A great deal of Hanze UAS’s applied research is focusing on various aspects of Healthy Ageing. The university has 6 Centres of Applied Research and Innovation. They are characterized by multidisciplinary working arrangements, in which relevant members from all research groups (40 in total) and Schools have been brought together.
The aim is quantity, focus and synergy for the benefit of social added value and regional involvement. Each Centre is focused on themes that have a strategic importance for the region. The core themes of ‘health’ and ‘participation’, of our largest Centre, CaRES (= Care, Rehabilitation, Education and Sports), are directly linked to Healthy Ageing.
The Centres for, Labour Market, Area Development, Entrepreneurship and Art and Society are strengthening their focus on Healthy Ageing and their mutual co-operation on this theme, resulting in research on topics like Healthy Ageing in Music and the Arts, Healthy Ageing and Environment, Healthy Ageing and the Labour Market, Entrepreneurship and New Business in the field of Healthy Ageing, etc. In this way, Healthy Ageing has become a research topic in 5 out of 6 Centres of Applied Research and Innovation. Within these centres, over 20 research groups and around 75 lecturer/researchers are working on this theme. In addition, some 16 staff members are conducting PhD research in this field. Innovation and valorization (including societal and economic impacts) are key elements in various ongoing Healthy Ageing projects, which are being carried out in conjunction with partner organisations and industry professionals. In all of these, Hanze UAS is endeavoring to create connections between research and educational programs and curricula, and is contributing to innovation in professional practice. It has collaborative ventures with partners such as the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG), the University of Groningen (RUG), the other Universities of Applied Sciences in the north, large organisations and SMEs, and municipal and provincial authorities.
Centres of Applied Research and Innovation and the research groups related to Healthy Ageing:
a) CaRES (Care, Rehabilitation, Education and Sports) with the research groups:
- Health Care and Nursing including Paramedic Geriatric Care
- Healthy Lifestyle, Ageing and Health Care
- Participation and health of the mentally or visually impaired
- (Functional) Nutritional Ingredients and Health
- Innovative Nursing and Positioning
- Rehabilitation and Integrated Youth Care Policies
- Sport Sciences including the professorship Healthy Lifestyle, Sports and Physical.
Altogether the research capacity in 2012 – 2013 will be 50 fte (professors, lecturer/researchers, PhD candidates). Out of this total, 75% will be focused on care and welfare.
b) The Centre of Applied Research and Innovation for Labour in which Healthy Ageing is one of the research threads and in which care related research is being conducted in 4 research groups:
- Labour Participation;
- Flexicurity;
- Sustainable HRM; and
- Labour Participation and Productivity.
In these research groups projects are being carried out in the areas of care and work innovation, task replacement in care, more effective organizing of care and Healthy Ageing at work.
c) The Centre of Applied Research and Innovation for Entrepreneurship in which research related to Healthy Ageing is being carried out in for example, the research groups
- ICT and entrepreneurship (E-Health);
- New Business Development (for example Healthy Ageing/ medical technology).
In addition there is a connection to the Centre for Valorization and Entrepreneurship (Hanze UAS, RUG, UMCG) and to various facilities for the support (incubation) of start ups.
d) The Centre of Applied Research and Innovation on Area Development, including the research groups Real Estate (living & care) and Shrinkage (in relation to Healthy Ageing).
e) The Centre of Applied Research and Innovation for Art & Society in which the research groups Life Long Learning in Music & the Arts has a research thread on Healthy Ageing.