ILS

Technology-based services which allow older people to live independently are widely recognised as opportunities for citizens and the ageing society in general. Government policies to support older citizens in living independently in the community have acted as an incentive for developments in assistive technology and the smart home arena, and they have encouraged investments in telecare services. The goal of this study is to gauge the demand for so called Independent Living Systems (ILS) in Europe’s ageing society. In particular, the study will analyse what ILS-policies exist in the EU and whether there is consensus among the EU member states regarding the objectives, functions and future of ILS. Further, it will focus on the question what can be learned from “proven practices’ in this field and what success and failure factors can be deducted from pilots and initiatives that have already taken place. This will enable the development of scenarios outlining future developments in the ILS domain including an evidence-based assessment of related market opportunities and policy implications. In methodological regard, the study will rely upon desk research including a secondary analysis of survey data available from other research contexts, state of the art scenario building techniques and on field studies.