On 12 June, the SHAFE Foundation hosted an official online satellite workshop in collaboration with the FITT-NESS project, in which SHINE 2Europe is one of the Portuguese partners. The event was held as part of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Festival 2026 and was titled People, Places and Technologies for Intergenerational Solidarity and Fairness. It explored how demographic change is challenging the resilience and inclusiveness of our built and digital environments.
The session opened with a presentation of the FITT-NESS project by Chiara Terraneo (Federlegno Arredo, Italy), who shifted the focus from external architecture to the domestic environments where people live their daily lives. She emphasised that inclusion should not be viewed as a niche concern, but rather as an industrial strategy that responds to the natural diversity of human experiences across the life course, including ageing, disabilities, temporary injuries, and periods of stress.
Terraneo also highlighted that “smart” technologies only create value when they are intuitive and seamless to use, arguing that technology should fade into the background as part of a trusted, low-complexity ecosystem.
As part of the event, a breakout session facilitated by Maria Sanchez (CETEM) and Professor Elísio Costa (University of Porto) brought together researchers, NGOs, designers, industry representatives, and policy experts. The discussion focused on identifying market barriers and co-creating policy recommendations for a more inclusive and sustainable European furniture sector. The session was organised within the framework of the FITT-NESS project and led by SHINE 2Europe.
Participants combined their expertise to explore the future of the furniture sector, with particular attention to age-friendly environments, inclusive design, smart homes, and green buildings.
Among the key challenges identified were the limited involvement of end users in the early stages of product design and the lack of industrial infrastructure to support large-scale furniture recycling. Participants also pointed to fragmented value chains and low consumer awareness as significant barriers to more efficient, sustainable, and scalable production systems.
The insights gathered during the session will directly contribute to the validation and refinement of the FITT-NESS Policy Recommendations, which are expected to be published later this year.
FITT-NESS is an Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) project funded by the European Commission. The project aims to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems in Lombardia (Italy), Murcia (Spain), the North of Portugal, and Sicily (Italy), supporting the twin digital and green transition of the furniture sector through collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange.
For more information, visit the official FITT-NESS website: https://www.fitt-ness.eu/.