SEHTA has a long history of collaboration with the collaboration with the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) frequently through its sponsored Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs). SEHTA has held numerous focused workshops to promote TSB calls for projects in health technology including diagnostics, stratified medicine, sensors, electronics and digital systems in life sciences, and assisted living.
SEHTA also worked closely with the TSB and NHS South in recent SBRI funding calls- helping to specify calls and promote the project; in one call, 8 out of the 10 funded projects were SEHTA members who attended a SEHTA workshop.
SEHTA is currently working with the Health Technology and Medicines KTN on a project called KT4i which aims to provide effective dissemination of outputs and learning related to the TSB investment made via the Assisted Living Innovation Platform funded projects. The project is being carried out in collaboration with Medilink West Midlands and has produced a UK-wide capability map in relation to assistive technologies (see Publications)
SEHTA is a sub-contractor in 2 TSB- funded projects under the Assisted Living Platform;
COBALT which is being coordinated by St Andrews University and aims to develop and understand consumer models for assisted living , partners are St Andrews, Sheffield, Reading Universities and Age UK, Find out more by visiting the COBALT website .
COMODAL which is being coordinated by the University of Coventry and aims to tackle barriers to adoption of assisted living technology for older adults.
HDTI has led a successful consortium that has secured project funding from the Technology Strategy Board Assisted Living Innovation Platform, to support the development of a consumer market for assisted living technologies for ‘young’ older people; i.e. those people who are approaching retirement and older age.
The project, entitled, COMODAL, will gain an in-depth understanding of the barriers to market development and create a consumer-led business model through collaboration with industry, the third sector and end users. The model will support private purchase of assisted living technologies and identify the key elements required to bring about large scale market pull. The project will deliver effective, rapid knowledge transfer between industry, end user organisations and academia, and a clear vision of the interface and interplay between public sector services, third sector services and commercial services.
COMODAL toolset
Delivery of the business model will be through a toolset, designed to offer industry readily accessible, evidence-based techniques and methods to successfully develop the consumer market. This will be supported by a guide for assisted living technologies awareness campaigners to better inform older people as consumers, and ‘decision gatekeepers’ such as family members, carers or advisors, about appropriate assisted living technology.
Partners
Our project partners are Age UK and Grandparents Plus. Age UK is the largest UK charity for older people, providing information and advice to six million people and Grandparents Plus is the national charity which champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children’s lives. The project has wider industry involvement through subcontracted expertise provided by Years Ahead, Heritage Bathrooms, Lloyds Pharmacy and SEHTA (South East Health Technologies Alliance). In addition, Telefonica O2 will contribute through an Industry Steering Group.
Deliverables
The information gathered from the research FINAL_Unlocking the potential report will be used to design effective solutions to overcome barriers and promote the factors that will enable the ALT market to flourish through the design of consumer led business models.
It is intended to carry out a series of creative activity workshops with consumers and industry partners to co-produce solutions and shape business approaches that are led by consumers to ensure the market will meet their needs in the future.
These creative activities will focus on three areas to emerge from work to date:
• Information needs including triggers for adoption
• Decision making including the influence of product design
• The purchase process
Ways of overcoming the stigma attached to the use of ALTs will be considered within each area to promote an ‘active approach to ageing’ and promote the idea of Assistive Technology as being ‘easier for everyone’.
Help us to develop the new emerging market for electronic products that help maintain independence! http://www.sehta.co.uk/2013/02/07/help-us-to-develop-the-new-emerging-market-for-electronic-products-that-help-maintain-independence/