Dear guests and participants of the AAL Forum 2010

It is with the greatest of pleasure that I, as Mayor of the city of Odense, welcome you to AAL Forum 2010 in Odense.We are greatly honoured to have been chosen to host this year's conference. We consider the conference to be pivotal to the short and long term development of new business areas and new cross-sectoral cooperation to support public and private initiatives aimed at meeting the challenges facing the care-sectors in the coming years.To have been chosen as hosts proves to me that the unrelenting efforts, with which we pursue the ambitious objectves to which we have committed ourselves in relation to welfare technologies, are coming to fruition - and I have high expectations for the future developments in this field.

The city council in Odense has allocated DKK 20 mill. to initial testing and implementation of welfare technologies. We have already initiated several projects e.g. in the Department for Elderly and Disabled Citizens. The use of GPS in relation to citizens suffering from dementia has already been implemented and tests with vacuuming robots have proven so successful that we are now in the process of implementing these in our elder care sector.

Welfare technologies are a major part of the development strategies for Odense as well as for the whole of the Region of Southern Denmark. Our scope covers the entire Triple Helix of private enterprises, the public sector and research and development. We look very much forward to presenting our visions and results as regards strategies and development of welfare technologies, and to learning more from your experiences and expertise, in your capacity as pioneers, end-users, politicians, product developers and established experts in the field of welfare technologies.

While in Odense, I hope that you will take the opportunity to see more of our city. Odense is known as the city for cyclists with a total of 510 km of bicycle paths and state-of-the-art facilities for cyclists. Our efforts in this field have won international acclaim and we are proud to have been chosen to present our results and visions at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. While you are here, why not make time for a bicycle trip to see the full scope of what a city for cyclists can offer first hand?

Odense is a dynamic city that combines the metropolitan pulse with village charm - there is something here for every palate and all temperaments. We are the proud home town of Hans Christian Andersen. Do not forget to visit his birthplace and the adjacent museum and information centre that have been established there in his honour, as well as the quaint historical museum in his childhood home. Take a stroll through the charming centre of the city and enjoy the many parks and squares where you will find varied activities and also room for peaceful contemplation in beautiful surroundings.

The city of Odense and I extend a cordial welcome to AAL Forum 2010.

Anker Boye, Mayor of the City of Odense.