Setting the European agenda on healthy ageing

UCL has reflected on the European research agenda relating to healthy ageing and independent living.

  A workshop jointly organised by UCL and Imperial College London resulted in the League of European Research Universities (LERU) Declaration on Active and Healthy Ageing. UCL is a member of LERU, which represents 21 leading European research-intensive universities.

The workshop formulated a response to the Strategic Implementation Plan on Active and Healthy Ageing, which had been adopted by the Steering Group of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Active and Healthy Ageing in November 2011. The workshop was a forum to identify key issues for age-related research over the next century, including three priority themes - prevention, screening and early diagnosis, care and cure and active ageing and independent living.
With the Innovation Union strategy, the European Commission aims to enhance European competitiveness and tackle societal challenges through research and innovation. Innovation Partnerships are one of the ways in which issues in the European research and innovation system can be addressed. The European Commission has identified active and healthy ageing as a major societal challenge, and an area where there is considerable potential for Europe to lead the world in providing innovative responses to this challenge.

Professor David Price, UCL Vice-Provost (Research) said: "LERU is an opportunity for UCL to play a leading role in driving the European research agenda. This declaration is just one of the ways in which effective leadership can make a practical contribution to the world around us."

Kurt Deketelaere, LERU's Secretary-General, said: "LERU is an opportunity for universities to influence governments and encourage the development of evidence-based policy. We hope that this declaration will support the creation of care and services to enable future generations to lead healthy, active lives."

For more information, visit the LERU website.