European Innovation Partenrship


to understand what the state of the art is in our field, both in terms of products services available now, but also what technologies will be available in one, two or three years time. We need to understand the trends that exist in our field. “So we contextualise and make sure


that what we are developing fits into the environment that is there and the environment that will be there.” Fozzy set up SportKreativWerkstatt


because he “wanted to be part of shaping the future” and, instead of saying how bad things are, to try to change things for the better. As such, he is generally optimistic, but insists that if we are to make things better for the elderly population – and he includes all of us, across all generations in this – we need to understand what future we want for ourselves. “For young and middle-aged people,


there are huge problems ahead and this is like a time bomb,” he says. “We cannot wait until they all 55, fall into the AAL remit but are fat and unhealthy; we should do something about their health now before it is too late. Active and healthy ageing is a life-long project and not something that starts when you are old.” While Fozzy believes the AAL JP is


addressing this in the right way, he also concedes that we are dealing with very complex and challenging issues. “It is an apparatus that moves slowly at times with lots of self-interest,” he laments. “But I think even though it’s slow, it does move. “People are getting more and more


aware of what is necessary to make an impact with respect to social innovation and its effect on people. Now everyone should all work together, create the effect and everything else will follow.” Asked to look further into the future


himself, at a time when his children will be his age, Fozzy remains optimistic, despite this slow movement – and he believes that technology is at the heart of our future, but not as it is now. “Technology will be a part of life but


hardly visible,” he says. “But it will be in much better control, supporting individuals and social life.” Having answered the question, Fozzy


was reflective, saying that his reply was not very concrete and he needed more time to reflect and to employ the correct methodology to get the answer right. But that is what he does and as he thought about it more he began to get excited again. “I would be excited to produce such a system vision for how our lives in old age will be in 40 years time,” he said. “ I would definitely like to be a part of that.” Somehow, I suspect he will be.


www.aalforum.eu 9


Partnering innovation in Europe


The new European Innovation Partnership begins next year with a pilot focus on Active and Healthy Ageing. In an interview with Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau, senior adviser to Neelie Kroes, we find out how this initiative dovetails in to the work already being undertaken by AAL projects and SMEs


O


ne of the major themes at the AAL Forum 2011 was the impact the European Innovation Partnership and


its pilot focus on Active and Healthy Ageing would have on industry, the market take-up of innovation and on the elderly in our society. Of course, this new initiative, which after a preparatory phase in 2011 becomes active at the beginning of 2012, is highly relevant to AAL and its community of stakeholders. All at the second plenary session at the Forum were keen to understand more from a European Commission perspective just what it all means for AAL. Hoping to make this clear from the stage


was Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau, a cabinet member and senior adviser to Vice President Neelie Kroes, European Commission, responsible for the Digital Agenda. Almost immediately he linked the fundamental aims and objectives of the EIP with those of AAL. “The EIP is bridging the gap between the supply and demand sides of innovation and looking at ways of


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