Inclusive innovation bringing the digitalizing world to the changing care needs and preferences of Europe’s ageing population

Project Information

mecasa-AI

Grant agreement ID: 888297

DOI

10.3030/888297

Project closed

EC signature date 3 December 2019

Start date 1 January 2020

End date 31 May 2020

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

MECASA GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - mecasa-AI (Inclusive innovation bringing the digitalizing world to the changing care needs and preferences of Europe’s ageing population)

Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2020-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

EU population today is the oldest it has ever been with around 102 million people that are 65 years and older. This number is forcasted to rise to 150 million and account for 30% of the overall EU population by 2050. Already today, the EU’s unprecedented ageing has led to a tremendous skills shortage in caregiving. Since most European seniors wish to remain in their own home if in need of care, new approaches such as informal live-in care are required. Therefore, both the EU and its member states are desperately searching for ways to provide high-quality care while opening the door to technological innovation.

To overcome the caregiving gap Mecasa develops an online platform for matching seniors in need if support with informal live-in caregivers. To ensure personal fit among seniors and caregivers Mecasa performs a psychological matching that considers character traits, communication preferences and emotional states. This approach not only closes the caregiving gap but also prevents early termination of caregiving relationships due to a lack of fit. Furthermore, the platform-based approach digitizes the entire caregiving process and hence establishes transparency, care quality and fair working conditions.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The overall project consisted of a technological feasibility study, a business model validation, a search for potential partners, a comprehensive risk assessment, and an in-depth IP assessment. The results of the technological feasibility study clearly demonstrated the potential of digitizing senior care – especially within the domain of live-in care. The study further revealed the crucial role of emotions and individual character traits in happy senior-caregiver relationships. In addition, the business model validation confirmed the hypothesis of enormous market potential within caregiving as well as in other sectors. Furthermore, the partner search resulted into a list of potential and high-profile collaborators.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

In context of a rapidly ageing EU population, the project has demonstrated the exorbitant potential of digital solutions in the world of caregiving. If done right, millions of seniors will be enabled to remain in their own homes even if they require a substantial amount of home care. From a societal point of view, this will relieve nursing relatives, care providers, health and long-term care insurers, as well as society as a whole.

Mecasa - Bridging the Care Gap