Blog

Although it has been a week since the closing of an exceptional AAL Forum 2018, the energy, the discussions and the friendships will continue to permeate for a lot longer. To help continue these dialogues and collaborations we will be releasing material from the forum over the next few months. Over the two days of the AAL Forum, 36 posters were publicly presented in the exhibition hall to interested delegates and attracted passers-by. But don’t worry – you haven’t missed out if you didn’t see them! You can find all the visual posters in one easy-to-access place, simply follow this link. This page will be live for six months, providing you ample time to look through the posters at your...Read More

Ongi etorri! This is the expression used to welcome outsiders in the ancient, little-known Basque language (one of the oldest in Europe). You are sure to hear it many times when you attend the forthcoming AAL Forum 2018 in Bilbao, the capital city of Bizkaia. And those who say it will really mean it. If there is one thing that Basque in general and people from Bizkaia in particular love, it is to make visitors feel at home. What is more, people here will go to great lengths to make visitors feel at ease and help them enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city, which is surrounded by unique natural beauty spots (both on the coast and inland). Another key...Read More

There is still time to register for the biggest healthy ageing event of the year There is still time to register for the AAL Forum 2018 – and you really don’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity! The AAL Forum is an unmissable annual 2-day event taking place this year in the beautiful and highly accessible city of Bilbao in the heart of Spain’s wonderful Basque region and featuring a packed programme of interactive workshops, fascinating keynote speeches and an inspiring exhibition. Delegates will also get the chance to take full advantage of a whole host of side events and networking opportunities. Exhibition The AAL exhibition will be showcasing the latest technological advances and innovations in the field of active...Read More

On a two-year tour around the globe, an exhibition is currently asking the question: how can designers meet the challenge of a rapidly ageing society? Science is advancing in how it understands the onset of ageing and chronic disease, while technology is stealing the limelight in extending our happy and healthy years for longer. But what does design have to complement these two and what can it offer that our ageing population needs? This new exhibition, New Old: Designing for our future selves, is answering the question of how we can transform the experience of ageing. That answer is seemingly simple – we need to be sensitive – and evidently a touch of sensitivity can go a long way, if...Read More

With just a short time to go to the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Euskalduna Conference Centre (the venue of the forthcoming AAL Forum 2018), Bilbao’s modern and versatile conference centre and concert hall has undeniably become one of the flagships of the transformation process of the capital of Bizkaia and one of the symbols of the new contemporary architecture that has  turned Bilbao into one of Europe’s most avant-garde cities The Euskalduna Conference Centre –named as the World’s Best Congress Centre in 2003– owes its name to the fact that it was built on the very land that had been home to the Euskalduna shipyards for over a century. The design of the centre (by the architects...Read More

After its success at last year’s AAL Forum, 2018 will see the return of the prestigious Stand Award Prize, where forum exhibitors are asked to promote their stand to end-users in the AAL community, reinforcing the programme’s commitment to involve its target market and engage with it at every opportunity. This entertainment is open to all registered exhibitors (though it’s not compulsory). The competition sees each exhibitor present its product or service, in no longer than seven minutes, to a jury composed of elderly people, who will assess what they see and hear on the following criteria: – Does it meet the needs of end-users? – How it supports active ageing – Its design attractiveness – Its usability On the...Read More

Cogvis, known for their expertise in intelligent analysis of 3D data and images, developing and selling innovative AAL solutions to help older adults live healthier more independent lives, will be exhibiting the project EnterTrain at the 2018 AAL Forum.  EnterTrain, driven by its name as an entertaining product that enhances the independence of older adults through motivational physical training, is an exciting gaming platform with some very interesting body movement games which you will be allowed you to test at this year’s forum. This new technology detects movement, assesses individual mobility and is personalised so users can have fun gaming, and inconspicuously training, at home. Cogvis, originally founded as a spin-off of the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), have...Read More

Bizkaia –the host territory of the upcoming AAL Forum 2018 which will be held between 24 and 26 September- is a clear example of healthy living for older persons and of how the involvement of the different public authorities and social stakeholders may foster the application of public-private strategies to extend the active life of older persons and prevent/delay dependency in that segment. Certainly, Bizkaia has firsthand experience of the reversal of the population pyramid that is already affecting western societies (and hitting European societies harder). At present, one out of every 5 of the province’s inhabitants (i.e., around 240,000 people) are over 65 years old. Furthermore, the majority of Bizkaia citizens can aspire to live to over 80, according...Read More

The 2018 AAL Forum will see two days jam-packed with 26 workshops that are open to everyone attending the forum. Across the two days there will be 13 workshops per day. With only four workshops on at any given time, you’ll have ample opportunity to engage in lively debates and share exciting new ideas.  This year, the workshops have been split into three main themes that represent the focus of the forum, Life after AAL – Ensuring AAL solutions are getting to the market (Theme 1); Business to consumer market – The silver economy dimensions (Theme 2); AAL-related eco-systems (Theme 3). To ensure you don’t turn up to the AAL Forum unprepared, we want to give you as much information...Read More