Launch of living lab for ‘workable work’ in the care and welfare sector

The Flemish government is investing 3 million euros in the living lab 'Technology for workable work in the care and welfare sectors'. Within this framework, the research centres Flanders Make and imec, together with university colleges of applied sciences Thomas More (LiCalab), PXL and UC Leuven-Limburg, are setting up pilot projects to increase workability through technological innovations in childcare, youth care, care for the elderly and care for the disabled, among others.

The care and welfare sectors are facing huge challenges, such as the rising demand for care due to an ageing population, labour shortages, technological developments that require upskilling and increasing emotional strain. This also puts pressure on the workability of care jobs, just at a time when we can use all available hands. 

On 27 February, in the presence of Innovation Minister Jo Brouns, the partners presented the project at De Wingerd residential care centre (Woonzorgnet- Dijleland) in Leuven. Here, we explained how we can increase the workability of care jobs by using innovative technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, innovative monitoring and support (e.g. smart lifting assistance systems).

The technologies we consider in this project are often already applied in other sectors. We test whether these existing solutions can inspire or be adapted to specifically meet the needs of care workers. This is the starting point for developing customised technology in close consultation with a number of care facilities in Flanders, which we will test and perfect in pilot projects.