At the Welfare Technology Development Programme Demo Day, held at the Estonian Academy of Arts on 22 October, 19 teams presented technological solutions designed to help older people and adults with disabilities live independently and safely in their own homes for as long as possible.
The solutions include medication dispensing robots, home monitoring devices and digital applications that support communication for people with speech difficulties. The Demo Day marked the conclusion of the first stage of the development programme launched earlier this year.
The Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs launched the Welfare Technology Development Programme at the beginning of this year to identify and introduce innovative technology-based solutions that support people in need of assistance. The participating teams have been developing and testing new solutions in collaboration with health and social care experts and service providers. The programme, initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs, is implemented by Tehnopol, Civitta and the Estonian Academy of Arts.
“The value of technology in social care lies not merely in its novelty, but in whether it helps people live more independently, safely and with greater dignity. A good solution supports people in their daily lives, gives their loved ones greater peace of mind and helps social workers and healthcare professionals do their jobs more effectively,” said Hanna Vseviov, Deputy Secretary General at the Ministry of Social Affairs. “This is why it is essential to develop new solutions together with the people who will actually use them, and to ensure that good ideas progress beyond testing into practical use.”
New solutions help prevent health risks and support everyday independence
The solutions presented at the Demo Day focused on maintaining people’s physical abilities, preventing health risks, supporting care at home and reducing loneliness. Examples include a medication management service that helps older people take their medicines correctly, and a remote monitoring solution using smart sensors to identify when someone may need assistance at an early stage. Other teams are developing a digital application to help people with speech difficulties communicate, as well as a solution designed to encourage older people to be more physically active.
“Our aim is to help teams develop solutions and service models that address people’s real needs and can be put into practice. To achieve this, it is essential to involve both end users and health and social care providers from the very beginning of the development process,” said Paulin Jürjens, Head of HealthTech at Tehnopol. “The solutions presented at the Demo Day represent an important step towards enabling more people to live independently and safely in their own homes for as long as possible.”
Collaboration and testing are key to developing effective solutions
The first stage of the Welfare Technology Development Programme focused on developing solutions, identifying user needs and testing technological approaches. Collaboration with healthcare and social care institutions, local authorities and other sector partners played an important role in ensuring that the solutions address real needs and have the potential to be adopted in practice.
“For someone who needs support, problems are not divided into healthcare, social care or other sectors – their needs are interconnected. Yet people often have to navigate between different services and institutions that do not necessarily work well together,” said Reelika Luhtaru, Partner at Civitta. “This is why bringing together professionals from different fields and combining their expertise is particularly important when developing welfare technologies. It is through collaboration between multidisciplinary teams and strong partnerships that we can create solutions based on people’s actual needs, rather than on how services are currently organised.”
When developing new technologies, it is also important to consider how people will use them in their everyday lives. Older people and adults with disabilities may have very different needs, abilities and habits, making ease of use and accessibility essential aspects of the development process. For the participating teams, receiving feedback from sector experts and potential users has been a valuable part of developing their solutions.
“The care sector deals with deeply personal and vulnerable situations, where providing a good service begins with respect for the individual and their circumstances. For the technology sector, addressing such socially sensitive and ethical issues presents a significant challenge,” said Ruth-Helene Melioranski, Researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts and Lead Mentor of the programme. “In our efforts to advance the digital transformation of Estonia’s social care sector, we have sought to reconcile these sometimes conflicting expectations and technological possibilities, shaping them into human-centred, effective service models.”
About the Welfare Technology Development Programme
The Welfare Technology Development Programme is an initiative launched by the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs to support the development and adoption of innovative technology-based solutions in the health and social care sectors. The programme focuses on helping older people and adults with disabilities maintain their independence, reducing the care burden on family members and improving care services.
The Welfare Technologies Development Programme is an implementation activity of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ “Welfare Technologies Innovation Programme 2025–2030”, co-funded from the European Union Cohesion Policy 2021–2027 measure “Improving the accessibility and quality of long-term care”.
The Welfare Technology Program is carried out on behalf of the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs by Tehnopol, Civitta, and the Estonian Academy of Arts.
