The seminar formed part of the European Cooperation in Scientific and Technical Investigation (COST) programme and brought together around 20 researchers and academics from across Europe. Its aim was to present new areas of research in the field of family solidarity. 

The COST programme was set up in order to assist young researchers and promote mobility and research visits. On this occasion, the annual seminar focused on the urgent need to promote mechanisms, programmes and policies that foster solidarity between young people and older generations. 

Areas such as education, work and health are little studied in relation to a subject as complex as the ageing of the population and the new needs this entails. The combination of policies and public services, along with the strengthening of intergenerational solidarity in the heart of the family, serves as the framework for much of the work that is being done in these areas. 

Consequently, the COST programme, which is backed by the European Union, seeks to synchronize and promote these research efforts and initiatives through scientific publications and the development of best practices and proposals for Member States. 

For its part, the IESF (and, more specifically, the Santander IsFamily Chair) aims to study intergenerational solidarity from the triple perspective of education, healthcare and business. Throughout this first year of operation, the Chair has promoted the publication of articles and books and organized the second International Congress on Family and Society.