ATAM celebrates its 50 years with the “Futuro Singular” event
Fraternidad-Muprespa was present this Wednesday at the “Singular Future 2023” event, a meeting and debate point aimed at analyzing the impact of the technological and scientific revolution on health care and disability.
This is the central event to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of ATAM, a social entity of the Telefónica Group dedicated to the service and promotion of the social integration of people with disabilities and dependents.
This anniversary day, with the title "Science, technology and humanism. Digital transformation of social organizations" has taken place with the help of experts in disciplines such as neuroscience, genomics, biomedical engineering, BIG DATA or Artificial Intelligence.
Raquel Fernández León, president of ATAM and Director of People at Telefónica Spain, carried out the institutional opening, highlighting that the entity has a solid social protection system that supports employees who experience a disability. “The family,” he assured, “has to learn to relate to the person with a disability from empathy.”
After her, Ignacio Aizpún, general director of ATAM, took the floor, whose presentation, with the title “The social institution for a connected world: after the disruption”, carried out an analysis of the impact of technology on the evolution of humanity and the role of social entities when it comes to adapting to a changing life due to technology.”
In relation to the industrial revolution, which “changed the world in less than the duration of a human life,” he highlighted that these modifications did not occur “from the first day, but rather it was necessary to strengthen institutions such as unions, insurance entities, social security systems, education and health… together, the potential of the new life of human beings was developed.”
In relation to the current lifestyle and the care deficits that humanity provides for itself, he highlighted such negative effects as the relationship between loneliness and the progression of Alzheimer's disease or the decrease in the hours allocated to sleep and its negative effect on health.Among other consequences of these behaviors, he stated that sick leave caused by mental illness in 2023 is increasing compared to 2022.
“Overall,” he concluded, “we are using technology to survive the effects of technology.”
Read the interview with Ignacio Aizpún
Ricard Solé, director of the Complex Systems Laboratory of the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, took the floor next with the presentation “Towards an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of life”.
This scientist, expert in complex systems, described how the microbiome of cities can have a positive impact on improving general health or how diverse ecosystems are capable of repelling invasive systems.
After Solé, Jim Van Os, professor of psychiatry, epidemiology and public mental health at the University of Utrecht, and member of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of the Netherlands, intervened with the presentation “The challenge of mental health in a technological world” and gave way to Marta Bertolaso, professor of philosophy of science and human development at the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome who spoke about “The challenge of a digital humanism.”
Héctor Díez, director of Digital Transformation at ATAM and CEO of ViveLibre, and David Prieto, professor of Biostatistics at the University of Alcalá and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, then spoke with the presentation “The technological substrate of the new social and socio-health paradigm”.
The final panel, with the title “Science, technology and transformation of social entities” brought an end to the anniversary event. Pedro Carrascal, general director of the Platform of Patient Organizations, moderated this panel that featured James Crowe, president of the European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities, José Augusto García Navarro, president of the Society Spanish of Geriatrics and Gerontology, and Nicola Bedlington, Special Advisor to the European Patient Forum.
