Housing 21 awarded funding for ‘Internet of Things’ study
Housing 21 has been awarded £50,000 from the Technology Strategy Board for their ‘Internet of Things Convergence for Housing, Care and Health’ project.
The social enterprise is one of ten organisations to receive funding through the government-backed initiative which aims to encourage and accelerate the formation of an Internet of Things ecosystem of applications and services. The funding will allow each organisation to undertake preparatory studies to better understand how to move towards an application and services marketplace in the ‘Internet of Things’.
The Internet of Things describes the trend for environments, buildings, vehicles, clothing, portable devices and other objects to have more and more information associated with them and/or the ability to sense, communicate, network and produce new information. For Housing 21 the goal is to develop a strategy and plan that would enable the organisation to access and share information, regardless of its location or repository, and deliver it to the right people at the right place at the right time in order to directly benefit the health and wellbeing of its clients.
The project intends to focus on healthcare provision, specifically related to promoting independence and well-being among clients with comorbidity and dementia, through the acquisition of data and information relating to independent living, including levels of hydration.
Rachael Dutton, Research Manager for Housing 21 explains: “The data being considered will be that which has an impact on our clients’ wellbeing, their opportunities to make choices, and their ability to live as independently as possible. This includes “things" that are not currently integrated or accessible - such as data generated from the home, health records, current and future assistive technology and other intelligent devices.”
“We’re delighted to have received this funding and envisage that this piece of work will feed into other important research projects that we’re currently working on.”
Housing 21 is working with Cranfield University and IBM on the study. Following the completion of the preparatory studies, the Technology Strategy Board will invest up to £4 million later this year in a funding competition that will lead to the development of a convergence demonstrator showing the benefits of merging applications and services together through an Internet of Things.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Wendy Gornicki, PR & Information Officer, Housing 21 on 0370 192 4338 or email wendy.gornicki@housing21.co.uk
Housing 21’s mission is to promote independence and choice for older people through quality care, health and housing services. It provides around 131,000 hours of care each week and manages 18,700 sheltered and extra care apartments, providing services to more than 31,000 service users.
The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led government body which works to create economic growth by ensuring that the UK is a global leader in innovation. Sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Technology Strategy Board brings together business, research and the public sector, supporting and accelerating the development of innovative products and services to meet market needs, tackle major societal challenges and help build the future economy. For more information please visit www.innovateuk.org
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