Innovation project in the Southwest Peninsula to shift care from hospitals to homes and communities

Funded by CISCO's Country Digital Acceleration Program and led by the University of Plymouth's Centre for Health Technology, this project funds initiatives around the creation of a Living Lab. The Plymouth Living Lab is an innovative, real-world 'lab' where older residents, developers and researchers collaborate to co-create and test new digital health technologies.

Comprising over 37,000 residents in social housing (i.e., low-income housing) and embedded within Plymouth Community Homes, the Plymouth Living Lab is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Expand reach by attracting wider use of the lab from health and care, academic and industrial partners across the country.

Increase stakeholder engagement and a sense of shared ownership across the lab's partners (citizens, the University of Plymouth, Plymouth Community Homes, Plymouth City Council, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and NHS Devon).

Mobilise knowledge by refining the Living Lab's approaches to both co-design and evaluation, making them transferrable elsewhere.

Influence policy by generating evidence (data, evaluations of usability, acceptability, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and system fit) to inform local, regional and national policy.

Create economic and social value by supporting the creation of marketable innovations, generating new activities (e.g., experiential learning for medical, nursing and allied health professional students) and enhancing local quality of life.

Boost research and innovation through strengthening interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration.