Due to the societal challenges caused by Europe’s ageing population, the need for assistive technologies is rising. The project AAL Vision created a strategic roadmap for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies in Austria 2025 based on extensive research and stakeholder surveys, addressing the main action points that need to be taken in order to make AAL solutions as useful and accessible as possible.

Current demographic changes and the ageing population are causing new societal challenges, which can be addressed through the development of innovative Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions. AAL products and services aim to improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of older adults through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and can support them in various areas of life. The project “AAL Vision: Visionary Strategy for AAL in Austria”, funded by the benefit programme, developed a strategic roadmap for AAL in Austria until 2025, focusing on the needs and requirements of all relevant stakeholders. The project was coordinated by SYNYO GmbH and carried out between August 2017 and April 2018, i.e., for the duration of nine months.

Based on literature research, quantitative and qualitative studies as well as two validation workshops with relevant stakeholders from the AAL sector, the consortium worked on the creation of a strategic vision for Austria in 2025. The strategy mainly focused on the primary end users of AAL technologies, i.e., older adults living independently at home through the support of ICT solutions. Additionally, the requirements of the secondary stakeholders (individuals and organisations working as professional or informal caregivers) and tertiary stakeholders (public or private organisations, not directly in contact with primary end users) are also taken into consideration, as the different groups all have different requirements.

Project results

As a result of the stakeholder survey, consent was found on the statement that primary end users need to be at the centre of the development of AAL solutions, which means that not only do they need to be seen as the main target group but they also must be involved into the development process in order to ensure optimal usability. The areas of life highlighted as the most relevant ones are support in the daily life of older adults and the care sector. While primary stakeholders see transport and mobility as well as information and communication as some of the most important sectors, tertiary stakeholders find them less relevant. In general, safety and care have been found to be the core concepts of AAL.

For the development of the AAL Vision 2025, it was important to focus on creating a positive connotation to ageing. The following areas are the main aims of the strategic vision:

• Creation of a positive image of ageing, enabling the contribution of stakeholders and knowledge transfer;
• Ensuring a proactive policy and expansion of the action frame of AAL;
• Supporting and facilitating care and age-appropriate living with AAL solutions;
• Increasing market chances and supporting businesses to ensure future stability.

In order to achieve these goals by 2025, the following measures have been outlined:

• Improving strategic communication about AAL solutions to increase awareness about products and services and thereby improve the image of AAL;
• Presenting the usability and positive impacts of AAL technologies to increase their acceptance and market value;
• Demonstrating new technologies (e.g., through showrooms, roadshows and demonstrations in care homes) to reduce the digital divide;
• Putting users in the center of technologies, taking into consideration their requirements, borders and expectations, and increasing the technology’s affordability.

Based on those aims and measures, the AAL Vision 2025 for Austria has been formulated.

The most important aims and measures of the AAL Vision 2025

Project consortium

The AAL Vision project was coordinated by SYNYO GmbH and carried out together with the partners Salzburg Research and Austrian Interdisciplinary Platform on Ageing.

Links

Project website:

https://www.aalvision.at/

Keywords

Ageing, AAL, Ambient Assisted Living, Active and Assisted Living, Vision, Older adults, Stakeholder survey, Target groups, Care