The Regional Wellness Observatory holds its inaugural meeting

The Regional Wellness Observatory has convened for the first time, marking the launch of a new body established under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Emilia-Romagna Region, Wellness Foundation and the University of Bologna. The initiative brings together institutions, researchers and local stakeholders around a shared goal: promoting healthy life-styles across Emilia-Romagna.

The meeting opened with institutional greetings from Roberta Frisoni, Regional Councillor for Sport, followed by a presentation outlining the Observatory’s purpose and functions. Wellness Foundation shared an update on its ongoing projects, while the University of Bologna offered an overview of current trends and future prospects in sport and physical activity among young people in the region. Wellness Foundation also presented the core objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding, taking a closer look at its flagship projects: Parco del Mare, Wellness Week, Wellness4Education, and the Report 07, concrete tools through which the Foundation works to promote active, healthy lifestyles.

Understanding how people’s lifestyles and habits are evolving is essential to genuinely advancing community wellbeing. In Emilia-Romagna, sport is more than physical activity — it is an investment in health, prevention, social inclusion and quality of life. Through the Observatory, the Emilia-Romagna Region, Wellness Foundation and the University of Bologna will pool expertise and data from a wide range of stakeholders — from regional institutions to academia, from CONI to third-sector organisations — to build a shared, up-to-date understanding of the relationship between sport, health and society.

The Observatory’s work lays the groundwork for the upcoming 2027–2029 Three-Year Sport Plan, which will define the region’s strategic priorities for sport and physical activity in the years ahead. Wellness Foundation will continue to contribute to this initiative, offering its data, project expertise and well-established network of local partnerships — in the belief that advancing wellbeing means working together, consistently and collaboratively, for the benefit of the entire community.