ActivE³: three years of research for an active and inclusive life
The closing event of ActivE³ – Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday, a Major Emblematic Project funded by Fondazione Cariplo and Regione Lombardia, took place at the Lecco Campus of the Politecnico di Milano. Over three years of activity, the project developed and tested innovative models to promote an active and inclusive life across the entire lifespan.
The ActivE³ project was made possible thanks to the work of a multidisciplinary partnership that brought together research, clinical, healthcare and educational expertise. In addition to the lead partner Univerlecco, the project involved the Politecnico di Milano – Lecco Campus, the National Research Council (CNR) – Lecco branch, ASST Lecco, ATS Brianza, IRCCS “Eugenio Medea” – Associazione La Nostra Famiglia, IRCCS INRCA of Casatenovo, and Fondazione Valduce – Ospedale Valduce – Centro di Riabilitazione Villa Beretta. This network enabled the integration of scientific experimentation and field application, ensuring methodological robustness and tangible benefits for the local area.
The Politecnico di Milano contributed through multidisciplinary expertise across the three project actions, coordinated for the University by Manuela Galli, responsible for the initiative dedicated to motor inclusion in primary schools; Giuseppe Andreoni, responsible for the digital coaching and healthy ageing action; and Alessandra Pedrocchi, responsible for the development of the Hybrid Trike within the Sport-Therapy platform action. The motor inclusion initiative reached over 700 children in experimental activities at the Lecco Campus and more than 200 through the implementation of technological kits in schools. In the field of digital coaching and healthy ageing, the clinical study involved 243 volunteers over the age of 60, with an adherence rate above 93%, confirming the effectiveness of an integrated digital approach to prevention. The Sport-Therapy platform extended innovation to contexts of frailty and rehabilitation. The hybrid trike developed by the Politecnico di Milano, integrating functional electrical stimulation, demonstrated benefits in post-stroke patients, including a 150% increase in paretic leg power and a 19% improvement in voluntary strength and motor function.
ActivE³ demonstrates how the promotion of physical activity can become a concrete driver of health, prevention and social inclusion through an integrated and replicable model at local level. The journey now continues with the new Major Emblematic Project “INSIEME - INnovation for Health and Social Inclusion in Motion”.