Carlos Varela Ferro, representing the Aspace Catalunya Foundation and the Federation of Cerebral Palsy and the Multiple Disabilities of Catalonia (FEPCCAT), took part in the Digital Innovation Day at Citilab in Cornellà. In his contribution he highlighted the risks and benefits of digitizing the third sector and the importance of collaborating to improve attention and resources.
The Digital Innovation day, organized by m4Social at the Citilab from Cornellà, brought together prominent representatives of the third sector and local administrations to discuss the digital transformation in social care. Carlos Varela Ferro, as a representative of the Aspace Catalunya Foundation and FEPCCAT, shared his experience in a round table together with representatives of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, Consorci Localret and Barcelona councils, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Cornellà de Llobregat, Sant Cugat among others, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that digitization poses for social entities.
During the debate, different aspects of digital innovation were analyzed, such as the implementation of integrated electronic clinical history systems, the use of new technologies to improve the quality of life of people with Cerebral Palsy and multiple disabilities i, the optimization of care resources. Carlos Varela Ferro emphasized the importance of adapting digital tools to the specific needs of the sector, highlighting the work of the Aspace Catalunya Foundation and the FEPCCAT in the use of innovative tools to guarantee attention focused on the person.
The fundamental role of the collaboration between third sector entities and public administrations to face technological challenges. The representatives of the town councils presented examples of recent initiatives in the field of the digitization of social services. However, the need to guarantee accessibility and digital inclusion for all people, especially those in a vulnerable situation, was highlighted.
The day offered spaces for dialogue and reflection, with testimonials from industry professionals and users who contributed their direct experience. Data were presented that show a significant improvement in the efficiency of processes thanks to digitization, as well as practical examples of technological innovations applied to social care. Carlos Varela Ferro concluded by emphasizing that the digital transformation is an opportunity to increase the quality of care, but which requires a firm commitment from organizations to ensure proper and ethical implementation.
This event was an important step towards the consolidation of new digital practices in the social sector, opening the door to future collaborative projects and research initiatives that seek to better integrate technology into care for people.
The Digital Innovation day at the Citilab in Cornellà highlighted this the growing importance of technology in the transformation of the third social sector. The speakers, including Carlos Varela Ferro, emphasized that digitization can be a powerful tool to improve the efficiency and quality of care for people with disabilities, as long as it is done with a person-centered approach and ensuring universal accessibility. The event concluded with engagement to explore new ways of collaboration between social entities and public administrations, opening the door to future projects that deepen technological integration and innovation in the care of people.
