Francesca Tosi

Made-in-Italy companies, capable of producing products of the highest quality and of imposing themselves on markets at the international level, have always strived to transfer into design innovation a non-reproducible cultural and productive heritage. A distinctive feature of a production system based on “know-how” is the strong connection between different companies within the same territory and the presence of excellent workmanship and established production traditions, impossible to recon- stitute in contexts other than the original one. Like many Italian regions, Tuscany is characterized by craft excellencies that have contributed significantly to the cultural and economic growth of the region. Many of these, however, fail, due to economic size and cultural background, to keep up to date with the ever-changing demands of a market that wants new products, access to new technologies and attention to sustainability and the life cycle of each product. On this basis, we outline the key role of design as a tool and driver for innova- tion, capable of guiding the company’s strategic choices, including in relation to the sustainability of products and processes. This paper presents the research project “Art, Design and Enterprise for New Young Talents” aimed at proposing and developing new training and production patterns and processes through the placement of young talents, designers and artists, within companies in the Tuscan territory. In fact, putting young creatives in contact with companies can help companies in the path of research and innovation and allows young artists to translate the theoretical framework acquired into a finalized design.

Global population aging is one of the most critical factors in the coming decades (Eurostat, 2019). In Italy, the average age of residents, which was 32 in 1952, increased to 46.2 years at the beginning of 2022 (Istat, 2022). The overall effects of aging on the health and welfare system are considerable. Indeed, with ageing is associated with an increase in chronic pathological conditions, co-morbidities, or the inability to perform basic daily activities independently, and this leads to an increase in the care and assistance needs of the elderly. A distinctive factor of the new generation of elders is their approach to technologies, a factor that can greatly expand the pos- sibilities of access to care and assistance, communication and information services (Istat, 2019). To provide, as far as possible, the continuity of care and assistance people need, telemedicine services can ensure safe and efficient care pathways while main- taining a strong patient-physician relationship. This article presents the first results of the research conducted by the Laboratory of Ergonomics and Design (LED) of the Uni- versity of Florence as part of Spoke 3 of the project “THE - Tuscany Health Ecosystem” of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), funded by the Italian government with Next Generation EU funds - Mission 4 (Education and Research) - Component 2 “From Research to Enterprise”. The project involves the participation of 22 partners including universities, research centers and companies in the Tuscany Region, orga- nized in 10 Spokes. The goal is to develop guidelines for the design of interfaces and products for telemedicine services in digital diagnosis and therapy for neurode- generative diseases. This article will discuss the research questions, applied research methodology, results and future developments.

One of the major challenges of aging is the decline in cognitive and physical abilities, which often necessitates temporary or continuous assistance from a caregiver. This condition frequently forces older adults to move from their own homes to residential care facilities, bringing about a radical change in daily life, both from practical-organizational and psychological-relational perspectives [1]. The objective of this project, supported by the methodological approaches of Human-Centred Design and Ergonomics for Design, was the development, integration, and testing of innovative cloud-based solutions, including a robot [2] and a wearable device [3], aimed at improving the quality of life and independence of older adults while supporting caregivers in their work. The product-service system is designed to assist socio-health operators in delivering key services, such as medication administration, cognitive and physical rehabilitation activities, recreational and leisure activities, and monitoring the health status of elderly individuals.

In recent years, there was an implementation of home care and telemedicine services to address the global aging population. In fact, as age increases, conditions of cronical diseases, co-morbidities or inability to perform daily activities independently grows (Divo et al., 2014). Therefore, the care and assistance needs of the elderly increase, and this has a major impact on both the health care system of individual states and the socio-family network, which is involved in different forms in providing and/or supporting the care of the elderly (Genet et al., 2012). This is very evident especially in countries with a high rate of elderly people such as Italy (Istat, 2023). A distinguishing feature of the current generation of older adults is an increased familiarity with new digital technologies, intended both as technological devices and as interfaces and software (Czaja et al., 2019). Therefore, such technologies can be a valuable resource to ensure effective and safe home care but also to ensure continuity of care pathways, facilitating the doctor-patient-caregiver relationship and communications (Mckinsey, 2020; Osservatorio Sanità Digitale, 2021). These are the basis for the study conducted by the authors on the most relevant home care and telemedicine services in Italy and the subsequent analysis of the Tuscan case study, which refers to the GIROT (Hospital-Territory Rapid Intervention Groups) service offered by the Careggi University Hospital, Florence. The GIROT Service, activated during the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to treat at home elderly and frail people with chronic diseases and co- morbidities, who do not find benefit from hospitalization.

The proliferation of new interactive, digital, and connected objects is bringing significant transformations to the world we live in, generating new ways of living and new channels for communication. The healthcare sector is one of the areas most affected by this digital revolution. From a theoretical perspective, digital health technologies can support successful aging; however, in practice, the results achieved often fall short of the expectations of older users, as the elderly population has less access to new technologies and is generally less open to innovation. The objective of Task 1.1 is to define guidelines for the design of physical and digital interfaces that promote active and healthy aging.