Find out more about the 15 finalists of the Smart Ageing Prize, who are using the Internet of Things to aid independent living, reduce social isolation and manage chronic conditions.
The opportunities created by an ageing population and the expansion of the silver economy are often overlooked. AAL’s Smart Ageing Prize aims to highlight the transformative potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) by supporting IoT products and services for older adults to enter the market to facilitate independent living, reduce social isolation and manage chronic conditions.
Many older adults report frustrations that companies selling products to them don’t treat them like the intelligent and discerning consumers they are. People are also ever more willing and able to embrace technological solutions to the problems they face as they age. This growing and unmet demand is creating an opportunity for innovative products and services that empower older adults to continue to lead independent lives and play an active role in society.
The Active and Assistive Living (AAL) Programme is a €700 million funding initiative focused exclusively on developing ICT solutions for active and healthy ageing. The AAL Programme has identified the Internet of Things as a transformative technology that could be harnessed for the needs and wants of older adults, but one that is some time away from becoming mainstream. To help bridge this gap AAL launched the Smart Ageing prize, a €50,000 competition to raise awareness of the economic potential of this market segment and to bring IoT devices for older adults to market within the next 12 months.
15 finalists have been selected and are being supported to demonstrate innovative uses of IoT, from facilitating independent living to enhancing people’s social life and ameliorating physical ailments. The winner of the €50,000 prize will be announced at AAL’s 2016 Forum.
Allowing older adults to stay at home longer and live as independently as possible, for as long as possible, presents a significant opportunity for IoT devices to positively impact everyday life.
Limiting social isolation can be as simple as packaging existing technologies in a format that makes them accessible to everyone.