D-Care Labs

Developing Labs to Facilitate Home Care Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Danube Region

Goal and task

The Interreg project D-Care Labs was looking for innovative solutions to the societal challenges of increased home care needs for elderly people, children and people with disabilities. The aim of the project was to establish innovation structures and programs within the Danube region in cooperation with social service providers and associations in nine partner countries. With the help of a transnational approach, nine regional innovation laboratories for the development of social entrepreneurial solutions were established and scientifically accompanied in their development.

Approach

D-Care Labs promoted social innovations in the care sector by providing a transnational incubator for the establishment of nine macro-regional innovation labs. In the multi-part workshop series of the Transnational Lab, methods and knowledge for setting up innovation labs were imparted and a network for the joint exchange of experiences was established. The emerging regional innovation labs enabled social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to develop new, region-specific solutions in the field of home care. Key stakeholders, such as national and regional authorities and social investors (e.g. foundations, public and private investors) were addressed and involved via public events.