April 1, 2025, marked an intense and productive day for the YoungCare consortium. All project partners came together in Vilnius, Lithuania, at Mykolas Romeris University for one transnational hybrid project meeting, organised by SHINE 2Europe. The gathering provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the final steps for the completion of the YoungCare platform, refine the policy and professional caregivers’ recommendations, and explore strategies to ensure the project’s long-term sustainability.
During the meeting, a SWOT analysis was conducted to identify the project’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This initial step will guide a more in-depth discussion in a follow-up meeting, where partners will explore concrete ways to build on project results and possibly continue collaborating beyond the project’s formal conclusion.
After a joint lunch, the consortium hosted the European Multiplier Event of YoungCare. The event took place as part of the PAAR-NET Training School, a COST Action focused on participatory approaches in ageing research, which brought together young researchers, representatives from municipalities, start-ups, and other key stakeholders.
Organised by SHINE 2Europe, the session was structured in two parts. First, the results of the YoungCare project were presented, with a particular focus on the participatory and co-creation methodologies employed throughout the project. This was especially relevant to the training school’s theme and offered participants an overview of the platform and the accompanying policy recommendations. The second part of the session featured a hands-on co-creation exercise. Participants were invited to reflect on the challenges identified during YoungCare’s European roundtables and brainstorm how co-creation methods could be used to address complex caregiving issues. This interactive segment not only gave attendees a chance to apply the co-creation framework presented earlier, but also generated concrete ideas that will be included in the project’s sustainability plan as potential paths forward.
The day concluded with a joint dinner with the DigitalScouts consortium, as some partners are involved in both projects and the DigitalScouts team was also in Vilnius for their multiplier event.