Technologies in Elderly Care: European Project TechSocialcare Seeks a Common Framework for Their Use

Partners of the European project TechSocialcare met in Cluj, Romania, for the second interregional meeting aimed at shifting cooperation from analytical work toward practical proposals for the broader use of assistive technologies in social services. A key element of the programme was an expert workshop led by representatives of the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of the Czech Technical University in Prague (UCEEB CTU), focusing on the search for a common European framework for the standardisation of these technologies. Discussions addressed, among other topics, technical requirements, data sharing, security, and ethical aspects of the use of technologies in care.
 
The main objective of the meeting, which took place on 17–18 February 2026, was to define concrete proposals on how to better anchor the use of assistive technologies in social services. This task was the focus of an expert workshop led by representatives of UCEEB CTU in cooperation with the advisory partner Atlantic Technological University, which contributes its expertise in this field to the project consortium. The workshop built on analyses of local legislation and policies related to assistive technologies prepared over the past semester by all partner regions. Their aim was to identify which aspects of standardisation should be shared across Europe and which should remain within the competence of individual regions or national governments.
 
The discussions focused on several key areas, including technical requirements for assistive technologies, the integration of health and social services, their mutual compatibility, as well as data sharing, accessibility and ergonomics, public procurement conditions, quality and safety standards, and ethical considerations related to the use of technology in care. This part of the programme represented the main working outcome of the meeting and marks an important step toward creating a shared reference framework for the standardisation of assistive technologies in social services.
 
The meeting also included the exchange of good practices from partner regions. Participants presented concrete examples of solutions that support the independence of older adults, facilitate the work of service providers, or improve care coordination. These examples will be further assessed in terms of transferability, and some of them will subsequently be recommended for publication in the Interreg Europe database of good practices. The programme also included a visit to a local social services facility, allowing participants to observe practical examples of care and rehabilitation in operation. The connection between strategic discussions and the real-world functioning of services is considered one of the important benefits of the project.
 
The TechSocialcare project, supported by the Interreg Europe programme, focuses on improving regional policies in the field of assistive technologies. In the coming months, project partners will further develop the outputs from the workshop and prepare a common framework that will help regions introduce safe, high-quality, and user-friendly technologies into social services.
 
More information: www.interregeurope.eu/techsocialcare