OST awards Age Innovation Prize

The Institute for Ageing Research(IAF) at the OST - University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland has awarded this year's Age Innovation Prize in collaboration with the Switzerland Innovation Park East and the auditing and consulting firm EY Switzerland. According to a press release, the 15,000 Swiss franc prize was awarded to three innovative solutions that improve the lives of older people.

One of the award-winning projects is the FlexAssist seating aid. The spring-supported seating aid helps older people to sit down and stand up on public transport. It was developed by Jacqueline Keller, Lukas Mendes and Luc Schweizer from the Zurich University of the Arts(ZHdK) and Gian Teufen from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich(ETH).

The company HR ConScience from Zurich, a start-up of the University of Zurich(UZH), has developed the Silver Bridge platform. With their help, older people can carry out a self-assessment in an online questionnaire and receive options for re-entering the labor market. "Returning to work promotes independence, social integration and therefore the quality of life of older people," Lea Rutishauser and Anja Feierabend from HR ConScience are quoted as saying in the press release.

The SIGMA-beSerious project also received an award. It enables older people who are cared for at home to train their cognitive skills in a playful way. This can counteract a significant reduction. "The impact on the quality of life of the senior citizens concerned is immense," says Sara Levati, SIGMA-beSerious project manager and Senior Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland(SUPSI).

Switzerland Innovation Park East will support the winners with advice or a workshop worth CHF 3,000. EY Switzerland is also offering coaching worth CHF 5000. In addition, a co-creation workshop worth 7500 francs will be offered by the IAF.

A new Age Innovation Prize will be announced throughout Switzerland in 2025. ce/ww