SGEI and telemedicine in rural areas: the webinar
On Thursday 7 May, the webinar “SIEG and telemedicine: organisational models to ensure essential services in rural areas” took place. It was organised by EURICSE, the Trentino Federation of Cooperation and Borghi IN Rete as part of the European project ESIRA – Enhancing Social Innovation in Rural Areas, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme.
The meeting provided an opportunity to explore the role of Services of General Economic Interest (SGEI), with a particular focus on the Trentino region, and telemedicine trials in inland areas, including the initiative undertaken by the Municipality of Calascio (Abruzzo).
The session was opened by Jacopo Sforzi, a senior researcher at EURICSE, who introduced the key themes of the webinar.
Following this, Raul Daoli, project manager at the Trentino Federation of Cooperation, and Samuel Cornella, coordinator of the production, labour and services cooperatives sector at the Trentino Federation of Cooperation, provided a theoretical and regulatory overview of SGEIs, highlighting some significant initiatives implemented in the Trentino region.
During the meeting, the work of Borghi IN Rete, an Abruzzo-based network of community cooperatives, was also presented. Massimiliano D’Innocenzo, vice-president of Borghi IN Rete, introduced the network’s activities, whilst Massimiliano Monetti, president of Borghi IN Rete, discussed the HOW – Habitat Oltre il Welfare project in greater detail, an initiative aimed at supporting the most vulnerable sections of the population, particularly the elderly, through an integrated model of local and community welfare tailored to the specific characteristics of inland areas.
The webinar fostered a discussion rich in ideas and perspectives, confirming the value of collaboration between local areas, organisations and communities in developing innovative models to ensure essential services and combat the depopulation of rural areas.
