Knowledge and Experimentation

Promote the implementation of short-term pilot projects, to be developed by the different services of Misericórdia de Lisboa, which contribute to the discovery of innovative approaches to action in the organization’s various areas of intervention and to approach its vast target audience.

Howz

Pilot project created within the scope of Santa Casa’s participation in the SOL Housing Program, promoted by Beta-i. It aims to improve the quality of living in Lisbon’s citizens through the validation and integration of innovative startup solutions in a real context.

Santa Casa teamed up with several partners in order to seek a technological solution that would help to provide a more effective response to Lisbon’s inhabitants in a situation of vulnerability aggravated by their social isolation.

Howz was the chosen partner to, through a kit of home sensors, allow family members or authorized persons to monitor the activity of people in their home, ensuring that the information from these sensors is completely pseudonymized.

With a view to establishing a bridge between social entrepreneurs, employees and users of the institution, students and the scientific community, Misericórdia de Lisboa has been identifying and cementing strategic partnerships with universities and research centers.

The Social Good Summit is an event launched by the United Nations Foundation, which aims to inspire new social responses to challenges in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

The first edition in Portugal, held in digital format on April 29^th, 2020, had the support of Santa Casa, through its Department of Social Entrepreneurship, in a special session dedicated to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On April 29^th, 2020, in a digital format, the most important stakeholders in Portugal were discussed, including political decision makers (such as the Minister of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security and the Minister of Culture), the main market players and several activists, who reflected on the present and future of the social economy.

For the first time, a co-creation of innovation format was promoted, totally focused on the work of Misericórdia de Lisboa.

In its 1^st edition, 90 employees from various areas and services of Santa Casa participated, together for 24 hours to develop innovative solutions around challenges applicable to the organization’s daily intervention, in the areas of employability, decent accommodation and mental health.

In order to offer new responses to users from more vulnerable contexts, Santa Casa actively promotes collaboration with other entities and services, as well as between the institution’s equipment.

As an example, we highlight the partnerships with the Academy of Code and SPEAK, startups residing in Casa do Impacto, which resulted in the support of 12 users of Santa Casa, through their integration in programming courses and English language courses.

Aiming to share knowledge and provide interested parties with the tools necessary for innovation, Santa Casa organizes short-term workshops for training and development of skills in specific areas of entrepreneurship, designed and facilitated by its Department of Social Entrepreneurship.