weCARElab

weCARElab @ Global, 2025~2030
Keynote & Panel weCARElab @ FUTUROMUNDO Foresight, Future Urban Economies Forum, Stuttgart, Germany, 3 Juli 2025

Hybrid
Care
&
Prevention

Combining the best of tech innovations and digital and hybrid solutions with the spatial, social and cultural aspects of care and prevention, Hybrid Care encourages the development of innovative solutions.

Hybrid Care considers all different networks, those of the medical and nursing professionals as well as those of the laypeople caregivers and the community.

This approach not only looks for efficient solutions but takes into account also factors such as bodily intuition, non-verbal communication, and empathy.

Hybrid Care is a constituent element in the development of future visions for our societies, cities, and regions.

weCARElab

weCARElab is a flexible and dynamically growing project with an integrated approach, bringing together the physical and digital elements and dimensions of care in order to identify, develop and test innovative solutions in prevention and care.

weCARElab is a Living Lab embedded in the city. It balances the best elements of technological innovation and rapidly evolving digital solutions with the physical and socio-cultural dimensions of prevention and care, such as the qualities of the physical environment, of the home and neighborhood, the local GP and care facilities, the social embeddedness, and the neighbors and their interactions.

weCARElab’s conceptual framework encompasses a multidisciplinary approach to urban and neighborhood development – from the perspective of health. The lab’s methodology integrates contemporary concepts, such as circularity and community-based citizen participation, into the development of prevention and care strategies.

As an interdisciplinary project, weCARElab brings together experts from a variety of fields, including prevention and care, digital healthcare, social design, urban development, healthy and green city, circular economy, participation, gaming and AI. In collaboration with local governments, medical and healthcare institutions, and citizens, the project aims to develop and to test new ideas for prevention and care in the city and the region.

Starting in a medium-size city and its region in the Netherlands, the project evolves into an international transdisciplinary longer-term innovation project, which approaches health and well-being in a holistic way. By integrating the more specialized expertise of other Care Labs, WeCareLab generates more inclusive, integrative trans-sectoral solutions.

weCARElab’s formats and elements range from symposia and conferences, workshops and Living Labs to the long-term development of knowledge and education institutions and Life-long-Learning offerings in a Care Innovation Center with an international reach.

We are bringing together the physical and digital aspects of care and prevention, nurturing healthy cities and communities!

BoZorgLab

case
study

BoZorgLab is a flexible and dynamic growing project that uses an integrated approach to bring together the physical and digital elements of prevention and care to identify, develop and test innovative solutions in the field of prevention and care.

As an innovation lab outside the Randstad and big cities, embedded in the city of Bergen op Zoom, BoZorgLab brings innovation to the region. The Berg district, where the Bravis Hospital is still located, could become the project’s Living Lab.

BoZorgLab balances the best elements of technological innovation and wildly evolving digital solutions with the physical and sociocultural dimensions of prevention and care, such as the qualities of the physical environment of housing and the neighborhood, the local GP and care facilities, and the social embeddedness and neighbors with their interactions.

BoZorgLab approaches themes of urban and neighborhood development from the perspective of health. BoZorgLab integrates current aspects such as circularity and local community-based citizen-participation in the development of prevention and care delivery.

As an interdisciplinary project, BoZorgLab brings together experts from prevention and care, digital healthcare, social design, urban development, healthy and green city, circular economy and participation, gaming and AI with local governments, medical and healthcare institutions and citizens to develop and test innovative concepts for prevention and care in the city and region.

The BoZorgLab project starts with a living lab in Bergen op Zoom, to further develop into an international trans-disciplinary longer-term innovation project, which approaches health and well-being in a holistic way. BoZorgLab’s trans-disciplinary approach brings together the more specialized expertise of other Care Labs, to generate more inclusive, integrative trans-sectoral solutions.

The possible formats and elements of BoZorgLab can be different: from symposia and conferences, workshops and Living Labs to the long-term development of MBO and HBO level knowledge and education institutions and Life-long-Learning offerings in a Care Innovation Center, which can have international reach.

Pathway with phases:

Short term
Medium term
Long term

This includes:
– an analysis of the current situation and visual mapping so that short-term solution-oriented ideas can be developed,
– a solution-oriented research to map ideas for solutions and “best practices” locally and internationally,
– bringing together expertise from different areas to approach the problems and solutions from different angles: from health, prevention and care, health system, digital and hybrid innovation, social design, creative sector – local and global …
– making care professions attractive, o. a. Lifelong Learning and innovative knowledge,
– develop Bergen op Zoom as a hub for innovative care with activities, knowledge networks at local, regional, national and international level, EU programs, etc.