Innovative technologies tested in a European context improve the quality of life for vulnerable communities in Porto

A virtual reality game with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support therapies for children and adults with disabilities, a project that supports urban agriculture in community gardens with sensors and AI, and technology aimed at reducing loneliness among elderly people living alone in social housing neighbourhoods in Campanhã were some of the projects developed in the city of Porto as part of the European Communicity project. 

The various projects were presented today, Wednesday, 2 July, at an event organised by Porto Digital for the official presentation of the results of CommuniCity, a pioneering European initiative for citizen-centred urban innovation, aimed at creating more inclusive cities. The city of Porto was one of the leaders of the project (in association with Helsinki and Amsterdam), implemented here by the Municipality of Porto and coordinated by Porto Digital, involving hundreds of participants, including residents of social housing neighbourhoods, young people, the elderly, municipal technicians and researchers. 

“Through this living laboratory that has been the Communicity project, we have been able to connect innovators directly to the communities they aim to serve, and this was clearly evident in the 19 pilot projects implemented in Porto. Whether developing tools to help our citizens manage their energy consumption, supporting the elderly with new technologies, or improving digital skills, the process was always the same: start with the people. Listening to their needs. Building with them, not just for them. In this way, we are contributing to a healthier, more inclusive and more sustainable city," said Filipe Araújo, Deputy Mayor of Porto and also Councillor for Innovation and Digital Transition and Finance, Employment and Entrepreneurship.  
The city of Porto was one of the leaders of the project, having implemented 19 pilot projects covering areas such as digital inclusion, sustainability, health, education and civic participation. These projects actively involved citizens, start-ups, universities, local organisations, public entities and the municipality. The aim was to co-create solutions to respond to the real needs of marginalised communities, with a view to improving citizens' quality of life. Porto also participated in two cross-border pilots, focused on participatory urban planning and digital skills assessment. 

Over a period of 36 months, the Communicity project involved 19 cities from 12 European countries and enabled the implementation of 101 pilot projects through three rounds of open calls, with 72 teams selected. It stood out for promoting an innovative ‘test-before-invest’ approach, encouraging the co-creation of digital solutions to challenges identified in the most disadvantaged communities.  
Karl Filip Coenegrachts, responsible for coordinating the project at European level, said at the time that "this project has resulted in a set of real solutions to real problems in marginalised communities. Over the past three years, it has become clear that collaboration between the different partners and cities is crucial for the co-creation of solutions that work and deliver value. The work carried out by Porto, through Porto Digital, has been very important - it is a city that knows the needs of its communities well and where it was very easy to put the various pilot projects into practice." 

Some of the most relevant pilot projects developed in Porto, within the scope of Communicity: 

AI-VR Children's Therapy: Virtual reality game with AI to support therapies for children with disabilities. 
Clamigo: Support for urban agriculture and community gardens with sensors and an AI-based platform to help people with low digital literacy organise their gardens.  
Minus-E: Platform to facilitate the monitoring and management of energy consumption and production and increase digital and energy literacy in social housing neighbourhoods.  
Porto Sense: Monitoring of thermal comfort in social housing with direct involvement of residents.  
EduConnect: Technology to reduce school dropout rates with AI-based solutions tailored to each student.  
JuniCoders: Introduction to programming and robotics for children in the 3rd and 4th years with playful tools.  
PortoPilot: Reducing loneliness among elderly people living alone in social housing through technology. This involves conducting surveys to assess the needs of each household and selecting appropriate technology based on those needs. 

Interactive Video Platform, developed in collaboration with the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) to support the long-term unemployed, helping them to reintegrate into the labour market. 

Porto Sense, a project implemented by the Municipality of Porto and coordinated by Porto Digital, in collaboration with Domus Social, to monitor thermal comfort in social housing, with the direct involvement of residents. 
More information at https://communicity-project.eu/