Bodies under the sponsorship of DSIT and DHSC have provided financial support for a project to be led by a network of Scottish entities, including universities, NHS boards and charities

Government bodies have devoted £2m in funding to a project exploring how technology can help people suffering from dementia live independently.

The Consolidate network – chiefly comprised of Heriot-Watt University, the University of Strathclyde and charity Age Scotland – aims to develop technology to enhance the social, mental and physical capacities of people with dementia. Other partners participating in the project include Alzheimer Scotland, Meeting Centres Scotland, Carers Scotland, the Community Renewal Trust and NHS boards from the Scottish Borders to the Highlands and Islands.

The three-year programme delivered by the Scottish organisation will focus on how technology can help people at different stages of their diagnosis, from improving functional abilities to anticipating changing needs, and providing help for declining skills. Tools will be co-created with people suffering from the condition to ensure they are geographically and financially accessible.

The project is one of four to secure funding from UK Research and Innovation’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) – and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The two organisations providing the back operate as arm’s-length bodies, under the respective oversight of the Departments for Science, Innovation and Technology and Health and Social Care.

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Alan Gow, professor at Heriot-Watt University, said: “Technology has immense potential to support people living with dementia, from virtual assistants promoting social, mental, and physical engagement, smart sensors to monitor activity, and even robots that aid with daily tasks – the tools exist.”

Mario Parra Rodriguez, professor at the University of  Strathclyde, added: “By equipping emerging technologies with knowledge contributed by relevant disciplines and mapping such developments to the needs and preferences of those who will benefit from them, we can achieve unprecedented levels of personalised care. Consolidate moves away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach as it aims to support the development of new technologies that can adapt to the changing needs of diverse populations living with dementia.”

There one currently one million people in the UK living with dementia. This figure is estimated to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.

About 85% would want to stay at home for as long as possible if diagnosed with dementia, according to a survey by the Alzheimer’s Society.

EPSRC executive chair professor Charlotte Deane said: “Dementia is a major challenge in the UK and globally. As people are living longer, the number of people living with dementia is increasing. With most people wishing to remain at home, we are investing in research that could lead to new technologies and innovations that will help keep people safe and independent.”

A version of this story originally appeared on PublicTechnology sister publication Holyrood