Lord Duncan visits Stirling innovators leading the way in responding to an ageing society
UK Government Minister Lord Duncan visited the University of Stirling, Symbiosis and CodeBase in Stirling to discuss the needs of an ageing society.
Lord Duncan at University of Stirling
Last week [Friday 22 March] Lord Duncan had the opportunity to hear about the world-leading innovations being developed by Stirling institutions in response to one of society’s most pressing issues, an ageing population. By 2050, worldwide there are likely to be two billion people over the age of 60.
UK Government Minister Lord Duncan said:
A key priority for the UK Government is to support innovation for our ageing society. As people are living longer, we want to make sure they are also living independently and happily. This is why the UK Government is investing over £300 million from our Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to tackle issues like this.
Scotland has a reputation as a world leader in innovation and research and it is great to see the vital contribution by the University of Stirling to one of society’s most pressing problems.
At the University of Stirling, Lord Duncan learned of the University’s ageing and dementia research as well as proposals for an intergenerational village and innovation hub.
Visiting Symbiosis, who recently received UK Government funding, Lord Duncan saw first-hand their developments into supply chain models and commercial gene therapy.
Lord Duncan also met with senior staff at CodeBase Stirling and learnt how they benefit local economies and how technology can be harnessed to help the needs of an ageing society.
The Ageing Society ‘Grand Challenge’ forms a key part of the UK Government’s modern Industrial Strategy. Its mission for the Ageing Society Grand Challenge is to ensure that people can enjoy at least five extra years of healthy independent living by 2035 whilst also narrowing inequalities.