Innovation and novel technologies within the framework of longevity
The societal challenge of an ageing population
According to the United Nations report on population ageing (2019)[1], by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over 65 and the number of people aged 80 and over is expected to triple from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million. In Europe alone, by 2050, the population over 65 will reach 149.2 million[2].
But living longer does not necessarily mean a healthier, more active and independent life. Although life expectancy will continue to increase, unhealthy life years are expected to account for around 20% of a person's life. This is why innovative technological solutions have the potential to improve the quality of life of older people and strengthen their independence.
What is innovation and how can it improve the quality of life of an increasingly ageing population?
In general terms, innovation is understood as the ability to generate, execute and implement new ideas that transform a process, product or service to create value for the user.
In recent years, with the aim of improving the quality of life of an increasingly ageing society, the European Commission has funded numerous research, innovation and development activities to contribute to an active and healthy ageing of the European population. Already in 2011, the European Union created the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, with the aim of fostering innovation that promotes active ageing and increases healthy life expectancy. Another example is AAL, a European programme to fund both the development of innovative technologies and the use of existing technologies to promote autonomous living for as long as possible. To date, more than 240 projects have been funded, for example:
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RGS, a virtual reality-based rehabilitation system for people who have suffered a stroke. Through the response to different stimuli in a virtual reality environment, the patient is helped to recover lost skills, improve coordination and regain independence, thus improving their quality of life.
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SI4SI, a system based on Artificial Intelligence that is able to detect different levels of isolation and offers users the possibility to connect with other people and access social and leisure activities through a platform that also connects them with health professionals.
- ExerG, a video game aimed at the over-65s which, through training adapted to their abilities, enables the end user to improve their physical and cognitive abilities, improving their autonomy and their ability to move, thus preventing falls due to lack of balance or poor physical condition.
In terms of social impact, some of the most outstanding initiatives carried out under the 7th Framework Programme, the Competitiveness and Innovation programme and Horizon 2020 have been the following[3]:
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MARIO, a project addressing the difficult challenges of loneliness, isolation and dementia in the elderly through assistive robots.
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Dem@care, a monitoring system for people with dementia, which aims to contribute to the diagnosis, assessment and maintenance of people affected by the disease by helping them to remain independent through a better understanding of how the disease affects their behaviour and daily life. The solution integrates a variety of new technologies such as a multi-sensor environmental monitoring system that records the user's sleep and behavioural profiles; and algorithms developed for the visual sensing system, which recognise complex activities from static and/or wearable cameras, offering highly accurate real-time detection and monitoring capabilities.
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Silver, a mobile personal assistant in the form of a walker that helps the elderly with daily routines and household chores.
As can be seen, new technologies applied to improve the quality of life of the elderly have a very broad scope, ranging from solutions related to health or mobility to telecommunications. However, despite all the progress made, there is still a long way to go and in the coming years new opportunities will open up related to the application of 5G, blockchain, wearables and Artificial Intelligence in this field.
What is the European strategy to foster innovation in this area in the coming years?
Horizon Europe (2021-2027) is the European Union's new programme dedicated to research and innovation. The programme has a budget of 95.5 billion and is divided into three pillars: 1) Excellent Science, which aims to increase the global scientific competitiveness of the European Union; 2) Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness, which will support research activities aimed at solving societal challenges through 6 clusters, including health; 3) Open Innovation, which aims to position Europe as a world leader in innovation and market creation through the European Innovation Council (EIC); 4) Innovation and Innovation for Europe, which will support research activities aimed at solving societal challenges through 6 clusters, including health; and 5) Open Innovation, which aims to position Europe as a world leader in innovation and market creation through the European Innovation Council (EIC), which will support research activities aimed at solving societal challenges through 6 clusters, including health.
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The 2021-2022 work programme of the health cluster has a budget of EUR 221 million and encompasses measures related to the promotion of healthy ageing, as one of its main objectives is to enable citizens of all ages to remain healthy and independent in a rapidly changing society by promoting healthier lifestyles, behaviours and environments, developing improved evidence-based health policies and more effective solutions for health promotion and disease prevention.
The programme places particular emphasis on promoting wellbeing and preventing mental illness related to the use of new technologies and climate change. As has been seen, new technologies have the potential to improve the society we live in. Therefore, and beyond the economic interest, it is our responsibility to develop new solutions that improve our old age and help us to cope with and mitigate the stress of a changing society, designing technology in such a way that it is at the service of the human being, thus taking advantage of all its benefits and the possibilities it presents to face today's demographic and social challenges.
[1]https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.des…
[2]https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3217494/10166544/KS-02-19%E2%80…
[3] https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/news/top-25-influential-…
