User-centric Gerontech keeps improving

 

Lingnan University has been actively initiating community projects like LU Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing, making contributions to society through research and knowledge transfer in recent years. Gerontechnology is a multidisciplinary concept combining gerontology and technology, whereas Gerontech products are technological products cater for the ageing society.

 

Due to the rapid technology development in Hong Kong, in order to let the researchers and developers understand the real needs of the users, the project team from LU Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing has regularly hosted a “Gerontech Users x Tech Companies Focus Group Meeting” to promote idea exchange among the sectors. On May 20, 2021, we together with HKSTP (Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation) met with three elderly service organizations and three technology companies to promote the development of user-centric gerontech, and to encourage opinions exchange including the needs of the elderly and the users into consideration during the research and development process.

 

With the nomination for the “HKSAR Chief Executive’s Community Project List” and funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Lingnan University launched “LU Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing Project” (2019-2022). It serves as an educational platform to provide training courses and workshops on “Gerontechnology in Healthcare, Dining, Living and Transport”. It also aims to promote gerontechnology, support smart ageing socialpreneurship, and build a database in the areas of gerontech products and services, social innovation and startups by conducting baseline studies, with a vision to offer policy recommendations to the industry and Government.