Problem description

The European Union is facing a negative demographic pyramid, connected with many health related issues.

Consequences of population ageing in society can be seen in the field of employment, characteristics of retirement and health care. The situation for young people is changing. They experience certain life events later than the generations before them and are becoming a rare resource, which is not being used and integrated enough. There is a need for new forms of solidarity between the generations

The region of Podravje shows the highest ageing index in comparison with other statistical regions of Slovenia. This is why ageing in Podravje is a very relevant topic, to which research institutions, non-governmental organizations and other interested institutions and invididuals, besides systemic measures, can contribute.

Solution

The University of Maribor has established its CORE@UM, a common innovation and research platform in Podravje in the field of active and secure ageing, which will represent the creative core of Podravje’s innovation ecosystem.

The content of CORE@UM is divided into three research development projects (RRP) connected in an inter- and transdisciplinary manner::

• Advanced materials and technologies
• Advance computing
• Applied studies of complex solutions

Priority fields of CORE@UM will be connected with horizontal research topic focusing on the priority of Horizon 2020 entitled “Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing”. The main objective of the CORE@UM is to increase the research and innovation capacity of the UM and Podravje region for establishing a future KIC (Knowledge Innovation Community) within European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) under the topic “Innovation for Healthy Living and Active Ageing« in the Podravje region by 2015.