ACE & SHE 2026 Conference

Preparations are well underway for the ACE & SHE (Smart Healthy Environments) 2026 Conference, taking place on 20 May 2026 at the Thomas More Campus National in Antwerp (Belgium), bringing together researchers, care providers, companies, and policymakers from across Europe.

The SHE (Smart Healthy Environments) conference brings together international research and practice on the design, implementation, and impact of innovative care and living environments.

The one-day conference will explore how innovation in housing, care, and technology can be successfully adopted and embedded in real-world settings, with a strong focus on adaptation, collaboration, and impact.

Programme highlights

The programme will feature a combination of:

• Parallel scientific sessions, paper presentation sessions with peer-reviewed research presenting research on smart care, housing innovation, and implementation of new technologies
• Interactive workshops, including hands-on formats exploring innovation, implementation, and care practices
• Pilot insights from the ACE project, showcasing real-world experiences of testing and adapting technologies in homecare
• Company showcases and demonstrations, offering opportunities to explore innovative solutions in practice

Two keynote speakers will open and frame the conference, offering perspectives from both research and real-world implementation.

Keynote speakers will be announced shortly.

The conference programme brings together research, practice, and real-world implementation through a diverse set of sessions exploring innovation in care, housing, and smart environments.

ACE session: from pilot lessons to impact measurement

A central session led by the ACE project will focus on how innovation moves from pilot testing to measurable impact in real care settings.

Titled “From Pilot Lessons to Impact Measurement: Adapting and Evaluating Homecare Technology in ACE”, this session will guide participants through the project’s results and learning journey — from identifying key adaptations in practice to understanding how impact can be assessed.

The session will combine:

• A presentation of ACE project outcomes and key adaptation insights
• A panel discussion with pilot leaders sharing hands-on implementation experiences
• An overview of impact measurement approaches presented by lead partner RISE

Together, these contributions offer a comprehensive perspective on how technologies can be successfully adapted, evaluated, and embedded in homecare.

Interactive workshops: from co-creation to implementation

Alongside presentations and discussions, the conference will feature interactive workshop formats designed to actively engage participants in innovation processes.

One of these sessions, “Ready, set, empathize – How to engage users with the living lab methodology”, offers a hands-on introduction to co-creation in practice.

Participants will experience the living lab approach through interactive methods such as GPS brainstorm and LEGO® Serious Play, exploring how design thinking can be applied to real-world care challenges. The session also addresses personal and organisational barriers to working with care technology, creating space for reflection and exchange.

With a strong focus on participation, the workshop equips attendees with practical tools and insights to better engage end users and strengthen co-creation in their own projects.

Scientific paper sessions

The conference will also feature parallel paper sessions presenting peer-reviewed research across key themes in smart care and healthy environments.

Paper session 1a – Integrating digital health into care practice

This session explores how digital health solutions can be embedded into everyday care. Topics range from intelligent indoor climate systems to speech biomarkers for cognitive monitoring, with a focus on identifying success factors and resilience mechanisms for implementation in both nursing and homecare settings.

Paper session 1b – Environment, behaviour, and design for care

Focusing on the relationship between environment and human behaviour, this session examines approaches such as phased home modifications, air quality optimisation, and empathic design methods. The contributions highlight frameworks for supporting behavioural change and involving people with dementia in the design of care solutions.

Paper session 2a – AI, wellbeing, and inclusive environments

This session highlights the role of artificial intelligence and spatial design in promoting wellbeing. Topics include AI-driven health recommendations, simulation of dementia experiences, and the co-creation of inclusive spaces that encourage social interaction and community engagement.

Paper session 2b – Community innovation and care ecosystems

Exploring both community-based design and system-level innovation, this session looks at regenerative neighbourhoods, models of social integration, and lessons from living labs. It also addresses governance and organisational aspects of care systems, offering insights into how innovation can be supported at scale.