On December 9-10, 2024, the Virtual Institute for Good Health and Wellbeing (GLADE) of the EC2U University Alliance brought together European researchers to explore ways to integrate the initiatives of two newly associated living labs, InMOTION and Healthy (home) Office Habits.

This action supports the EC2U Alliance’s goal of developing new approaches in education, research, innovation, and service transfer to the community through the virtual institutes created, such as the one coordinated by UAIC: the Virtual Institute for Health and Wellbeing (GLADE). Within this institute, through the H2020 RI4C2 project – Research and Innovation for Citizens and Cities – and following the model of the InMOTION Living LAB coordinated by the University of Poitiers, France, the GLADE Living Lab: Healthy (home) Office Habits was created during the period 2021-2024 (https://ec2u.eu/ri4c2/) in line with the theme of the virtual institutes (https://ec2u.eu/virtual-institutes-staff/).

A living lab is part of an open innovation ecosystem, in real-life environments, involving participants in shaping, conducting, and validating results. Through the addressed theme, the two living labs aim to bring together universities, civil society representatives, public administration, and the business environment for open innovation, co-creating healthy lifestyles at the workplace – in the office or home – and in the transition to retirement.

The event was organized by UAIC representatives in Work Package 4 of EC2U and was hosted by the House of Academics in Iași. The onsite participants brought their experiences from the RI4C2 project – prof. Ionel Mangalagiu, former WP6 “Local Knowledge Ecosystem” work package leader, prof. Daniela Soitu, former local coordinator for UAIC, 2021-2023, prof. Laurent Bosquet, InMotion Living Lab coordinator – and from EC2U pilot and consolidation projects – dr. Petronela Spiridon-Ursu, as the current local coordinator, prof. Daniela Șoitu as the Work Package 4 leader “Good Health and Wellbeing for All” – and new contributions from the University of Poitiers – prof. Marion Albouy, Mr. François Baty-Sorel, Mrs. Carole Dumond – and from the University of Pavia – researcher Alessandra Vicenti.

The participants agreed on an initial way to integrate the initiatives of the two living labs by outlining a Social Observatory on retirement, named TRAJECTORY, and drafting a proposal for a Marie Sklodowska Curie doctoral network by November 2025. Coordinated by Professor Laurent Bosquet from the University of Poitiers, these initiatives will be joined by the Impacts Lab from the University of Sherbrooke, Moncton Campus, Canada, the Montreal Heart Institute, and the Montreal Geriatric Institutes, Canada.

The major milestones of the TRAJECTORY collaborative project include:

  • Iași, RO (December 2024): Establishing the project’s overall framework.
  • Montreal, CA (February 2025): Deepening the scientific topics.
  • Pavia, IT (April 2025):  Strengthening the research directions.
  • Poitiers, FR (June 2025): Presenting the final synthesis at a conference open to all stakeholders.