The Technology Strategy Board is joining forces with the UK Design Council in a £2million programme, Independence Matters, in which designers and industry will work in partnership with older people to jointly develop and test new systems and services which tackle issues of mobility, healthy eating, staying fit and keeping connected to friends, family and the younger generation.
Independence Matters will involve two projects:
Home and Away will develop ways to help people to live independently for longer. The Technology Strategy Board will offer development contracts to enable designers and businesses to work with older adults and third sector organisations.
Keeping Connected aims to design technology-enabled systems and services that improve the quality of life of older people, working with young people in schools. The idea is to harness the creativity and information technology ability of young people and the life experience and needs of older people, to generate concepts that are then developed into market-ready services and products by industry.
Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board Iain Gray said, “We are aiming to trial innovative new ways to help people live healthy, fulfilling and independent lives. At the same time, we will be working to help UK businesses to exploit lucrative new markets by developing innovative systems and services which they can export around the world”.
To find out more, visit the Independence Matters website.
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