5 firms awarded $500,000 grants to develop elderly-friendly products
Thu, Aug 07, 2008
AsiaOne
FIVE companies have been awarded grants amounting to $500,000 to test and develop products which cater to the elderly.
The products include a robot which detects smoke and can alert others of a fall, and an alarm that can be set off at the press of a button to put the aged person in touch with an operator, reported The Straits Times.
These products will be tested by families in 26 selected HDB flats in Tampines, Bishan and Toa Payoh.
"The high level of interest shown by companies in this programme is very encouraging. It is an indication that the private sector believes in the strong business potential in the silver industry," said Ms Chong Siak Ching, Chairperson of the Silver Community Test-Bed Programme Evaluation Panel, and President & CEO, Ascendas.
The companies which received the grants and their products are:
Robotronics Land Pte Ltd - Multi-purpose Elderly Care Robot Functions
>60 Design Centre at Temasek Polytechnic and Eubiq Pte Ltd - 3-in-1 product that combines the night light, motion sensor and communicator on Eubiq's track system
ADT Security Services - ADT Care Alert
As for Ms Charlotte Beck, Director, Elderly, Disability and Gambling Safeguards, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, she said that "Singapore can be a 'Living Lab' for companies to test-bed and develop solutions that can be exported to the global market".
The five were selected from 16 proposals and judged on functionality, viability and affordability. The proposals came mainly from local institutes and companies, with most focusing on home and health monitoring, lifestyle enhancement and assisted living.
The Silver Community Test-Bed Programme was launched by Minister for Community Development Youth and Sport Vivian Balakrishnan in January.
Another round
A second call for proposals will be initiated later this year.
The focus of this new call will be on developing affordable and user-friendly products and services to meet the day-to-day needs of the elderly in their homes. An example of such a product is a height adjustable sink or kitchen cabinet.
The prospects for the silver industry in Asia are promising.
By 2050, the United Nations projects that 1.2 billion people in Asia will be above 60, four times the number of people above 60 in Europe and US combined. In addition, MasterCard has projected, in a 2007 study, that the silver spending power of Asia will almost triple to US$616 billion in 2015.
"Age-friendly innovations will not only enhance the living environment for older people, they will also help our seniors stay cared for and connected," said Ms Chong.
