites
The Ethics Committees of Ospedale Maggiore della Carità in Novara (coordinating center), Auxologico in Piancavallo (VB), Ospedale Molinette in Torino, Ospedale San Luigi Gonzaga di Orbassano (TO) and Politecnico di Torino have given a favourable opinion on the conduct of the MOVEWISE study in each centre.   The Ethics Committes are independent bodeis that guarantee the protection of the rights, safety and well-being of people involved in scientific research. In italy, any study involving human participants must be evaluated to ensure compliance with fundamental principles, such as those established by the Declaration of Helsinki and the Oviedo Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine. This process guarantees that research is conducted ethically, transparently and safely for all participants. The Territorial Ethics Committees of the five centers involved in the MOVEWISE project have approved the study protocol aimed at developing a wearable system to monitor mobility parameters most closely associated with fall risk in everyday life. The study includes the recording of signals from wearable sensors in cohorts of sixty patients affected by multiple sclerosis (Ospedale Maggiore della Carità and San Luigi Gonzaga), Parkinson’s disease (Auxologico di Piancavallo), and vestibular disorders (Ospedale Molinette), as well as twenty healthy controls (Politecnico di Torino).    

News
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4th Stakeholder Committee - Spoke 5
On March 28th, 2025, the Stakeholder Committee of Spoke 5 met virtually to take stock of the progress of the spoke. Here the main points discussed:    Spoke 5 and the objectives of the Stakeholder Committee:  The project manager of Spoke 5, prof. Marco Invernizzi, introduced the NODES project, highlighting the key role of the Stakeholder Committee in defining the objectives and goals of the project, as well as supporting strategic decisions and scientific collaborations.    Flagship Projects: The progress of the flagship projects INNDIANA and TINCARE were presented, in line with the project's timeline and with significant results in terms of scientific publications, studies approved by the Ethics Committee and patent development.   Proof of Concept:  Particular attention was given to the PoCs, both academic and industrial. The high demand for funding exceeded available resources, confirming the strong interest in the themes of Spoke 5. The vast majority of the projects are still ongoing, also in base of the extension requests that were received and approved by the Evaluation Committee. All the projects (both Academic and Inudstrial PoC) financed in the first and second cut-off have successfully passed the mid-term review, both from an administrative, accounting and scientific perspective.    Roadmap: Dr. Anrò of the bioPmed innovation cluster showed the update of the Roadmap, in line with NODES timeline. After an initial draft developed in M3, based on the Intelligent Specialization Strategy (S3) of the Piedmont Region, a final version was launched in  M18 thorugh an online survey aimed addressed to companies.  Now, in M30, the Roadmap is being updated based on the results obtained from the flagship projects and both academic and industrial PoCs, with the aim of integrating new evidence and guiding the next strategic actions.    Events 2025:  In 2025, several events are planned to promote the results of the NODES project:  April: business event for the presentation of projects and first results. (14 aprile 2025 - Vercelli) May: meeting on Academic PoC, with the aim of attracting potential investors. September: participation in the European Researchers' Night. End of the year: HUB NODES concluding events, focusing on the project’s closure and future perspectives.     The concluding discussion highlighted the participants' support for Spoke 5 acivities, confirming their continued interest in NODES initiatives and their future prospects. 

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5. Industria della salute e silver economy
Quando l'innovazione porta in Silicon Valley
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Bioindustry Park / bioPmed
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5. Industry for health and Silver Economy
Omics & Artificial Intelligence in Brain Disease
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University of Turin - Prof. Marinella Clerico, Dr. Simona Rolla
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5. Industria della salute e silver economy
Dispositivi medici: Normative e Requisiti Regolatori
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Eventi

Meeting
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Spring Roadshow: Enterprise and Innovation - The spring of Health and Silver Economy
An opportunity to discover the Industrial PoCs of Spoke 5.   Innovation in the health sector and silver economy is the heart of the Spring Roadshow of Spoke 5, a significant event that will take place on 14th April, 2025, in Vercelli, at the Rector's Palace. This initiative represents an opportunity to explore the concrete results of projects funded through the cascade fundings calls of the NODES project, which promotes innovative solutions to improve the quality of life and support the development of new technologies in the healthcare field.   The event aims to highlight best practices and industrial applications of Proof of Concept (PoC) made by selected companies, offering an opportunity for networking and discussion between companies, researchers and sector stakeholders.    Event schedule: The day will begin with a moment of welcome and networking, followed by institutional greetings and the presentation of the first results of the flagship INNDIANA and TINCARE.   Then, the context of cascading call will be introduced, highlighting the opportunities available to enterprises.  The heart of the event will be dedicated to the pitches of funded companies, with in 4 minutes will present the results achieved so far in the health and silver economy. The meeting will conclude with a discussion session among the participants, encouraging the exchange of ideas and new collaborations.    Details of the event: Date: April 14th, 2025  Ora: 9.30 am - 12.00 pm Place: Rector's Palace, Conference Room (Via del Duomo, 6, Vercelli)

Meeting
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Showcase of NODES' projects: Pitch & Poster sessions
On September 17th, 2024, at the Bioindustry Palr Silvano Fumero SpA, will be held an unmissable event dedicated to the beneficiaries of the cascading calls of the NODES project. Organized in collaboration with BioPmed, partner of Spoke 5, the event will focus on industrial and academic Proof of Concept (PoC).    Event agend:  Pitch Session on Industrial Proof of Concept (PoC): During this session, participants will have the opportunity to present their projects, highlighting the innovation and technological development achieved with the support of NODES.  Poster Session on Academic Proof of Concept (PoC): A poster exhibition will be dedicated to academic PoCs, providing a valuable space to explore the innovations arising from collaborations between universities, research centers, and other academic institutions.  Goal of the event: This meeting represents a unique opportunity to: Promote Innovation: provide visibility to NODES projects, stimulating interest and the adoption of emerging technologies in the sector. Facilitating Collaborations: create an environment conducive to meetings among participants, fostering the exchange of ideas and the creation of strategic partnerships with industry companies.  Expand the Network: actively engage key stakeholders such as companies, hospitals, ASL, universities and research centers, to promote synergies and shared growth opportunities. Details of the event: Date: September 17th, 2024  Time: From 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm Location: Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero SpA

Conferences
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DIALOGHI di SM
The researchers of Spoke 5 are organizing an ''open doors'' day on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at Serming Arsenale della Pace, located at Piazza Borgo Dora 61, Turin. The event aims to delve into the various aspects involved in the management of Multiple Sclerosis through experts, stories and multisciplinary approaches.  Participation is free until seats are filled. The event will also be available via live streaming (by scanning the QR code on the poster).  The initiatives is part of Spoke5's focus on developing innovative and digital strategies for the care of vulnerable individuals and for industry/university collaboration.  Aimed at all citizens, patients and experts in the field, the event, sponsored by Biogen, will offer an opportunity to present also the Cleo App and the ''Io non Sclero'' project, which will be the setting for a series of multidisciplinary interventions, to deepen the many aspects that determine the quality of life of those who face every day Multiple Sclerosis.   Starting from the immunological aspects that are the basis of the disease, different issues will be addressed: from the importance of nutrition and physical activity exercise, game competition, show cooking and moments during which participants will have the opportunity to meet experts and share their own life experiences with MS. 

Workshop
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INNDIANA presents ''UPO ANATOMY TALENTS''
On May 24, 2024, in Novara at the SIMNOVA center located in Via Bernardino Lanino 1, students from the first and second years of the Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery will have the opportunity to participate in an event titled ''UPO ANATOMY TALENTS''.   The talent, organized as part of the flagship porject INNDIANA coordinated by Professor Francesca Boccafoschi, aims to be a fundamental moment in learning anatomical knowledge.    Through high quality simulations, questionnaires and dissections of anatomical specimens, students will explore the musculoskeletal system, the cardiovascular system and splancnology, consolidating knowledge of micro and macro-anatomy.   The SIMNOVA center will become the stage for advanced simulations, offering to the students a preview of real practice. The design od practical and educational simulations will allow them to apply theoretical knowledge in realistic scenarios. One of the key aspects will be Team Work, with students divided into teams engaged in simulation stations of increasing complexity, promoting collaboration and individual growth.  The distinctive feature of the event is the inter-university collaboration, with the participation of students from different Italian universities, offering an opportunity for sharing experiences and multidisciplinary understanding.  This deep immersion in the detailed study of the human body will allow to the students to integrate theory and practice in a controlled and educational environment, allowing medical students to approach subjects in subsequent years with greater awareness.    The flagship INNDIANA is strongly committed to research projects in the field of biomedical sciences with particular attention to regenerative medicine, where knowledge of human anatomy establishes an indispensable link.