SHAFE Interview Series
The SHAFE Foundation works to build Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments, societies where people of all ages can live well, prosper, and be supported by communities, technology and spaces that truly meet their needs. Our aim is to bring together knowledge, innovation and experience from different sectors, connecting individuals and organisations who share the same vision: a future that is inclusive, caring and sustainable.
As part of this mission, we are proud to launch a series of one-to-one interviews, led by SHAFE Ambassadors, who selected people they believe is genuinely worth learning from: someone whose story, expertise or leadership can stimulate new thinking and inspire others. These interviews are not just conversations, but opportunities to reflect on how different fields can work together to improve people’s lives.
The discussions focus on three interconnected areas at the heart of SHAFE: IT and digital solutions, the built environment, and community and care.
Each is essential on its own, but together they form a powerful ecosystem for change.
1. Digital Pathways – IT for Inclusion and Wellbeing
Digital innovation is transforming the way we live, communicate and look after our health. Yet, technology alone is not enough; it must be designed and applied in ways that are accessible, trustworthy and meaningful for people of all ages.
In this cluster, we want to uncover examples of how digital tools can reduce inequalities, improve access to services and connect people who might otherwise be isolated. Topics may include Artificial Intelligence, telemedicine, eHealth platforms, smart home systems, assistive technologies, and digital literacy programmes. We are also interested in exploring the ethical side of innovation: how can privacy, safety and fairness be ensured? How can older adults or vulnerable groups be included in design and testing?
By sharing experiences and lessons, the interviews will highlight how IT can become a true enabler of wellbeing rather than a barrier.
2. Dwelling in Time: Living Structure, Living Soul
The environments where we live, work, learn and play shape our health and happiness in profound ways. Streets, buildings, parks, transport systems and housing are not just physical structures: they either empower people or restrict them.
This cluster focuses on how our built environments can be designed to support independence, participation and quality of life across the life course. We will listen to stories of how towns and cities are making mobility easier, how housing is being adapted for safety and comfort, and how public spaces are being re-imagined as welcoming, intergenerational meeting points.
We also want to explore the intersection between sustainability and accessibility: How can we build greener, more energy-efficient spaces while ensuring they remain affordable and inclusive? What design principles truly make an environment age-friendly, and how can they be scaled up?
By looking at both challenges and solutions, these interviews will give insight into how design can create environments that are resilient, inclusive and humane.
3. Caring Together – Communities and Care
At the centre of SHAFE lies the human connection: the networks of support, formal and informal, that allow us to live well throughout our lives. Care is not just about health systems or professional services, but also about families, neighbours, volunteers and communities working together.
This cluster will explore different ways of strengthening community bonds and integrating care. How can formal services collaborate with informal carers? What role do social organisations, local authorities and grassroots initiatives play in building resilient support systems? What can we learn from examples of communities that have mobilised around wellbeing, solidarity and mutual aid?
The interviews will also consider the challenges: how to ensure dignity in care, how to support carers themselves, and how to address loneliness and exclusion. By giving space to personal experiences as well as professional insights, we aim to paint a picture of care that is holistic, compassionate and sustainable.
Through this initiative, the SHAFE Foundation hopes to capture voices that matter – stories, practices and reflections that can inspire progress across Europe and beyond. The interviews will be shared widely to encourage dialogue, spark collaboration, and showcase the many ways in which people are making change possible.
We warmly invite you to follow this initiative!
Episode 3:
How can Ireland create homes and communities that support people to age well, while responding to wider European priorities for inclusive and sustainable housing?
Interview with: Patrick Harrington by Heidi Elnimr
Episode 2:
Transnational Ageing and Quality of Life in Smart, Healthy, Age-Friendly Environments
Episode 1:
Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges to Unlock SHAFE Approaches for AHL
Interview with Erminia Attaianese by Maddalena Illario