Government launches new assisted living R&D

The Technology Strategy Board, an executive non-departmental public body, controlled by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has launched a £12m assisted living technology R&D initiative.

The initiative aims to address healthcare challenges caused by the impact of individuals living longer, the increasing demand for care for people with long-term conditions and the need to prevent the development of health problems such as obesity.

The initiative, called the Assisted Living Innovation Platform (ALIP), is supported by the Department of Health, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.

Professor Sally Davies, director general of research and development at the Department of Health said: “This excellent initiative fills a real need. It fits well with our existing research programmes under the National Institute for Health Research, and in particular the NIHR Invention for Innovation programme.

“We can follow up the links to Whole System Demonstrators for Long Term Conditions and the NHS can start to plan now for the future procurement of proven new technologies.”

Professor Davies added: “There is considerable potential for these technologies to contribute to an improvement in the quality of care for our ageing society in a cost-effective manner”.

Science and innovation minister, Ian Pearson said the initiative would help bring together government, business and researchers to address issues of key importance to the UK.

The first phase of the R&D programme is called ‘Delivering Innovation in Assisted Living – User Perspectives (DIAL – UP)’.

ALIP is intended to help answer some fundamental issues such as scoping a study for a large scale future technology test suite, inclusive design, business/economic models, and some specific nearer term technology challenges. It will also begin to examine work needed in standards, and knowledge transfer.

Expressions of interest should be received by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by 12.00pm December 7 2007.

A project and consortia building event will be held in early January 2008 and submission of full proposals will be completed by March 30 2008.

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Technology Strategy Board