Six organizations are joining forces in the new DEMTECH program: UMCG, Alzheimer Nederland, Vilans, Hanze, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Sara B.V. DEMTECH offers co-funding to knowledge institutions, businesses, and healthcare organizations to develop innovative and user-friendly technologies. The goal is to enhance in the home environment the autonomy and independence of people with dementia, prevent crises, and relieve informal caregivers. The DEMTECH program is made possible through a grant from Health~Holland.
The number of people with dementia in the Netherlands is growing rapidly and is expected to exceed 500,000 by 2040. More and more people with dementia live alone without direct informal care. Due to improved diagnostics and limited housing facilities, they remain at home longer. Nearly 80% of people with dementia live at home, and most of them prefer not to move to a nursing home, even in the final stages of life. At the same time, the availability of informal care is declining significantly, and the healthcare workforce shortage is increasing.
"This calls for a fundamental change in the support for people with dementia, where technology can and must play a crucial role," says Sytse Zuidema, Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Dementia and Chair of the University Network for Elderly Care at UMCG. "It is essential that innovative research on assistive technologies for mobility, safety, lifestyle, and communication is made practically applicable. These technologies promote self-management, enabling people with dementia to maintain control over their own lives despite the progression of the disease. As a result, they become less dependent on external care."
In the spring of 2025, DEMTECH will invite consortia of knowledge institutes, healthcare organizations, and businesses to participate in an open call for project proposals. Selected projects will then take part in co-creation sessions, focusing on improving grant applications and addressing business challenges related to safe testing environments, interoperability, and scalability from various perspectives. The entire grant process is expected to result in 4-8 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. More information can be found on The DEMTECH PPP Program.
UMCG, Alzheimer Nederland, Vilans, Hanze, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Sara B.V. are proud to collaborate in this new Public-Private Partnership (PPP) grant scheme introduced by the Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation – Life Sciences & Health (TKI-LSH, also known as Health~Holland). This year marks the launch of the innovative TKI-LSH PPP grant scheme, a consortium-based initiative that enables funded programs to develop partnerships with the private sector through project calls, resource allocation, and oversight of project execution.
