Interview with Ms Sonja Hansen, European Project Officer at the Municipality of Aarhus

Representatives of the project met (albeit virtually) with Ms Sonja Hansen who is a European Project Officer at the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark and also a member of the Expert and Advisory Board at PlatformUtake.eu to discuss the role of open platforms for the improvement of the quality of life of older people. During the interview Ms Hansen provided an example with the Center for Assisted Living Technology which currently works on the development of a platform which will provide companies, academia, politicians and citizens with information and advice on available digital solutions in the field.

The interviewee elaborated on the importance of collaborating with SMEs and other industry representatives on the introduction of innovation solutions to older people so they can have a good life on their own conditions. Ms Hansen commented that the involvement of all relevant stakeholders in the knowledge exchange is an important prerequisite for the creation of technology that addresses adequately the needs and requirements of older people. She concluded that an agile co-creation development process would benefit not only the end users of the solutions but also establish an increased value of the services provided by the companies and ensure their continued competitiveness.

Stay tuned for the interview recording to learn more on how open platforms and digital technology contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the older people in Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark.