SHAPES

Project Summary and Key Outcomes

SHAPES was a large‑scale EU‑funded Horizon 2020 Innovation Action aiming to build a European open ecosystem that supports the development, testing and large‑scale piloting of digital solutions for healthy and independent living for older adults.

The project focused on the creation of an interoperable platform integrating smart and digital technologies to assess health, environment and lifestyle data, enabling the identification of individual needs and the delivery of person‑centred solutions that support ageing in place. A key thematic focus was medicine control and optimisation, alongside broader digital health and care integration activities.

Key outcomes included:

• Development of an EU‑standardised open platform for healthy ageing.
• Large‑scale piloting activities conducted across the SHAPES programme, involving over 2,000 participants across the lifetime of the project, with scale varying by pilot theme and site.
• Testing and evaluation of diverse digital solutions addressing medicine optimisation, cognitive stimulation, rehabilitation, smart living environments and cross‑border health data exchange.
• Strengthened collaboration between health and social care providers, technology developers, end‑users and policy stakeholders across Europe.

• Funder

The SHAPES project was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement No. 857159.

• Number of Partners

The SHAPES consortium consisted of 36 partners across 14 European countries, including healthcare providers, research organisations, technology companies, public authorities and end‑user organisations.

• Grant Duration

SHAPES was a 48‑month Horizon 2020 Innovation Action, starting on 1 November 2019, with activities concluding in 2023 following approved extensions.

Smarter Medicines Better Outcomes

Through the Medicine Control and Optimisation pilot activities, SHAPES generated evidence on the feasibility, acceptability and potential impact of digitally enabled approaches to medication management for older adults. These activities contributed to improved understanding of how digital solutions can support safer medication use, enhance quality of life, and help reduce pressure on health and social care systems.