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Future leaders in ageing and digitalizing societies

Project description

Rethinking ageing in a digital world

Europe’s ageing population and rapid digitalisation are reshaping society, yet they are often treated as separate challenges. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the Digi4Age project sees them as interconnected. By training doctoral researchers, Digi4Age is building a new generation of leaders equipped to design inclusive, tech-driven solutions for ageing societies. Its programme explores how digital tools can support health, preserve identity, adapt to lifelong habits, and promote social inclusion. Drawing on expertise from top universities and civil society actors across nine countries, Digi4Age addresses key UN goals (health, equality, and decent work), while aligning with Europe’s Digital and Healthy Ageing Decades.

Objective

The digitalisation of ageing societies is restructuring Europe, raising concerns about social inclusion. Recognizing the gravity of this shift, the EU declared the 2020s 'Europe’s Digital Decade', while the WHO declared it the 'Decade of Healthy Ageing'. Researchers and practitioners typically view digitalisation and societal ageing as separate shifts. Digi4Age breaks with this tradition. Drawing on its members’ recent research, it posits that both are intertwined. They are jointly experienced and integrated into the social fabric – and they need to be jointly addressed. Digi4Age trains 14 doctoral researchers as future leaders with scientific expertise in both digitalising and ageing societies, who can creatively steer academia, the public sector, private sector, and civil society towards solutions benefitting older individuals, European societies, and businesses. To do so, it launches an interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international doctoral research and training programme for excellence in evidence-based leadership in digitalising and ageing societies. The programme explores how digital technologies can (1) support health in old age without compromising identities and self-images; (2) accommodate older individuals’ long-standing habits and preferences in workplaces and consumer markets; and (3) complement social innovation to ensure equality and social inclusion in ageing societies. Digi4Age assembles some of Europe’s foremost researchers in this area as beneficiaries (LUT, OUNL, LSMC, TUDO, URJC, KLPU) and influential researchers and widely recognized stakeholders from civil society, policymaking, and businesses as associated partners (LRS, VILANS, UH, VICESSE, AGE, vdSHOP, HZG, OEI, VTT, TUWIEN, NIPH, SENIORWORLD, EUROCARERS) across 9 countries. It addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals 'No poverty', 'Good health and well-being', 'Gender equality', 'Decent work and economic growth', and 'Reduced inequalities'.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral Networks

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01

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Coordinator

LAPPEENRANNAN-LAHDEN TEKNILLINEN YLIOPISTO LUT
Net EU contribution
€ 943 574,40
Address
YLIOPISTONKATU 34
53850 Lappeenranta
Finland
Region
Manner-Suomi Etelä-Suomi Etelä-Karjala
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (6)

Partners (13)