ActiveAge
"There is a new look to old age. Old does not necessarily mean ill, disabled or poor. The focus of an ageing population, today and in the future, is on personal independence and optimal living"
Professor Joseph Coughlin, MIT AgeLab
Recent projections show that by 2025 there will be more than 116 million people in the EU over the age of 60. That is almost one third of the population. A more discerning, more active, more demanding ageing market poses significant challenges for an already stressed public health service. It changes the way we have to think about the workplace; it questions the functionality of the home; it demands a radical review of how we design for mobility, and it asks increasingly searching questions about the way in which we deliver public services. Society as a whole - business, government, academia and community - needs to consider how this apparent 'problem' can be turned into an opportunity.
As a response to such challenges ActiveAge was conceived. BusinessLab, working closely with Professor Joseph Coughlin (founding Director of MIT's AgeLab), developed the ActiveAge Programme. The aim of the programme is to research the key issues of an ageing society and to develop innovative solutions that will improve competitiveness - from a corporate, regional and national perspective. What will be the impact on business strategy of an ageing society? Now that we live longer, and there are more years of relative wellness, well into old age - what will we do with that longevity dividend? New scenarios are emerging, where the elderly are more demanding; where suppliers have to innovate new methods of service delivery; and where new market opportunities flourish for those who are prepared to embrace new technology and new ways of working.
The research programme has been designed to explore the opportunities for ICT-based solutions in sustaining the wellbeing, independence and economic vitality of an ageing society with particular reference to the 'baby boomer' generation.
"Baby boomer is a North American-English term used to describe a person born between 1946 and 1964. Following World War 11, these countries experienced an unusual spike in birth rates, a phenomenon commonly known as the baby boom".
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomer
Following extensive review the ActiveAge consortium elected to focus the research into 'ageing' markets and the application of technology in four broad areas:
