Demographic change, which is causing a significant increase in population groups that are old and very old due to a lower birth rate and longer life expectancy at the same time, poses major challenges for our society. The group of very old (80+) and extremely old people (90+) is growing particularly fast, which leads to a significant increase in the number of people who require support. In order to meet the demographic challenges in both the outpatient and inpatient sectors, technical assistance systems, including robots, are being developed and tested. Studies by the European Strategic Research Agenda for Robotics in Europe 2014–2020 (SPARC) show that there is a clearly defined need for robotics solutions for older people and that demand is expected to grow accordingly.

Our research in the Technology Cluster

We use existing partnerships and expertise of our network partners and expand them internationally in order to bring cross-border know-how to Switzerland. This is done through a targeted search for international examples of good practices along existing contacts as well as new partnerships to be developed.

This is of central importance because, in view of the demographic changes, innovative technological solutions, new health care systems and new service providers are needed to maintain the independence and well-being of older people (including those of very old and extremely old age) for as long as possible, to relieve the burden on caregivers and, thus, to stabilise the costs of care to society. The systematic use of technology, including robotics, can relieve the burden on caregivers. This is necessary because there is a shortage of nursing staff in inpatient care, which also causes great physical and psychological strain on caregivers, such as physically demanding tasks (e.g. lifting/carrying) or tasks that are not related to nursing (e.g. documentation).