[Online] Promoting the Development and Transfer of Technology to Improve the Lives of Older Adults

East and Southeast Asia are aging rapidly, with the number of people aged 65 and over in the region projected to double by 2050. As such, there is a strong need to develop and harness innovative new technologies that can promote healthy aging and meet the demands of this increasingly significant market. This joint webinar, co-organized by the Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology (OIST) Foundation, the Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), will bring together a panel of representatives from both the academic and business sectors to discuss the importance of technology transfer. Participants will consider such questions as: What are some of the barriers when it comes to moving an aging-related innovation from academic and research settings onto the market? What policies and regulatory frameworks are needed to allow for new products to be shared between countries in the region? How can we address ageism in both sectors, which might be influencing people to avoid working on innovations aimed at older people?

This event will feature Dr. Lauren Ha from OIST’s Technology Development and Innovation Center and Dr. Michael Roizen, a noted expert on healthy longevity and wellness from the Cleveland Clinic. They will be joined in the discussion by recent winners of the Healthy Aging Prize for Asian Innovation (HAPI), including Ms. Li Lian Ng, whose company Tetsuyu Healthcare has developed a new wound assessment and treatment system, and Dr. Siti Anom Bt. Ahmad, whose team at Universiti Putra Malaysia developed an autonomous delivery robot to meet the need for contactless delivery that emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic.