Consortium

Country: Italy

Contact person: Daniele GUI – daniele.gui@unicatt.it

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore is one of Italy’s most prestigious universities. With 5 campuses across the country, the University enjoys an international reputation for academic excellence and cutting-edge research. Within CARING NATURE, UCSC brings expertise 1) in health and care system, planetary health approach, health management 2) strong networking capability with various stakeholders and policy makers at national and European level, 3) university training design and delivery 4) knowledge of managing complex systems such as health and public health 5) European projects’ management and accounting having successfully played from 2014 to 2023 coordinator role in 35+ EU research projects (including H2020 and Horizon Europe)

Role in the project: UCSC is the coordinator of the project and is responsible for the development of the knwoledge-sharing and decision-support system solution.

Website: www.unicatt.it

Country: Cyprus

Contact person: Ioannis VYRIDES – ioannis.vyrides@cut.ac.cy

The Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) is a leading institution of higher education located in Limassol, Cyprus. Established in 2004, CUT is known for its commitment to innovation, research, and academic excellence. In the project, CUT brings, with the Environmental Engineering laboratory (EEL) of the Department of Chemical Engineering, experimental research capability, including waste and wastewater treatment biorefinery.

Role in the project: CUT is responsible for the development of two project’s solutions : CleanFlow – Sustainable Wastewater Management and FoodToBiogas – Food Waste Transformation to Energy.

Website: www.cut.ac.cy

Country: Finland

Contact person: Helinä MELKAS – helina.melkas@lut.fi

LUT, one of the top universities for climate action, brings multi-disciplinary research expertise in developing and implementing innovation methods for front-line participatory staff engagement, such as innovation sessions, theatre-based and other arts-based methods, and playful and other creativity methods. LUT also brings research expertise in implementation of disruptive technologies in health and care services and systems. Research themes include co-creation and participatory practices, collective creativity and arts-based initiatives, the social nature of innovation, and arts-based management in organizational transformation.

Role in the project: LUT oversees the development of the ENGAGE : Participatory Staff Engagement Model solution.

Website: www.lut.fi

Country: Ireland

Contact person: Deirdre O Connor – deirdre.oconnor@ucd.ie

University College Dublin (UCD) is one of Ireland’s leading universities, renowned for its academic excellence and vibrant campus community. Established in 1854, UCD is located in Dublin. UCD is known for its research-intensive environment, with numerous research centers and institutes driving innovation and discovery. In CARING NATURE, UCD brings its Social and Horticultural team of scientists, experienced in innovating and promoting naturebased interventions (NBI). Recent projects include Green4Care (https://www.greenforcare.eu/), an EU project focused on creating synergies between interdisciplinary researchers for human health and wellbeing, and Hort4Health, a nationally funded project which assesses nature-based interventions for reducing clinically diagnosed anxiety in health care settings.

Role in the project: UCD contributes to develop the Green Building Compass 4 Care solution. UCD also participates to the Participatory Staff Engagement Model, bringing nature-based interventions expertise.

Website: www.ucd.ie 

Country: Greece

Contact person: Anastasios SEPETIS – tsepet@uniwa.gr

The University of West Attica (UniWA) is a prominent institution of higher education located in the western region of Attica, Greece. Established in 2018, UniWA prioritizes practical education and industry collaboration in various fields, including engineering, applied sciences, business administration, humanities, and social sciences. In the project, UniWA brings well-esteemed professionals and researchers with experience in the fields of Sustainable Finance, Sustainable Development, Environmental – Social- corporate Governance (ESG) Factors, Social Protection Policies, Quality Assurance and Standardization who can contribute positively in the implementation of this project, in all stages.

Role in the project: UniWA is responsible for the develoment of the knwoledge-sharing system and the decision-support system solution.

Website: www.uniwa.gr

Country: Netherlands

Contact person: Chiara Cadeddu – cadeddu@eshpm.eur.nl

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) stands as a beacon of academic excellence and innovation in the heart of the Netherlands. Founded in 1913, EUR is committed to fostering critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and societal impact. EUR participates in CARING NATURE with its Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management (ESHPM), a multidisciplinary research and teaching school that brings expertise 1) in policy and organizational sciences focusing on health care, health economics, health technology assessment, socio-medical sciences, health law and health insurance, 2) planetary health 3) university training design and delivery.

Role in the project: EUR responsible for the knowledge sharing system and the decision support system. EUR also provides the EU healthcare environmental sustainability model in the project’s requirements definition process.

Website: www.eur.nl 

Country: Italy

Contact person: Sabina MAGALINI – sabina.magalini@unicatt.it

FPG is the University Hospital of UCSC (the coordinator of CARING NATURE). With 1,611 beds, 1,153 physicians, 2,264 nurses and 1,274 admin/technicians is the second-largest hospital in Italy. FPG admits 95,500 patients per year, 89,994 surgical procedures, and its outpatient clinics see 2,850.000 FPG has two healthcare clinics on the territory, that produces 2,500 tons of medical waste every year, and consumes 50 million kWh/y and 16 million m3 of gas. The co-generation system provides 60% of the electrical power, heating and cooling, making it one of the largest infrastructures of this kind in Italy. FPG is certified ISO 50001. In CARING NATURE, FPG brings consistent experience in clinical trials and health-related research with translational impact. FPG also bring knowledge about waste collecting and disposal.

Role in the project: PG is responsible for WASTE-OR solution and for the TELE ME NOW – Real time telemedicine solution. FPG also coordinates the development of organizational results and the piloting and validating activities in Italy.

Website: www.policlinicogemelli.it

Country: Spain

Contact person: Diana NAVARRO – diananavarro@fphag.org

The Fundació Privada Hospital Asil de Granollers (FPHAG) is a healthcare, socio-sanitary and social care institution integrated into the comprehensive healthcare system of Catalonia. It is a university hospital and comprises several centers including the Geriatric Center Adolfo Montañá and the General Hospital of Granollers. Overall, FPHAG provides health care assistance for acute and non- acute patients and it is the reference hospital of the Vallès Oriental, which covers a population of around 400.000 people. It has a host capacity of 340 beds and allows 1.076 outpatient visits every day.

Role in the project: FHAG is responsible for the piloting and validating activities in Spain.

Website: www.fphag.org

Country: Germany

Contact person: Andreas BRANDL – andreas.brandl@med.uni-heidelberg.de

UKHD is the university hospital of the Heidelberg University and is with 1,995 beds the 5th largest and largest non-conglomerate medical centre in the country. UKHD employs 1,886 physicians, 3,149 nurses, 4,197 technical and 891 functional service, and annually performs 42,656 operative procedures. UKDH is a key partner in many large-scale consortia-based research programs, including 20 Horizon 2020 projects

Role in the project: UKHD is responsible for the piloting and validation activities in Germany.

Website: www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de 

Country: Finland

Contact person: Riitta-Maija Hämäläinen – riitta-maija.hamalainen@paijatha.fi

Wellbeing services county of Päijät-Häme headquartered in the City of Lahti is one of the 21 counties providing health, social and rescue services for the population of Finland and serves about 220 000 people in 10 municipalities with about 7600 staff members. The county has the second largest regional hospital in Finland and about 170 other health, social and rescues services points. The administrative structure of the Wellbeing services county includes (1) health services, (2) family and social services (including psychiatry), (3)elderly care and rehabilitation, (4) support services (maintenance, ICT, etc) and (5) rescue services. In the hospital there are about 40 specialties in medicine and 2130 employees representing several professional groups; about 400 medical doctors and 1630 nurses in 7 different departments. Wellbeing serivces county of Päijät-Häme brings to the projects both research and piloting capacities in real-life situation in the second largest regional hospital of Finland. In addition, the county brings other health, social and rescue services to experiment and pilot testing of technologies and possible changes in human behaviours towards climate neutral and decarbonized health, social and rescue services.

Role in the project: Wellbeing serivces county of Päijät-Häme is responsible for the piloting and validating activities in Finland.

Website: www.paijatha.fi

Country: Greece

Contact person: Artemisia Spanaki – caringnature7hrc@hc-crete.gr 

The 7th HealthCare Region of Crete (7HRC) is the tactician vector control and management public body of the National Health System at the Region of Crete, under the supervision of the Greek Ministry of Health. It is the regional authority responsible for the specification, development and implementation of health policies in the Region of Crete by supervising, coordinating and controlling the operation of 8 hospitals, 19 primary health centers, 12 local health units and 133 regional medical centers. Under its supervision are also all 40 public mental health facilities operating in the health region of Crete. 7th Health Region of Crete (7HRC), operating at a regional level, is responsible for:

• planning, coordinating, supervising and controlling the operation of all Health Service Providers at all levels (primary, secondary, tertiary), namely hospitals, primary health care units (Health Centers, Rural GP offices and local health units), mental health services, as well as other legal entities under public and private law supervised by the Minister of Health
• submitting proposals to the Greek Ministry of Health in order to achieve more efficient provision of health services to the population of the Region of Crete
• monitoring the implementation of policies assigned by the Greek Ministry of Health at regional level
• promoting health promotion actions and coordinating the delivery of primary healthcare services.

Role in the project: 7HRC is responsible for the piloting and validation activities in Greece.

Website: www.hc-crete.gr

Country: Germany

Contact person: Corinna SCHEU – corinna.scheu@din.de

DIN is the German National Standardization Body and member of CEN and ISO. It provides knowledge about existing standards and standardization activities as well as know-how about the standardization process. DIN has participated in several EU projects and will ensure that the Caring Nature findings will be presented to relevant standardizations committees at European or international level. Based on a analysis of existing standards and the project results, DIN will manage the engagement of Caring Nature in standardization.

Role in the project: DIN is responsible for the standardization activities.

Website: www.din.de

Country: Belgium

Contact person: Giulia SCIALPI – gscialpi@archipelago.be 

archipelago architects is a distinguished architectural firm known for its commitment to user-based and sustainable design practices. Their approach, implemented in national and international projects, is centered on planning, experience, sustainability, and affordability, and seeks a balance between proven expertise and innovation. archipelago’s R&I team tackles challenges aligned with Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring a commitment to contextual and evolving architecture. archipelago brings a wide range of competences for the project : knwoledge of healthcare infrastructure and hospitals, sustainability frameworks for healthcare buildings, building’s carbon footprint and building’s physics.

Role in the project: archipelago will collaborate with 4D Architects to deliver the Green Building Compass 4 Care solution.

Website: www.archipelago.be

Country: Netherlands

Contact person: Elma DURMISEVIC – e.durmisevic@4darchitects.nl

As an architectural office, 4D Architects brings the methodology for design and assessment of circular buildings, and capability to develop, realise and deploy circular methods of design and construction. The office has initiated the development of a Laboratory for Circular Buildings and actively supports innovations with a Laboratory in the Netherlands and has an R&D team that develops constantly new tools for green and sustainable building environment.

Work of 4D Architects is grounded on the methodology of its founder Prof. Dr Elma Durmisevic, who developed Reversible Building Design (RBD) Concept with associated RBD Guidelines and Tools which have been implemented in individual regional policies and circular building projects in Europe. Office envisions new generation of architecture “Circular & Green Architecture” as “Flexile Monuments of the future where demolition is considered a design flow”.

4D Architects Amsterdam has realised first EU circular building pilots and the work of its founder paved a way towards standardisation of Circular Building Performance as well as design, procurement and assessment of circular buildings.

Role in the project: 4DA leads the delivery of the Green Building Compass 4 Care solution.

Website: www.4darchitects.com

Country: Cyprus

Contact person: Thanasis DEMOSTHENOUS – thanasis@ercservices.eu

ERCS is a forward-thinking consultancy specializing in environmental matters, renowned for its expertise in crafting top-tier, adaptable solutions. Within CARING NATURE, ERCS leverages its experienced engineering team, boasting over 20 years of collective expertise in waste management and more than 15 years in pyrolysis, alongside a dedicated laboratory equipped to conduct necessary experiments and tests, especially in the field of waste lanagelent pyrolisis.

Role in the project: ERCS is responsible of MED-WASTE PYROLYSIS solution.

Website: www.ercservices.eu

Country: Italy

Contact person: Giuseppe Leonardo CASCELLA – g.l.cascella@idea75.it

Idea75 has gained expertise specifically in digital twins and edge/cloud data analytics, IoT- and AI-based predictive maintenance and energy efficiency, KPI and information extraction in complex processes. From June 2021, Idea75 is part of Links Management & Technology Group. In the project, Idea75 brings i4.0 solutions for the data acquisition, aggregation and ingestion into large cloud-based data infrastructures, machine learning based techniques for automatic data modelling and inference, data-driven key performance indicators for data analytics and innovative experiments within data value chains.

Role in the project: I75 coordinates the development of technical results and is responsible for the ENER solution, an AI-powered decision support system software for energy management.

Website: www.idea75.it

Country: France

Contact person: Lisa POURCHER – lpourcher@group-gac.com

G.A.C. Group in an international consultancy company specialised in innovation performance support and in inter-regional and international collaboration for innovation. G.A.C. Group has implemented over 500 projects since 1986 and has a large network of over 2000 private clients across the world. G.A.C.’s expertise lies in the development of territories competitiveness and innovation, in value analysis and impact monitoring as well as in the acceleration of European and international cooperation. G.A.C. Group brings its expertise in impact maximisation strategies for EU funded projects including communication, dissemination and exploitation strategies. G.A.C. has gained expertise in this domain through its participations in 18 H2020 projects (7 ongoing) and 9 ongoing HE projects.

Role in the project: GAC is responsible for the impact maximisation of the project (including communication, dissemination, exploitation and standardisation).

Website: www.group-gac.com

Country: Italy

Contact person: Paolo Finocchi – paolo.finocchi@rina.org

RINA is a global corporation that provides services across the Energy, Marine, Certification, Transport & Infrastructure and Industry sectors through a global network of 200 offices in 70 countries and 5300 employees. RINA will be mainly involved in the project through its operational company: RINA Consulting. As the engineering consultancy division of RINA, RINA Consulting provides a wide range of services covering the whole project life cycle from feasibility and specialized technical studies to conceptual and detailed design, prototyping and testing, project management, site engineering as well as operation and maintenance management.

RINA brings a broad range of expertise ine the CARING NATURE project: Life Cycle Assessment and Social Life Cycle Assessment, strategic environmental assessment, environmental monitoring and modeling, climate change policy advisory, Lean Management Methodologies, Sustainable Construction and Refurbishment and Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Market & Exploitation Strategy Role in the project: RINA-C is the technical coordinator of the project and is involved in the development of the knowledge-sharing and decision support system. RINA is also responsible for Green Lean Healthcare solution. RINA also coordinates the requirements definition and is responsible for the exploitation activities.

Role in the project: RINA-C is the technical coordinator of the project and is involved in the development of the knowledge-sharing system and decision support system. RINA is also responsible for the Green Lean Healthcare solution. RINA also coordinates the requirements definition and is responsible for the exploitation activities.

Website: www.rina.org

Country: Romania

Contact person: Monica Florea – monica.florea@simavi.ro

SOFTWARE IMAGINATION & VISION (SIMAVI) is a Romanian software company established in 2019. The team’s experience is vast, taking over all software development activities in: education, health, customs, nuclear, business, banking, utilities, production, etc. Built on a European model, with unique competence centers and internationally competitive specialists, SIMAVI provides IT services directly to European Commission organization.

Within the project, SIMAVI brings expertise in IT development and in healthcare domain, having developed and implemented IT solutions for improving the management of the health insurance funds and for increasing the quality of medical and pharmaceutical services in Romania.

Role in the project: SIMAVI ensures and coordinates the development of the knowledge-sharing system and the decision support system. SIMAVI is also responsible for the development, integration, test and fine tuning of the developed applications.

Website: www.simavi.ro