Rationale

The challenge of the AAL technologies in Europe in this moment is to impact the market. To do that, technology should reach users needs, priorities and expectations. We should be able to make users feel technology as allied in their daily lives, and to develop business models suited to the complex market context of active and healthy ageing.

One solution to such big challenge is Social Innovation, a concept now becoming fashionable. At this moment there are in Europe several initiatives promoting Social Innovation and all of them talk about “active and healthy ageing”.

 However the concept of what social innovation is, applied to AAL, not always so clear. How to use this approach under the AAL JP is unknown, and the synergies and boundaries of the different initiatives with respect to the AAL JP need a deeper analysis.

The objective of this session is to start this debate.