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My internship with DHI has been a truly inspiring experience that has significantly influenced my academic and career aspirations.  During my 3-month internship, I had the opportunity to work collaboratively with different teams which allowed me to find out more about the research and projects being carried out by DHI.  This experience not only allowed me to develop my teamwork and communication skills but also inspired me to continue exploring the vast opportunities for innovation and improvement in health and social care. I had the incredible opportunity to delve into the world of Virtual Reality (VR) and explore its potential to revolutionise education and training within the health and social care sectors.  The immersive nature of VR technology has introduced new possibilities for enhancing the learning experience of healthcare professionals, allowing them to engage in realistic simulations and hands-on training in a virtual environment.  I have learned how VR can be utilised to simulate complex medical procedures, create interactive anatomy lessons, and provide realistic patient care scenarios. By researching the art of VR development and troubleshooting, I have gained valuable insights into the power of this technology to improve the skills and knowledge of healthcare professionals. Understanding the potential of VR in transforming traditional educational methods and enhancing learning outcomes in health and social care has led me to consider incorporating this technology into my final year Honours project. This experience has also motivated me to explore further research opportunities in the field of digital health and care technology and potentially pursue a postgraduate degree in the coming years. The invaluable insights and skills acquired through my internship have not only shaped my academic interests but have also set me on a path towards a rewarding and impactful career in the intersection of healthcare and technology. Simone Singh. Reflective Blog

Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) prepares to unveil fresh 10-year strategy following £2 million per year Scottish Funding Council (SFC) award  Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) prepares to unveil fresh 10-year strategy following £2 million per year Scottish Funding Council (SFC) award  Professor George Crooks OBE says Scotland’s integrated health and social care system puts it in a unique position to deliver a shift to person-centric care enabled by data and digital technology DHI is a world-leading collaboration hosted by the University of Strathclyde in collaboration with The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) The head of a world-leading organisation dedicated to accelerating innovation in Scotland’s health and social care sector believes the need ‘has never been greater’ for a radical digital technology-driven modernisation of the nation’s approach to care in the face of unprecedented demand on services. Professor George Crooks OBE, a renowned international digital health and care expert, was speaking after Scotland’s Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) was awarded new funding by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) for at least the next 10 years. DHI, a pioneering initiative hosted by the University of Strathclyde in collaboration with GSA, marked its 10th anniversary last year. During that time the SFC and Scottish Government-backed organisation – which brings partners in the commercial, academic, health and social care, and third sectors together to drive innovation and transformation in Scottish health and social care – has spearheaded major digital advances including accelerating Scotland’s response the Covid-19 pandemic ; the pioneering £5m Rural Centre of Excellence in Moray ; and the celebrated SCOTCAP outpatient gastroenterology technolog y.  DHI has also helped attract an additional £30 million in direct and indirect investment from public and private sources into innovation in health and care in Scotland. As the organisation prepares to launch its new 10-year strategy, Prof Crooks, Chief Executive Officer at DHI, explained how the focus of health and social care in Scotland must shift towards personal empowerment – where individuals have greater control over their health and care requirements through effective use of their data – made possible by advances in digital technology. The vision involves the ongoing health needs of individual Scots being recorded in a data cloud accessible to themselves and those who need it, providing scope for targeted care on a round-the-clock basis. The data could even be used to predict when care might be needed before a problem manifests in such a way that the health need becomes urgent. Professor Crooks, who began his medical career in 1977, said: “Growing waiting lists, ageing populations, difficulties recruiting staff, and a workforce that is still feeling the impact of pandemic and pressures of the health and care system are the realities in Scotland – but they are also global challenges not unique to this country. Demand is outstripping capacity and there has never been a greater urgency to do things differently. “Scotland’s medical model of care, that has served us very well for the past 150 years, is no longer fit for purpose in the 21st Century. We must move away from our existing approach to one where we listen to, activate, and empower our citizens to make better-informed health and well-being choices supported by resources in their communities. “The only way that can happen is through the appropriate use of digital technologies allied to an understanding of the lived experience of people in Scotland, using our expertise to co-design with them, and tailoring services to meet their personal and local circumstances. That’s the crux of the knowledge, skills and experience DHI has acquired over the past 10 years.” He added : “In more than 40 years working in the NHS in Scotland, my experience is that the majority of investment in technology has always been to benefit the healthcare system or people working within it. The patients were only passive recipients of that, and this needs to change. “It’s only in recent years, and as we look forward, that we have begun to invest in technology focused on the people of Scotland that will enable them to make better health and wellbeing choices. It will enable them to curate their own data and access appropriate services more easily and effectively, and relieve the pressure on frontline services. “Scotland’s integrated health and social care environment is the perfect test bed for innovation, where digital advances can reduce the burden on service provision. After 10 years, DHI can help deliver real change at scale, and that’s why experts in nations around the world including Singapore, the Middle East, North America, and mainland Europe are looking to Scotland as leaders in this area.” The £8m per year commitment from the SFC, which supports DHI and three other innovation centres in Scotland – Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST); Industrial Biotechnology IC (IBioIC); and The Data Lab (TDL) – will ensure the organisation will continue to make an impact domestically and internationally, where connections have been built on digital health and care with prestigious global institutions including Harvard, MIT, and the European Commission. Educational institutions domestically have been central to DHI’s impact, with the organisation having worked effectively with 16 of Scotland’s 19 universities – including the creation of seven new digital health courses – and direct engagement with more than 60% of the nation’s colleges. The new funding has enabled DHI to set out seven priorities in its new 10 year plan – to transform health and social care; develop digital and data infrastructures as national assets; enhance Scotland’s connected ecosystem through cross sectoral innovation clusters; develop a future skills pipeline which delivers workforce capabilities fit for Scotland’s future; extend commercial engagement to support economic growth; health and care’s contribution to Net Zero targets; and enhance Scotland’s international reputation in R&I.  Prof Crooks added: “In the beginning, DHI recognised innovation is like a child looking in the window of a sweet shop. With no focus or plan of what you want, why you want it, and what you want to do with it – you get a minute of pleasure and no lasting benefit. It was essential we focus the minds of the health and care system in Scotland – the government and those tasked with delivering it day-to-day. It was about how we can use advances in digital tech and data to transform services from their current state into a better future. “Ten years on we've learned and refined our innovation process – utilising networks and influencing policy – so now we can de-risk innovation to deliver tangible outcomes efficiently and effectively. However, technology is the apprentice to us, we are not slaves. It enables us to deliver expected impacts in a tolerable time frame, and how we use it will be pivotal over the next 10 years.” Duncan Graham, Associate Principal and Executive Dean of Science from the University of Strathclyde, said ‘We’re delighted to continue hosting two of the innovation centres announced for funding in DHI and IBioIC. We look forward to supporting the positive impact for Scotland and beyond offered by both, with DHI spearheading the next generation of citizen-centred healthcare that is set to transform the lives of many.” Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam, Deputy Director Research & Innovation at The Glasgow School of Art, said: “Over the past 10 years The Glasgow School of Art has been a foundational part of the DHI initiative through the pioneering work at our creative innovation campus on the Altyre estate in Moray together with our team in Glasgow. We are extremely pleased to be able to continue to be key partners in the next chapter of world class innovations which will be supported by the announcement of this latest round of funding.” Helen Cross, Director of Research and Innovation at the Scottish Funding Council, said: “We are delighted to be continuing to support innovation in what is an increasingly important area for the future health and wellbeing of people in Scotland. I’m proud that SFC has been able to support DHI right from the start. I know that with our long-term commitment to innovation funding the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre will continue to help the people of Scotland live longer, healthier lives and provide sustainable and inclusive economic growth.” DHI Case studies: Case Study 1:  System Impact Response to Covid-19 In March 2020, DHI rapidly redeployed its capacity and capabilities to enable rapid pace and scale to help address Scotland’s response to Covid-19. DHI’s market research and international engagement helped inform Scotland’s approach by adapting the learning from other countries. DHI worked closely with the Scottish Government’s Digital & Digital Health & Care Directorates, NES Digital, NSS, PHS, NHS 24, territorial boards, the Digital Office for Local Government, Scottish Care and key third sector and independent care sector organisations to deliver initiatives in short weeks rather than years. DHI utilised unique, co-design methods, tools and online platforms to ensure that human factors and need principally determined the design of digital solutions. It engaged several academic and industry partners in this national effort, including Scottish SMEs (Storm ID, Sitekit, Daysix, Tactuum and Cohesion Medical) and the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, Glasgow, Strathclyde and West of Scotland. Key senior members of DHI were directly involved in advising the Scottish Government on the digital aspects of the health and care response. Five new Covid-19 projects were initiated, with three of these quickly scaling to become a fundamental part of the Scottish Government’s digital response to Covid-19. These contained standardised and linked data services, improved user experiences and reduced pressure on front line health and care staff. Case Study 2:  Direct Investment - Moray Regional Growth Deal (£5m) DHI led a proposition with Moray Regional Partners (including UHI and Moray College) to develop a Rural Centre of Excellence (RCE) for Digital Health and Care in the Moray Region (2021-25). This focused directly on realising digital opportunities to address rural challenges and benefit local communities. The Moray RCE enabled DHI to leverage £5m directly from the UK Government, attracting additional in-kind resources of approximately £3m from partners. This investment will bring economic, service and skills benefits to the region while contributing towards net-zero targets for Scotland. Successes from the Moray RCE will be extended into other regions that experience similar rural community challenges, to ensure knowledge exchange (KE), positioning Scotland’s rural R&I test beds and expertise on the international stage to encourage further investment.

A pioneering health data initiative by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre receives the Up-and-Coming TEC Innovation Award. One of our innovative DHI Moray Rural Centre of Excellence's living lab projects, a collaboration with, Archangel ®, and   Mydex CIC , has recently been awarded the distinguished Up-and-Coming TEC Innovation Award at this year’s ITEC Awards. This award reflects the project's profound commitment to enhancing healthcare through an innovative holistic, integrated, and person-centred approach. Focused on the comprehensive assessment of social determinants of health, the initiative stands out for its approach to generating and collating holistic data. The analysis conducted is internationally distinctive, providing both individual and population-level insights. Such data is instrumental in enabling improved self-management, early intervention, and the efficient allocation of healthcare resources. Recognition from the TSA – the voice of technology-enabled care – highlights the significant impact and innovation brought by the project. It underlines the potential for transformative change in citizen well-being and service provision within the sector. As the project continues to evolve, it aims to lay the groundwork for future developments under the Moray Growth Deal, aspiring to contribute to a healthier, more informed community. Engagement from the Moray region is encouraged, especially through participation in our Living Labs. For individuals living in the Moray area and interested in contributing to the advancement of healthcare innovation, more information can be found here. Quotes    Marie Simpson , Programme Manager at DHI collected the award and commented: “This is fantastic recognition for a data project that really could be a ‘game changer’ within the health and care sectors. “It delivers a wide range of benefits for citizens and their carers, health and social care organisations and third sector community bodies with end users empowered to remain at the centre of navigating their personalised journey.”

People at risk of harm through drugs are given digital access and support in a progressive new approach to Scotland’s ‘unacceptable’ drug death rates. Bridging the Digital Divide: Digital Lifelines. The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre has worked closely with our partners and PR agency, Story Shop, to craft a media package that showcased the vision and impact of the Digital Lifelines Scotland project. This project is a pioneering and progressive digital inclusion programme aimed at reducing ‘unacceptable’ levels of drug-related harm and deaths across the nation. So far, more than 1,700 people have taken part. A total of 908 phones, 103 laptops and 45 other devices have been distributed, along with almost 1,500 connectivity packages. Proving this initiative is more than just a project; it's a lifeline for the most vulnerable among us. Digital Lifelines in the News The journey of Digital Lifelines has captured the attention of media outlets, each shedding light on the project's innovative approach and the tangible benefits it brings to Scotland's at-risk communities. Here's a roundup of the coverage: BBC News : Reports on the initiative's local impact, particularly in Edinburgh, East, and Fife, showcasing how digital tools are making a difference: Read the BBC coverage . BBC Radio: Listen from 1 hour 18 minutes for the story: Listen here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001xl1h  The Herald : Showcases the ambitious £3m effort to tackle Scotland's drug death tally through digital empowerment: Explore the full story . Third Force News : Highlights the provision of digital devices and support to vulnerable Scots, offering them a crucial lifeline: Read more about the impact . DIGIT : Dives into how Digital Lifelines is bridging the digital divide for Scots at risk, providing them with access and support in a ground-breaking approach: Learn more here . Daily Mail: Discusses the impact of the Digital Lifelines project in Scotland: Read the article Silicone Scotland : Focuses on the innovative strategy to give those at risk of harm through drugs digital access and support, marking a progressive step in tackling Scotland's drug death rates: Discover the initiative . For further insights into the project and its objectives, the Digital Lifelines website offers a wealth of information about their mission, the team behind the initiative, and how they're making a difference in Scotland. Visit the Digital Lifelines Scotland website to learn more.

Read the Delivery Plan 2023-24 for Scotland's Digital Health and Care Strategy The national delivery plan was updated and published on Friday 04 August 2023 and describes activities supporting Health Boards, HSCPs, local authorities, primary care, social care, social work, and care providers to offer new or improved services, whether through improved systems and infrastructure, or access to digital services to achieve the aims of our overall Digital Health and Care Strategy ‘Care in the Digital Age’. Published in October 2021. More information is available on The Digital Health & Care Scotland website . Read the updated Delivery Plan

Delve into insights emerging from the DHI and NES Exploratory on XR technologies for mental health education and training, and find out more about the planned next steps.

This Year’s Challenge is Harnessing Digital Technology and E-Gaming to Reimagine Field Hockey, Boost Youth Participation, and Enhance Physical Well-being. The #DigiInventors Challenge is thrilled to announce a dynamic new partnership with Scottish Hockey alongside our portfolio of partners including The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI), City of Glasgow College, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, the Scottish Tech Army, and dressCode. This collaboration with Scottish Hockey introduces an exciting new question for this year’s challenge: “How can digital technology and/or e-gaming be used to re-invent the game of field hockey to inspire increased physical activity, participation, and well-being of our young people?” Since 2017, the Digi Inventors Challenge has inspired young minds to develop innovative digital health and care solutions. This year's focus aims to leverage the synergy between sports and technology, encouraging students to think creatively about how digital advancements can enhance the sport of field hockey. This initiative supports the challenge's broader mission of promoting health and well-being among youth through digital innovation. Scottish Hockey's involvement brings a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm for the sport, offering participants a unique opportunity to integrate traditional athleticism with modern technology. The challenge will run from August to December, complete with a 2-day boot camp and grand finale where finalists will present their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges. Participants will not only compete for fantastic prizes but also gain invaluable skills and experiences that could pave the way for future careers in the digital health and social care Sector. QUOTES: Grant Reilly Head of Communications & Marketing, DHI "We’re excited to partner with Scottish Hockey to see how young minds will use technology to re-imagine field hockey. This innovative initiative showcases collaborative working between a Scottish Innovation Centre and a Sports Governing Body to engage the citizens of Scotland. It aligns perfectly with our commitment to promoting physical activity and well-being among young people." Keith Macleod, Engagement Manager, Scottish Hockey “The sporting landscape is constantly evolving, using digital means to enhance and perfect the game both for the athlete and audience. In this new and exciting collaboration with The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, we are excited to see how our young thinkers and disruptors can utilise technology to completely re-invent the game of Field Hockey to increase participation and encourage exercise and wellness among the people of Scotland.” Learn more about Scottish Hockey: https://scottish-hockey.org.uk/

Explore the global challenges of digital transformation in healthcare, the importance of supporting frontline staff, and the effectiveness of different digital working frameworks through international insights. Digital transformation is changing the way care is being delivered globally, and that brings specific challenges to those who are supporting frontline healthcare staff to do their work in the new contexts. With this, frameworks intended to support digital working by healthcare staff have been proliferating around the world. On Wednesday 28th February the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) hosted a webinar featuring an international panel of experts in digital health to launch an international review and analysis of said frameworks intended to support digital working by frontline healthcare staff. The webinar panel was chaired by Professor Lesley Holdsworth (the Clinical Lead for Digital Health & Care at the Scottish Government), and she was joined by Mr Crispin Scotter (HRH Policy Advisor at the World Health Organization), Dr Louise Schaper (Director of Comperio Pty and the former CEO of Australasian Institute of Digital Health), and Dr Ann Wales (Programme Lead, for Knowledge and Decision Support from Healthcare Improvement Scotland). The report and its findings were presented by Dr Sanna Rimpiläinen, the DHI’s Head of Research and Skills and the lead author of the report. The new report generated a lot of attention with almost 100 health workforce leaders from around the globe tuning in to hear the insights and recommendations from this research. The report could be characterised as a reader’s digest to frameworks used to support digital upskilling of frontline healthcare staff, pointing to different approaches taken to achieve this in different countries. The main recommendations of the report boil down to a request to not reinvent the wheel but to select one of the existing well-developed and robust frameworks for use by organisations. The report recommends organisations to consider which upskilling approach works best for their purposes; assess the digital maturity of their healthcare context and where it is headed to, and what the digital upskilling needs of their workforce are. This brought about a discussion by the panel, who were all in agreement supporting the report’s findings and contributing with experiences from their respective roles and positions. The discussion reinforced the relevance of the newly published work which appeared to be welcomed by the attendees. We wish to thank each and every one of the panel members and attendees for taking time and interest in our work and joining us. We are excited for you to read the report and share it onwards, hopefully, inspiring debate about future pieces of work and training opportunities for the workforce across health and care.

Human rights have become a big thing in Scotland, and rightly so. Why shouldn’t people be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve? However, it’s easier to talk about these rights than do them and that’s a problem. *The following guest blog has been written by Alan Mitchell, Chair, Mydex CIC Starting with Backpack, a 2015 project with NHS Grampian and DHI, we (Mydex CIC) have been working with DHI to develop ways to operationalise human rights as they relate to personal data - and therefore, to the services that this data enables. We’ve just published a paper on Control, Agency, and Guardianship that sums up our learnings. Here are some of our findings. First, beware talk of ‘user centric service design’. It sounds great, but, by definition, a ‘user’ is a person using a particular service: ‘user centricity’ never looks at a person in the context of their life, only at one particular interface with one particular organisation. A user-centric approach to design may make it easier and simpler to fill out a form. But individuals have to fill in countless different forms and their real need is to be liberated from the very fact of form filling itself. Likewise, ‘control’ over data. This is usually interpreted to mean individuals being able to exercise control over the data that a particular organisation collects about them. But this does nothing to help them in relation to all the different organisations they deal with, which is what real control is about. Without agency, ‘control’ can be meaningless, and the locus of human agency doesn’t lie within the systems of this or that organisation but within the individual’s life. It means providing individuals with the means to achieve safety, fairness, utility, simplicity and agency in all their data dealings, for example with their own personalised cockpits or dashboards that enable them to manage all their data relationships from one place. The figure below, from a recent DHI report, highlights just how important this context-aware person-centric approach is, as reinforced in the Scottish Digital Health and Care Strategy. In the context of health and care, ‘guardianship’ is a crucial part of this. There are millions of people in the UK today, such as the old, frail or ill, or young people in care, who are not able to act fully and completely on their own behalf: who need someone to act for them in ways big and small. It is precisely in such situations that what little control and agency they have left becomes all the more important to them. Current ways of handling such delegate powers are not fit for purpose. They are either too legalistic and bureaucratic (e.g powers of attorney) or too informal and risky: “Oh love, when you go to the shops, could you buy these items for me? Here’s my card!” On all these fronts the key issue is this. Our society needs the infrastructure, tools and capabilities that make it possible to operationalise a human rights approach to personal data at the level of daily, practical details. After 16 years’ hard labour, that infrastructure is now pretty much built in Scotland by Mydex CIC and DHI, with our Paper providing an introduction to what it means to the practical implementation of human rights. Read the latest Mydex CIC Paper This guest blog has been written by Alan Mitchell, Chair, Mydex CIC

On Thursday 23rd November, the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre's (DHI’s) Rural Centre of Excellence for digital health and care innovation delivered its first R&D skills-related event, hosted by UHI Moray in Elgin. More than 70 people attended this event, the focus of which was exploring the nature of R&D and the transformative impact of digital innovation, supporting digital health and care research and development, and ensuring the local workforce have the skills and capabilities to assist in the innovation process and make use of the impactful innovation across Moray. Setting the Scene: DHI’s Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation Project The focal point of the gathering was DHI’s Rural Centre of Excellence for digital health and care innovation (RCE) project in Moray - a £5 Million capital investment from the UK Government, delivered through the Moray Growth Deal.  The project's mission is clear: to retain and attract young talent and families to the Moray region, creating high-quality jobs and securing the future of its citizens. Key to achieving this is the delivery of additional educational opportunities, courses, and skills provision, addressing the growing demand for a workforce adept in digital health and care. Unveiling Opportunities and Challenges The event not only explored the local impact of digital transformation in Moray but also considered broader Scotland-wide challenges and opportunities.  The morning session opened with an introduction from opening remarks by Janette Hughes (Director of Planning and Performance, DHI) and Fiona Fraser (Associate Director of Innovation & Workforce Diversification, NHS Education for Scotland) followed by a scene-setting presentation by Sanna Rimpiläinen (Head of Research and Skills, DHI). Attendees then had the privilege of hearing from a diverse lineup of speakers discussing the digital skills and competencies required by health and care employers.  This panel was chaired by Janette from DHI and included Simon Bokor-Ingram, (Chief Officer, Moray Health and Social Care Partnership); Stephen Sheridan (Regional Skills Planning Lead, Skills Development Scotland); Gerry Lawrie (Head of Workforce & Development, NHS Grampian); Andy Ord (Account Director – Health, Care & Safety Scotland, Microsoft) and Fiona Fraser. Valuable insights were also provided from the educator’s perspective from a panel chaired by Sanna that included Rosemary McCormack (Head of Curriculum, UHI Moray); Ruth Cochrane (Academic Lead, Glasgow School of Art’s Innovation School); Dylan White (Principal Lead, NHS Youth Academy); Nicola Cooper (Technology & Digital Innovation Lead, Scottish Care) and Professor Plinio Morita from the University of Waterloo in Canada - with each speaker contributing a unique perspective on the changing landscape of digital health and care. The afternoon workshops allowed attendees to learn how digital technologies (including telepresence robots and Artificial Intelligence - AI) can support individuals' health and care needs, with Scott MacLeod from the National Robotarium inviting people to interact with care robots and explain their potential applications in care settings and Calum McDonald from the Scottish AI Alliance discussing the ethical considerations surrounding AI in the context of health and care.  There was also a session facilitated by DHI to demystify the concept of a Personal Data Store and provide a deeper understanding of how personal data can be managed, stored, and utilised, and an introduction to newly developed micro-credentials tailored for carers living and working in Moray by UHI Moray staff.  Finally, representatives from Microsoft delivered a masterclass for individuals seeking employment opportunities or contemplating a career change by providing insights into the latest trends in the job market, as well as giving tailored guidance on crafting an impactful resume, honing interview skills, and leveraging digital tools for professional development. Looking Ahead: What's Next on the Journey? The event wasn't just a static gathering of information; it was a dynamic platform for sharing best practices and fostering collaboration. Representatives from a wide range of organisations (including the NHS, Skills Development Scotland, Moray Council, UHI, the Scottish AI Alliance, Microsoft, and more) were present, emphasizing the importance of stakeholders learning from one another and working together to propel the digital health and care sector forward. Join the Conversation: Shaping the Future of Digital Health and Care As the event concluded, participants were encouraged to contribute to discussions about the skills needed for the future and to contemplate the next steps on the journey toward a digitally advanced health and care sector in Moray and beyond.  In essence, the SkillsFest event served as a catalyst for envisioning and actively participating in the transformative journey toward a digitally empowered future in health and care.

Scots schoolgirl's invention to help baby sister walk wins national award A Scottish mini-inventor has designed an award-winning device to help her sister walk – and it could be brought to life thanks to some budding students. Olivia Thompson, from Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, and her St Bride’s Primary classmates Evie Anderson, Nuala Maria McKnight, and Ellie Lappin are behind The Cloud Walker – their entry for the first Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) primary school #DigiInventors Challenge . Described as an ‘upgraded walker for children with cerebral palsy’, the device – still at the design stage – includes an iPad with apps to help youngsters ‘learn, walk, and exercise all at once’.Olivia, 11, was inspired by her sister Gabriella who has cerebral palsy. The group of incurable, lifelong conditions, caused by brain development issues, affect mobility and coordination. Gabriella, three, was diagnosed with the condition after she was born prematurely at 31 weeks, and now has difficulty moving her legs and receives physiotherapy. “Gabriella loves to dance but she struggles to walk, she sort of bunny hops to move about,” Olivia said. “If nobody tries to help children with cerebral palsy they won’t be able to get around places in life. I feel proud that we had the chance to create something that could help make walking and physio sessions more fun and interactive.” Under the tagline, ‘reach for the clouds’, the gadget's apps would provide stretching exercises, memory games, drawing activities and more. Some only work when the child moves the walker. The P7 classmates created a video presentation for their invention which was entered into the  DHI #DigiInventors Challenge earlier this year. Entrants were invited to present ideas inspired by health care challenges that could be transformed into a digital health and care solution. Judges crowned The Cloud Walker the 2023 winner and City of Glasgow College engineering students may now make it into a working prototype. “I am amazed that we won,” Olivia added. “When our headteacher announced it, I’d never seen my friends so happy. We worked on it for weeks, I can’t believe we were chosen.”The pupils have also appealed for a ‘designer and marketing company’ to get plans for The Cloud Walker off the ground – and Olivia is determined to take matters into her own hands. “If it doesn’t get invented I will try to make it happen when I’m older, it’s important to help children with cerebral palsy, like my sister.” Nobody is more delighted than Olivia’s parents, Aileen, 39 and Steven, 40. The dentists also share a middle child, eight-year-old Philip. “I am extremely proud of Olivia and her friends,” Aileen said. “It’s probably the achievement of hers that I am most proud of. Both Olivia and Philip are so good at taking care of their sister.” The Thompsons watched on as the girls picked up their prizes at a special awards ceremony at City of Glasgow College on April 18. Some 67 applications were submitted from a number of primary schools from across Scotland for the first-ever #DigiInventors Challenge, and judges praised the standard of entries across the board. George Crooks OBE, Chief Executive at Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, said: “The DigiInventors challenge has proven a real catalyst to unlock the potential of our younger pupils to create digital supported solutions to real life problems and hopefully create a long-lasting interest in digital health and care as a possible future career. We were presented with many good examples of real digital innovation. Congratulations to all participants this year and in particular to our worthy winners.” Roy Gardner, Vice Principal Corporate Development and Innovation at City of Glasgow College said: "Huge congratulations to all the finalists and winners of the first #DigiInventors Challenge Primary School Edition. This competition not only showcases the huge level of innovation and creativity within our young people, but it also reinforces City of Glasgow College’s commitment to let learning flourish. “We were delighted to host this special celebration and would like to thank our partners at the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre for providing the opportunity to collaborate on this great initiative. The possibility of this year’s winning entry being developed by our students is an exciting prospect, and we look forward to supporting the next steps, as well as more innovation through many more DigiInventors challenges to come.” Lead judge, Gillian Reilly, Primary Science, STEM and Sustainability Development Officer, South Lanarkshire Council/ RAiSE, said: “The judging of this challenge was not easy. It was inspiring to see our younger learners make real-life links to digital health and care solutions and STEM learning, showing a great amount of skill, creativity and imagination in their designs. All young people should be very proud of what they achieved.” Darren Tobin, EMEA Channel Director, Sphero, said: "We are honoured to have been able to contribute to such a worthwhile event," said Darren Tobin. "The ideas that were shared at DigiInventors have the potential to make a real difference in people's lives, and we are excited to see where they will lead." The #DigiInventors Challenge opened to secondary schools in 2017 and primary schools in 2023, in partnership with Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Raising Aspirations in Science Education, City of Glasgow College and Sphero.

On 5 September 2023, representatives from organisations across Scotland came together for the annual Digital Lifelines Scotland conference in Perth, hosted by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI). Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) aims to reduce drug deaths in Scotland through digital inclusion and digital solutions that support people who use drugs. For me personally, it was inspiring to see the hard work that is being put in on this in a very person-centred and human-rights oriented way. In the morning, attendees heard a talk from Elena Whitham, Scotland’s Minister for Drugs and Alcohol policy, followed by an update from Dr Margaret Whoriskey from the Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care Directorate on the work of the programme over the past year. They also heard talks from Professor Catriona Matheson on the evaluation of the programme and international speakers Dr Ivan Montoya and Gordon Casey on the work which is being done overseas to prevent drug deaths. Afterwards, attendees separated out into breakout workshops to discuss two strands of Digital Lifelines: Digital Inclusion and Digital Products. I joined the Digital Products workshop, where we saw a summary of the different products being used in Scotland to prevent drug overdose. After the presentations, we discussed what could be done to combine efforts where the products overlapped (for example, around service provision). We also discussed what the products weren’t doing and how we can expand our efforts to improve coverage in future. Above: Marissa leading the afternoon workshop on the stage at Perth Concert Hall. In the afternoon, I was given the task of leading a design workshop to discuss and define the future impacts and benefits of DLS. Normally for a workshop like this we would expect around 10-20 attendees. In this case, we were expecting around 100 people to participate! Luckily, I was aided very ably by my colleagues who circulated around the room supporting attendees as we went through the activity. I planned out a simple brainstorming exercise in groups followed by dot voting, which attendees were likely to be familiar with. I led the activity from the main stage, with instructions projected on a large screen at the front for attendees to refer to. We also provided more detailed step-by-step instruction sheets on each table. Above: worksheet for the impacts and benefits activity. The blue shapes show themes for future improvement from DHI’s Phase 1 research. The bottom section for discussing measures of success was folded underneath until it was needed in the second part of the activity. This kept things visually simple for the participants. To complete the activity, each group was provided with a large worksheet. These had been printed with themes for future improvement which were identified during the Phase 1: DHI Discover and Define research undertaken with people in recovery from drug addiction and the services who support them. Each group was asked to write down their ideas for future impacts and benefits which they would like to see emerge from the next phase of DLS. They reviewed these as a group and discussed what they thought about the different ideas, and then used sticky dots to vote on which ones they felt were the highest priority. For the next phase of the activity, each group moved their top voted idea (or ideas) down to a pre-marked square at the bottom of the worksheet. Next to it, they considered how success would be measured for this area of impact. Above: attendees working in groups. After the day, I reviewed the ideas that had been put together by the activity participants to understand what areas were suggested as top priorities for the next phase of DLS. Participants identified the following themes for future work: The big stuff – Participants wanted to address high-level issues such as a reduction in drug deaths and an overall reduction in drug use, and would like to see a national approach being taken towards this. Working together – Participants wanted services to be better coordinated with local initiatives/third sector, and have less fragmented services and duplication of effort, using a “no wrong door” approach. They also wanted to increase staff retention and sustainability of their work. Digital at the ground level – Participants felt that services should have digital baked in from the ground up. They wanted to have better data sharing with services and service users, and to build a shared evidence base to inform future work. Digital access and skills – Participants wanted to give service users more digital access to information and services. To enable this, they wanted to see more skills training for service users (particularly using digital champions), and to help service users stay safe and access trusted resources online. Co-production – Participants wanted to involve service users more in the development of services, and to give them more ownership and choice around their support. The benefit of trusted relationships with staff was highlighted as an important outcome of this. Supporting the individual - Participants wanted to give service users tailored, personalized support that addressed holistic needs such as housing and mental health problems. Stigma & trauma – Participants wanted to reduce the stigma and trauma faced by service users by making them part of the community, not forcing them to tell their stories multiple times, and offering peer support. Equity & inclusion – Participants wanted to address overall issues of equity and inclusion (particularly digital inclusion) by addressing the intersectional support needed by disadvantaged groups, and giving better options for remote/rural access. Above: a digitized version of the combined input from all groups. A big thank you to everyone who participated in our workshop on the day! Design can play a crucial role in tackling complex health and care challenges. Through collaboration and participatory methods, it can be used to explore and address tangible and intangible issues, transforming them into change opportunities. Design helps reconfigure services, products, and processes, meeting the needs of citizens and leveraging new insights for transformation. Our next steps will be to continue to refine this with the wider group and to pull together a plan for the next phase of our work. Learn more: Digital Lifelines Programme DHI's Phase 1 Research Marissa Cummings is an innovation designer and research fellow with the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre and The Glasgow School of Art. She is starting work on the next phase of the Digital Lifelines Scotland programme.

Developing and delivering an international conference on inclusive design and research. A two-year journey Over the past two years, I have been a member of Magnify , an international community of designers and researchers who are dedicated to inclusive practice. I first joined Magnify as a speaker at their first conference in 2021, where I presented some techniques on safeguarding participants and researchers during research of emotional, sensitive topics. The work came from the Masters of Research degree I completed with The Glasgow School of Art, and was funded by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI ) , which developed digital prototypes for health storytelling with people who had multiple long-term health conditions (multimorbidity). At the time, I was immediately struck by how welcoming Magnify’s community is. Oftentimes, working in inclusion feels very isolated. You might be the only person in your organisation who cares about inclusion, and constantly having to defend your practice. Or you might be surrounded by people who are supportive and curious about inclusion, but might know little about it themselves. The Magnify community is small but dedicated. Many of the members are experienced practitioners who are leading important, international projects. However, people at all levels of experience are welcome and no question is considered too basic to ask. It’s rare to attend a conference where every person is working on something of interest to you, and are also more than happy to talk about it. “Something unexpected for me was the level of community. I came along thinking about the talks and workshops, but have actually got loads out of the Slack and conversations with other attendees. Have connected with a lot of people on LinkedIn as a result.”  – 2023 conference attendee Magnify is largely the work of one person: Claudia Hopkins . Claudia was born in the UK but spent many years living and working in Canada. When she returned to the UK, she was struck by how little conversation around inclusion there was here compared to what she was used to in Canada. This motivated her to put together the conference in 2021. After the conference she couldn’t continue on her own, so she started running smaller monthly unconference events instead. I continued to attend these after the conference and got to know Claudia quite well. I had always been very encouraging of her to try putting together another conference, so when she asked me to help her last year, I couldn’t say no! Putting together the conference Nowadays, most conferences are organised by large corporations or professional event organisers. A community-organised conference like Magnify is rare, and allows different types of conversations to happen than what might occur in a more corporate setting. It also requires a great deal of work. Altogether, it took us about a year to put together the conference from start to finish. Our small team of volunteers took time out from their work and family lives to make this happen. We also had to go out and try to get funding from sponsors. This funding is crucial to being able to pay speakers and workshop hosts, as well as cover our running costs (including our sliding scale tickets), and ensures that people are able to participate regardless of income. Magnify’s team of volunteers Luckily, DHI agreed to be one of our sponsors this year, recognising the crucial importance of inclusive practice in the work it does, and the benefits of international knowledge exchange. When I hear some of the horror stories from other inclusive practitioners on the way that their work is disregarded, I feel both proud and pleased to be part of a team which is so committed to equitable practice. The 2023 conference lasted around two weeks from 6 – 15 November. To keep the conference accessible to as wide an audience as possible, all of the events were held online. From an organising perspective, having events online helped us keep costs down (and therefore ticket prices down), but it is also important for preserving a safe, accessible space for people who might be excluded from in-person events (for example, those with disabilities and/or chronic illness). Talks and workshops covered a wide range of topics, everything from practical tips to making events accessible, to theoretical discussions on the future of inclusive design. Many of the talks showed case studies of work with vulnerable and/or marginalised populations (for example, trans and non-binary people, migrant communities, and young people who have experienced trauma). These are also groups which may be misrepresented or even under attack in the media, so researchers should consider how to keep the work safe for themselves in addition to participants. Designers and researchers still represent a largely privileged group, and its sometimes easy to forget that inclusion practices need to look inwards as well as out. Making work environments accessible, supportive, and transparent helps to support participation from a wide range of backgrounds. Our attendees questioned the nature of what it means to “do good” in the context of inclusive design. With so much of design practice drawn from Western culture, there is a need to work closely with communities to understand what “doing good” means at a more local level. Our conference Slack was also very active. This year we tried posting daily questions for the group to reflect on, which had been taken from the unconference meet ups. Our most popular question was on trauma-informed methods, which had 34 replies. A wide-ranging audience Altogether, the 2023 conference attracted 153 attendees. Most attendees came from the UK (87), followed by Canada (29) and the USA (21). The location of our attendees   We also covered a wide range of experience, with most attendees holding senior (63) or mid-level (47) positions. What attendees said After the conference, we circulated a feedback form for attendees which got 28 replies. It was lovely seeing the positive feedback from people on their experiences. Of the people who replied: 25% said Magnify met their expectations, and 75% said that we went beyond it 89% were very satisfied with the quality of our talks and workshops Some of our attendees said: “It's just a very high quality event. So much care goes into the curation, running and organisation which results in a high quality experience.” “The organisers of this conference should be so proud of what they created. I really felt like I was a part of something special. The things I learnt here will stay with me throughout my career. With so much happening in the world to feel sad and angry about, Magnify was a brilliant ray of sunshine.” You can see more of Magnify’s talks on our YouTube channel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The author of this blog is - Marissa Cummings - an innovation designer and research fellow with DHI and The Glasgow School of Art.

On 16 June, the DHI showcased 10 Years of Meaningful Co-design at The Glasgow School of Art Highland Campus Summer Show titled ‘Inclusion’. The show also included 19 exhibits from 100 GSA Design Innovation students, centred on collaborations with Moray businesses and charities including Moray Waste Busters, SurfABLE Scotland and Forres Heritage Trust. The event was attended by business leaders, community organisations, local residents and school pupils, and by Richard Lochhead, Minister for Small Business, Trade and Innovation, and was a celebration of the contribution of communities across Moray, the Highlands and wider Scotland in shaping the future of health and wellbeing through collaborative working with researchers at the Innovation School.

"30 Years with Type 1 Diabetes: 153,300 Finger-Prick Tests, 61,320 Injections, and 180 Extra Daily Decisions - My Journey with a Lifelong Condition" - Grant Reilly Diabetes is a long-term medical condition that is growing in prevalence in Scotland, and globally, and is and will continue to have considerable impact and expense on healthcare systems in the years to come. Technological advances have also become more common in recent years with the introduction of implantable blood glucose sensors so you can view your sugar levels in real time without the need to finger-prick blood test and insulin pumps that automatically release insulin into your system without the need for continual injections. These innovations have greatly improved my ability to manage my condition within tight parameters and hopefully reduce the likelihood of long-term side effects of diabetes (.e.g., permanent eye and kidney damage and the potential need for amputation) and the cost on the NHS to look after me as I grow older. However, these technologies come at a cost – a financial one – that often means that those living with the condition struggle to get access to them or are not empowered and educated enough on how to best manage their condition. This could all change by thinking differently about how we deliver our healthcare. After 28 years of clinic appointments and the continual focus on prescribing medication to improve my health I decided to take it into my hands and managed to reduce my Hba1c to one point off being non-diabetic and all I did was use my own data that came from my medical devices (insulin pump and blood glucose machine) and off the shelf consumer devices and apps (that we all use on a daily basis) including smart scales, bluetooth blood pressure monitor, MyFitnessPal , fitness and activity tracker and sleep monitor. By overlaying and looking at all my data I learned to identify trends and activities that positively or negatively affected my diabetic control. Who would have ever thought that by reducing your bedroom temperature by 2-3 degrees centigrade that it would have a positive impact on blood glucose levels! - If you want to know more about that, just ask me! Now, people may say I am proactive and probably extremely focused/ privileged to be able to do this and that many people living with diabetes would not have that luxury. While this may be correct to some extent, the majority of people do have access to SMART devices (and use them alongside their medical devices) on a daily basis to track their fitness and nutrition. They just need to be re-educated on how some simple changes could help them. Others may say that not all people are that motivated to help themselves and that is also the case, but by allowing those who are, to self-manage their condition, you could in theory remove me/ them from clinic appointments, etc… time which could be re-allocated to provide extra support to those who need them. You could then, to really think outside the box, consider prescribing technology and/ or alternative health and wellbeing services to citizens, in their own communities, which could take pressure off the NHS. We could employ gamification and incentivise citizens to share their data to improve their health and gain access to different services.  This may be seen as way off becoming a reality, but it is a nice vision to have, where citizens are empowered to self-manage and improve their own health by using and sharing their own data! This ties in very nicely with the work that the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) undertakes, empowering citizens to self-manage their medical conditions by owning, sharing and utilising their own data through personal held data stores and health records. They also run a #DigiInventors Challenge that not only inspires and empowers young people to identify and develop entrepreneurial and digital skills while raising awareness of career opportunities in the digital health and care sector, but also gets them to identify the health challenges that they face and come up with ideas that could be transformed into real digital health and care solutions. It also aligns with several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - Food Health & Wellbeing, Quality Education and Industry Innovation and Infrastructure. Scotland is an innovative country with many people looking to collaborate and co-design solutions that will not only improve the health of Scotland’s citizens but also give us opportunities to attract inward investment and solutions that could be exported globally. Diabetes is a focus of DHI and they are helping to transform diabetes care in Scotland through innovation. You never know, the next generation of digital diabetes solutions might be developed by our young people and could truly disrupt the way health and care is delivered by the NHS and other health and care providers. Grant Reilly , is a Type 1 Diabetic with over 30 years lived experience. He is the founder of the Ganesha Gear Diabetic Bag Of Life , Head of Communications & Marketing for the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre , and a volunteer member of the TEDxGlasgow Team.

Exploring the impact of innovative solutions on the experiences of people living with diabetes in Scotland. Transforming diabetes care through innovation is an on-going project undertaken by DHI on behalf of the Scottish Health and Industry Partnership (SHIP) and Scottish Diabetes Innovation and Technology Group to seek an understanding of the current diabetes innovation landscape and future priorities for innovation. The project builds on early research undertaken by DHI which asked professionals and people with Diabetes to identify key challenges facing Diabetes Care Services across NHS Scotland. This design led project aims to capture insights and learning to gain an understanding of current innovations being undertaken in Scotland and how these might impact on the experiences of people living with diabetes in the next five years. It will identify gaps in the Diabetes Care Landscape and the findings will go on to inform future open innovation calls by the Scottish Government in 2023, ensuring the impact is maximised and person centred. Four Design-Led Workshops Across Scotland Four design-led workshops have been held across Scotland to explore the challenges facing people living with diabetes and the professionals who support them. The workshops brought together healthcare professionals and people with lived experience to engage with the current innovation landscape, share insight from their experiences, generate ideas and determine the priorities for future innovation. Separate workshops were held for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as our initial research (a Survey and interviews with people living with diabetes, health professionals and innovators) highlighted differing priorities and the need for a separate approach to innovation. Workshops were held in Glasgow and the Highlands to explore the different challenges faced in rural and urban settings and the potential that digital holds to overcome them. “It’s unfortunate they (type 1 and type 2 diabetes) share a name as they are starting from somewhere completely different.” – Workshop participant Diabetes Innovation Landscape Map and Prioritisation Activity A diabetes innovation landscape map was created to offer a visual interpretation of the vast array of innovations and acted as the basis for discussion. A prioritisation activity invited participants to individually reflect on the challenges they felt needed most investment. Participants co-created an innovation brief that reflected what was important to them and framed the challenges they felt that, if tackled by innovators, would have the most impact. To date, key challenges identified include the need for more robust mental health support for people living with diabetes, the role of data and digital technologies to improve experiences, the need for more support for lifestyle changes and education , and the aspiration for more flexible and person-centred care pathways . “People can’t engage in healthy behaviour if they are anxious or depressed. The foundation of diabetes care is self-care or management.” - Workshop participant Next Steps: Virtual Workshops and Industry Engagement We are delving into the detail and analysing the rich insights and ideas generated through these in-person sessions. Our next engagement will be a virtual workshop , aiming to share and build on the work to date and engage with people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals who could not attend in-person sessions. We will also hold a session which seeks to engage with representatives from industry to gather their feedback on the diabetes innovation landscape, and the challenges from their perspective.

A unique aspect of the DHI, and a factor differentiating it from similar institutions, is the role played by design and in particular, design innovation across the portfolio of activity. As a founding partner, the Glasgow School of Art has embedded design and creative practice as a differentiating capability within the organisation. How the DHI engages with citizens to understand and define requirements is a design-driven activity, allowing for the development of scalable, adoption-ready solutions using an approach that is person-centered rather than technology driven. The design team, who come from a range of backgrounds, are engaged throughout the innovation pipeline and across all DHI activity. Throughout the development process, the practice of developing artefacts, interactions, and experiences is used to elicit knowledge, incorporate individual and social experience as well as to acknowledge observable behaviours and processes. This activity is undertaken in pursuit of goals that often cannot be defined at a project's outset, a common challenge associated with complex health and well-being projects. The effectiveness of a design-driven engagement approach can be seen in projects of varying sizes across the full portfolio of activity. From projects with local government exploring how digital technology and design can support transformative care for people living with frailty through collaborations with a major pharma company, a participatory design approach is being used to collaborate with partners to define the scope and inform future services. The DHI will continue to explore and extend the role of design in defining, design-led innovation through structured collaboration with others, generating research output and solution concepts that can be adopted and integrated at various touchpoints across the health and care spectrum delivering the right digital solutions that allow services and industry to get better ready for scale - ‘Transforming great ideas into real solutions’.

Scotland’s world-leading work in Digital Health was showcased as the Moray Rural Centre of Excellence launched The launch of the Moray Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation was marked today with an official visit from UK and Scottish Government representatives. Iain Stewart MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland and Richard Lochhead MSP, attended the launch which took place at The Glasgow School of Art’s Highlands and Islands campus. On the visit, Mr Stewart and Mr Lochhead were able to see first-hand some of the world-leading research in the key area of digital health and learn more about future innovations, particularly in the area of co-design, which are being made possible through a major investment from the Moray Growth Deal. Among the projects that were showcased were SCOTCAP a video capsule endoscopy developed to replace or complement existing colonoscopy services. The £5 million project, a UK Government investment, aims to support the remobilisation of health and care services and the economic recovery of the Moray region through investment in research and innovation activities aligned with the digital health and care agenda. It is the first Moray Growth Deal project to commence. The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, a world-leading collaboration between The Glasgow School of Art and the University of Strathclyde, will be spearheading the development and delivery of the projects alongside key strategic partners. The Moray Rural Centre of Excellence for Digital Health and Care Innovation will house a state-of-the-art, demonstration and simulation environment (DSE) and an enabling cloud infrastructure. There will also be a spread of five co-designed “Living Lab” testbeds across the Moray region. The Living Labs, which will be open to all, will focus on thematic areas including co-managed health and wellbeing, care in place, mental health, and smart housing and communities, reflecting the priorities identified through stakeholder engagement. All research and development will be co-designed ensuring that the end-user has a vital voice in the development of the products and services. The person-centred needs at the heart of programmed activity will deliver real-world evidence that will enable the innovations to be embedded in local services, potentially scaled to other parts of Scotland, the rest of the UK and globally. The specialist innovation skills offered will help support Moray to create a dynamic and creative digital health and care cluster, enhancing recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and securing the provision of sustainable public services whilst creating inclusive growth through the creation of new jobs, development of future skills and equitable access, whilst also contributing to the Net Zero ambitions of Scotland and the UK. The multi-million-pound investment of the Moray Growth Deal - a contribution of £32.5 million each from the UK and Scottish Governments is set to be bolstered with further funding from regional partners, contributing to Moray’s economic growth. Fuller details on the eight projects being delivered over the lifespan of the Moray Growth Deal are available online.  UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:  “Digital innovation in healthcare has huge potential for improving the quality, accuracy, timeliness and cost of diagnosis and treatments in our NHS. "This will have a particularly positive impact for Moray's communities, who will benefit greatly from advancements in remote medicine. "The UK Government is investing £5m in this exciting initiative that will put the region at the forefront of new technologies and practices and is part of the £2 billion we are putting into projects levelling up across Scotland." Richard Lochhead, MSP, said:  “This is an exciting development that will boost Moray’s profile as a centre of digital healthcare and innovation with some of Scotland’s leading institutions coming together to make it happen. For many years Moray has been spoken about as an ideal location for testing digital healthcare innovation given that we have all sizes of populations as well as being largely rural at the same time. I hope that local residents are amongst the first to benefit from such innovations.” Professor George Crooks OBE, Chief Executive, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, said: “The development of a Rural Centre of Excellence will not only become a catalyst for innovation and the development and delivery of next-generation digital health and care products and services, that will benefit the people of Moray but will ensure they will also be made available both nationally and internationally”. “Our aim is to establish Moray as a key part of the international digital health and care ecosystem, creating a supportive environment for Scottish and UK businesses to start up and or grow as well as become a focus for inward investment. DHI through its international networks has already stimulated significant interest in this initiative and will be seeking to consolidate emerging opportunities over the coming weeks and months.” Convener of Moray Council, Councillor Marc Macrae, said:  “The official launch of the MRCE is a significant milestone in delivering the Deal here in Moray. The prospect of Moray being an international leader in digital health is hugely exciting and made possible due to the investment and vote of confidence in Moray's economic potential.” Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam, Director of Research and Innovation at The Glasgow School of Art and Director of the GSA’s Forres Campus said: “As a founder member, the GSA has been helping to deliver pioneering work in digital health through the DHI for the last decade, and here at our Forres campus for over 5 years. The outcomes of this ongoing collaboration with the University of Strathclyde are powerful examples of the world-leading research being undertaken by Scotland’s universities, which were recognised in the recent UK-wide Research Excellence Framework. Through the DHI we are delighted to be part of this new, important partnership with Moray Council, supported by both the UK and Scottish Government. It will harness the potential of digital and virtual innovation and put co-design at the heart of the development process, giving people a real voice in the products and services which will support both their future health care and the local economy.” Additional information including arrangements for media bids:  The Full Moray Growth Deal document is available on the MyMoray website. Interview bids for: o Richard Lochhead MSP can be submitted to richard.lochhead.msp@parliament.scot   Iain Stewart MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Scotland, should be submitted to: katya.speight@ukgovscotland.gov.uk and Paul Malley paul.malley@ukgovscotland.gov.uk   Convener of Moray Council, Councillor Marc Macrae, should be submitted to pr@moray.gov.uk with the preferred time detailed Chairman of the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre: John Jeans CBE and CEO of the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre: Professor George Crooks OBE should be submitted to morayrce@dhi-scotland.com   The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI)  The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre is a national resource, funded by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council. A world-leading collaboration between The Glasgow School of Art and the University of Strathclyde, its focus is innovation in digital health and care helping the people of Scotland live longer, healthier lives while providing sustainable and inclusive growth for our economy. This activity includes attracting inward investment and trade missions with Scottish businesses. We collaborate, co-design and transform great ideas into real solutions that have benefits to the system and Scotland’s citizens. We have several key assets open to our partners including our DHI Exchange, that provides access to open architecture to quickly prove data integration. This can often lead to the opportunity to gain access to a variety of Real-World Environments and living lab testbeds. We work extensively with the Scottish Government, NHS, Local Government, Academic Institutions, Commercial organisations (SMEs through to Enterprise-level organisations) and our Citizens, who are at the heart of what we do and why we do it. We have a proven track record on the delivery of next-generation digital services focussed on empowering citizens to make better health and wellbeing choices, accessing services on their own terms and delivering more of their own care.

The Scottish Dementia Research Consortium (SDRC) and the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) hosted a two-day event that encapsulated keynote speakers and interactive workshop sessions, which focused on technologies for brain health and dementia prevention. This collaborative event was classified as the June Healthy Ageing Innovation Cluster Event. Innovative technologies that support and enhance brain health are growing as fast as the changing needs of those with dementia. Scotland is a hub of technological innovation. We, therefore, have the knowledge, experience and expertise among us to leverage this wealth of innovation to support those affected by dementia, or are at risk of developing the condition. For this reason, the SDRC and DHI have organised the Technologies for Brain Health and Dementia Prevention workshop to bring together the communities involved in such innovation. The workshop allowed communication and ideas exchange among people from different disciplines, perspectives and career stages. We discussed ideas of how supportive technologies can best meet the needs of people affected by dementia. We also encouraged discussions on theories and applications of emerging technologies with an emphasis on brain health. Speakers and their talks: Meet our speakers and learn more about what they'll be talking about. Professor Craig Ritchie Professor Craig Ritchie is a Professor of Psychiatry of Ageing at the University of Edinburgh, Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Dementia Prevention and Director of Brain Health Scotland. His primary research interest is the maintenance of brain health in mid-life to mitigate the risks of initiation and progression of degenerative brain disease that may lead to dementia. He is Chief Investigator on the PREVENT Dementia and European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Dementia Research Programmes. Talk: TouchPoints for Technology in the Brain Health Movement The Brain Health Movement envisages a population focused on taking action to achieve and maintain optimal brain health. As well as helping well-being across the life course, this should function to reduce the risk of brain diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. Technology can be used to help achieve and maintain brain health and also be used to detect subtle early changes that may help guide people to interventions to mitigate the risk of further decline secondary to disease. Potential non-traditional technological detection methods will be introduced. Professor Roma Maguire Professor Roma Maguire is a Professor of Digital Health and Care at the University of Strathclyde and Director of the Health and Care Futures initiative. She is also co-lead of the Health Technology Cluster.  Her research interests include Digital Health, Remote Patient Monitoring, Supportive Care, Predictive Modelling and Values-Based Medicine.  She has significant experience in the co-design, development, evaluation and implementation of person-centred remote patient monitoring systems using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) to optimise symptom management, promote adherence to medicines, support wellbeing and improve quality of life.  Her research spans several clinical specialities including cancer, dementia, cardiac and respiratory disease and palliative/end-of-life care.  She has led several multi-site supportive care and digital health studies in the UK and across Europe. Talk: Health and Care at the University of Strathclyde As a technology-focused university, the University of Strathclyde has a breadth of technical expertise that can accelerate healthcare innovations. I will provide an overview of the context we host at Strathclyde to support research on Health and Care. Professor George Crooks OBE Professor George Crooks is the Chief Executive of the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, Scotland’s national innovation centre for digital health and care. He leads an organisation that is tasked with delivering innovation in digital health and care that will help Scotland’s people to live longer, healthier lives and create new jobs for the economy. He was previously the Medical Director for NHS 24 and Director of the Scottish Centre for Telehealth & Telecare. George was a General Medical Practitioner for 23 years in Aberdeen latterly combining that role as Director of Primary Care for Grampian. George is on the Board of the European Connected Health Alliance. He is currently a Board member and past president of the European Health Telematics Association. He is also an adjunct Professor of Telehealth at the University of Southern Denmark. George was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours List 2011 for services to healthcare. Talk: Back to the Future We will explore how learning from the past can secure a better future empowered by next-generation digital tools and services. Professor Lynne Baillie Professor Lynne Baillie has a PhD and MSc in Computing. She has been successfully involved in the user-centred design of home, mobile and rehabilitation technologies for over fifteen years. She has a strong track record in research management and leadership at a senior level in two countries (Austria and UK). She has been awarded grants from research councils (UKRI, FFG), international companies (Orange, Telecom Austria, Alcatel-Lucent, Siemens, Microsoft and Vodafone), charities (Heritage Lottery Fund, CHSS), and Governments (local, national and EU). In last five years she has started working in the Human Robot Interaction (HRI) area, and is the lead for HRI and health for the new National Robotarium. Talk: Exploring Socially Assistive Robots and Sensory Feedback for Cognitive Decline Prevention Cognitive training has the potential to slow cognitive decline, which, with the growing population of older adults, would help alleviate the growing strain on the healthcare system. However, access and engagement barriers can limit the potential impact of this therapy. We undertook a Participatory Design workshop that included older adults and therapists as collaborators to assist in designing an engaging cognitive training system through integrating socially assistive robots and sensory feedback. Findings indicate the system should gear towards success and give the users autonomy over components of the interaction. Dr Mario A Parra Dr Mario A Parra graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1993 and as a Clinical Neurophysiologist in 1997. Worked at the Cuban Neuroscience Centre and different University Hospitals in Cuba and Colombia. Clinical work focused on neuropsychological and neurophysiological aspects of dementia syndromes and other neurological disorders. PhD I Human Cognitive Neuroscience completed in 2005 at the University of Edinburgh. Three consecutive Postdoctoral Fellowships from 2010 until 2015 with Alzheimer’s Society. An Assistant Professor in Psychology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh from 2015 until 2018. Currently a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Co-direction of the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium on Dementia. Member of the Executive Committee of the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium where he co-leads the Informatics and Technology Theme. His research focuses on the mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal cognitive ageing and cognitive and behavioural changes in neurodegenerative diseases, with emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease. Leads projects investigating functional brain changes (fMRI, EEG, ERP, Brain Connectivity) in the course of dementing illnesses and other brain disorders. Actively involved in the development of cognitive tests and novel technologies for the early detection of dementia and to promote brain health. Talk: Technologies for assessment of cognitive and functional abilities: from the lab to the real world Technologies for in-person and remote assessments of cognition during real-life tasks are growing rapidly. Many barriers still preclude their wide use. Are these technologies equally reliable when used in the lab and at home? What are the views of those expected to benefit from such technologies? I present a series of studies carried out to explore these outstanding issues. Professor Ruth Aylett Professor Ruth Aylett leads research on Computer Science at Heriot-Watt University. She has worked in AI and robotics for more than 30 years, researching digital narrative, affective computing, intelligent graphical characters and human-robot interaction. One of of her recent projects examined whether robots could help with improving social skills for adults with high-functioning autism and she has just started a project looking at digital narrative as an aid to reminiscence therapy for adults with early-stage dementia. She is the joint author of the popular science book ‘Living with Robots – What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know’ published in 2021. Talk: Therapy, diagnostic evaluation, modelling – AI and robot technologies in brain health I will briefly present three examples of applying advanced technologies: robots for stroke rehabilitation, virtual environments with embedded knowledge for diagnostic assessment of dementia, and neural nets for modelling Parkinson’s disease. Dr Mauro Dragone Dr Mauro Dragone is an Assistant Professor at the Research Institute of Sensors, Signals and Systems (ISSS). His research focuses on building smart environments combining Artificial Intelligence with Internet of Things and Robotics, especially for assisted living applications. He initiated and led the EU project RUBICON (FP7-ICT-269914), a €2.5M project which investigated cognitive architectures for self-learning Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) systems. At Heriot-Watt, Drthe Dragone set up the Robotic Assisted Living Testbed (RALT) – a `Living Lab’, part of the UK National Robotarium, designed to facilitate data collection and user-driven design and testing of innovative and practical solutions for healthy ageing and independent living. He is involved in EU projects developing new benchmarks for assistive robots, and he is one of the UK Co-investigators of the EPSRC Healthcare NetworkPlus EMERGENCE. The network is bringing together researchers, businesses, end-users, health and social care commissioners and practitioners, policy makers and regulatory bodies in order to build the knowledge and capability needed to enable healthcare robots to support people living with frailty in the community. Talk: IoT, Cloud and Robotics for Ambient Assisted Living Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is a term used to describe technology and processes designed to create a supporting environment for elderly people and sustain physical and mental health. In this talk, I will discuss how Robotic, Autonomous and Interactive Systems (RAIS) are increasingly proposed as part of AAL design. In the first part of my talk, I will provide an overview of ongoing initiatives involving the Cognitive Assistive Robotic Environment (CARE) group at the UK National Robotarium. For us, the term ‘Cognitive Assistive Robotic Environments’ embodies a vision: a future where humans are supported by smart environments that can not only sense and react to user behaviour, but can proactively engage and cooperate with them using autonomous, robotic and interactive systems (RAIS) technology. Relevant projects include: (i) non-intrusive home activity monitoring systems using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, (ii) autonomous agent and tele-presence robot interfaces, which are being used to develop cognitive assessment and cognitive assistance systems; and (iii) novel design methods for non-zoomorphic social robot companions exploiting 3D knitting material and soft robotics. In the second part of my talk, I will describe our efforts to create an open and remote access living lab for AAL, targeting the fast co-creation of socially acceptable, scalable and affordable solutions to support the care of vulnerable people. I will present the experience and the result of a pilot event (the Robotic + Care Mashup), which we run in May 2021, and discuss how the project has enriched our innovation but also our learning and teaching capacity, and how it has set an example for how innovators, academia and the care sector can be pulled together to co-produce AAL concepts. Dr Sarah E MacPherson Dr Sarah E MacPherson  is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, UK. She completed her PhD in cognitive neuropsychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK, and postdoctoral training at the Department of Psychology, University of Aberdeen and the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK. She is a past Board member and Treasurer of the British Neuropsychological Society and a Board member of the International Neuropsychological Society (INS). She is currently the Chair of the Education Committee of the INS. Her research focuses on the neuropsychological assessment of frontal lobe functions including executive functions, social cognition and memory and involves the study of patients with focal frontal lobe lesions or neurodegenerative conditions, as well as healthy older adults. She has developed the updated Cognitive Estimation Test (CET, MacPherson et al., 2014), the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT, Baksh et al., 2018) and the Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL; Kourtesis et al., 2020). She has authored over 75 papers and book chapters well as co-authoring, “The Handbook of Frontal Lobe Assessment” (2015) and co-editing the book, “Cases of Amnesia:  Contributions to Understanding Memory and the Brain” (2019). Talk: The Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL): Adopting immersive virtual reality in the neuropsychological assessment of cognitive functions In clinical practice and research, patients are typically assessed using paper-and-pencil and computerized tests. However, these tests display several limitations and discrepancies between the observed performance in the clinic/laboratory and the actual performance of individuals in everyday life. Moreover, assessments that take place in real-world settings have several limitations (e.g., they are time-consuming to set up; they lack experimental control over the external situation). Immersive virtual reality (VR) technology has the potential to allow clinicians and researchers to gather behavioural data with a high degree of control within an ecologically valid environment; this is particularly important in the assessment of executive functioning, memory, and attention. In my talk, I will discuss some of the considerations when using VR in neuropsychological assessment before introducing the Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), a neuropsychological test battery in immersive VR. Dr Kieren Egan Dr Kieren Egan is a Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, United Kingdom, and has a number of research interests spanning across: digital health, dementia, informal caregivers and healthy ageing. Kieren has previously worked at the World Health Organization in Geneva including working on the development of iSupport (a digital skills and training programme for carers of people with dementia). He has a long-term interest in improving the likelihood of candidate interventions reaching societal use including through the use of evidence synthesis techniques, innovative methodologies and participant co-design. Talk: Brain Health Technologies - do we really need co-design? Our global population continues to both grow and age where there is an ever-increasing need for citizens to take an active role in both understanding and managing their own health and wellness. Brain health is no exception to this, where there are a number of innovative spaces emerging including through adaptive technologies, technologies to enhance brain health and assistive technologies. Co-design and coproduction have been around for decades as a way to actively involve all stakeholders in the design process. But is this approach really necessary for emerging technologies? This talk will discuss brain health technologies through the lens of co-design, and whether there is value in this approach for all stakeholders concerned. Dr Aleksandra Vuckovic Dr Aleksandra Vuckovic  is a Reader in Rehabilitation Engineering at the University of Glasgow and a Co-director of the Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury. She holds an MEng in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade, Serbia and a PhD in Healthcare Technologies from the University of Aalborg, Denmark. She was also a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Aalborg and at the University of Essex, UK. Dr Vuckovic's research interest is in neuromodulation and neurorehabilitation through Brain-Computer Interface. Talk: Brain-Computer Interfaces for neurorehabilitation of sensory and motor functions Brain-Computer Interface (BCI), is a novel form of neurotechnology, designed to compensate a loss of sensory-motor functions or to provide strengthening or modulation of preserved neuro-muscular pathways in patients with impairments of the Central Nervous System. In recent years, advances in BCI technology facilitated its translation to community centres and to patients’ homes. In this talk I am going to present two case studies, (i) BCI neurofeedback for treatment of central neuropathic pain and (ii) neurorehabilitation of upper limbs through BCI with functional electrical stimulation. I’ll discuss issues of implementing technologies in clinical and community settings. Professor Naeem Ramzan Professor Naeem Ramzan is a full Professor of Artificial Intelligence and the Director of the Affective and Human Computing for Smart Environment (AHCSE) Research Centre, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), U.K. He received the M.Sc . degree in telecommunications from the University of Brest, France, in 2004, and the Ph.D. degree in electronics engineering from the Queen Mary University of London, London, U.K., in 2008. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 research publications, including journals, book chapters, and standardisation contributions. He has authored a book and co-edited some books as well. His research interests are cross-disciplinary and industry-focused and include AI/machine learning, affective computing and multimedia processing, analysis and communication, video quality evaluation, brain-inspired multi-modal cognitive technology, big data analytics, affective computing, the IoT/smart environments, natural multi-modal human-computer interaction, and eHealth/Connected Health. Prof Ramzan’s article was awarded the Best Paper Award 2017 of the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology and a number of conference papers were selected for the Best Student Paper Award. He has been a Lead Researcher in various nationally or EU sponsored multimillion funded international research projects (total funding as PI secured over £20m). He has been awarded the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Champion Award 2020 and numerous other awards, such as the Staff Appreciation and Recognition Scheme (STARS) Award for Leadership in 2019 and awarded STARS Award 2015 and 2017 for Outstanding Research and Knowledge Exchange (the University of the West of Scotland) and Awarded Contribution Reward Scheme 2011 and 2009 for outstanding research and teaching activities (the Queen Mary University of London). He is a senior member of IEEE, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), the Co-Chair of MPEG HEVC verification (AHG5) Group and a Voting Member of the British Standard Institution (BSI). In addition, he holds key roles in the Video Quality Expert Group (VQEG), such as the Co-Chair of the Ultra High Definition (UltraHD) Group, the Co-Chair of the Visually Lossless Quality Analysis (VLQA) Group, and the Co-Chair of the Psycho-Physiological Quality Assessment (PsyPhyQA). He is also the Co-Editor-in-Chief of VQEG eLetter. He has served as a Guest Editor for a number of journals. He is also a Founding Associate Editor of the Journal of Quality and User Experience (Springer) and an Associate Editor of a number of Journals. He has chaired/co-chaired/organised more than 25 workshops, special sessions, and tracks at international conferences. Talk: Physiological signal processing for human-centric applications Iain Aitchison Iain Aitchison  is an internationally recognised leader in the fields of innovation and design management, working at the intersection of consulting, education and research. Over the last 15 years, he has consulted clients including British Gas, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Institute of Directors, Lenovo, Mars Inc., NHS Highland, Samsung, Unilever, and Yamaha—leading design research and strategy projects in over 15 countries around the world. On a mission to help organisations realise their innovation potential, Iain has also helped build several long-term internal education programmes to enhance the user-centred design capabilities of client teams. Through his experience in academia and the boards of public bodies, Iain has extensive experience working in the public sector in Scotland, including initiating comprehensive digital transformation programmes. Day 2 - Workshop themes and questions Theme 1: Adaptive technologies, precision medicine and interventions This theme will encourage discussions around technologies that aim to adapt to the changing needs of those affected by neuro-progressive diseases. These hold the potential for person-centred assessments and interventions. Such adaptive capabilities are envisaged to equip people are risk of dementia with more resilience to the course of this long disease process. Are relevant theories from relevant fields thoroughly considered and incorporated? Theme 2: Technologies to enhance brain health The advent of VR/AR, Wearables/Sensors, Cognitive Prosthetics, Reminiscence Technologies, and other technologies is creating unprecedented opportunities to move assessments and interventions from the lab to the real world. Such technologies retain a great deal of control regarding how experiences can be directed and measured while achieving greater ecological validity. How well do they capture and incorporate relevant interdisciplinary knowledge. Theme 3: Assistive technologies There is a growing interest in technologies that can support people with disabilities to live safely and independently whether at home or in care facilities. We are witnessing a rapid growth of Ambient Assisted Living, Smart Environments, Living Labs, Tele-presence and Tele-care, Cognitive Robotics, just to mention some key examples. Are these meeting the ever-changing needs of those affected? Theme 4: Co-design and co-production for brain health technologies The Scottish Brain Health and Dementia Research Strategy aims to encourage a paradigm shift whereby researchers and members of the public come together to become co-designers, co-producers and co-beneficiaries of research. This paradigm shift is urgently needed in the field of healthcare technologies. Can limited PPIE account for limited adherence and compliance, increased biases, and poor attitudes towards healthcare technologies? Key Points & Questions for Discussion Technology can be used for the detection of early changes in the brain secondary to neurodegeneration. Are relevant theories from relevant fields thoroughly considered by and incorporated into novel technologies? Can healthcare technologies meet the ever-changing needs of those affected by neuro-progressive Brain-Computer diseases? Technology can be used to help track changes in the brain in response to interventions to improve brain health What does it take for wider Brain Computer Interface (BCI) adoption? Can Neurofeedback be an effective treatment for chronic pain in general? What other neurological conditions might benefit from BCI neuromodulation? Technology can be used to identify the presence or occurrence of risk factors for poor brain health. How well do available technologies capture and incorporate relevant interdisciplinary knowledge? Is physical interaction or motivation the bigger contribution of the use of robots in stroke therapy? Given known issues (navigation, self-invisibility, eyestrain, fatigue) with VR headsets, does their use really add value? How can we follow up on possible insights into brain disorders suggested by neural-net-based modelling? What does good/excellent co-design look like (in dementia and brain health)? How can we best learn from working with citizens, not just in one project, but also over many years together? Can limited PPIE account for limited adherence and compliance, increased biases, and poor attitudes towards healthcare technologies? What are the technological concepts involving robotic, autonomous, and interactive (RAIS) technology? What is the potential value of healthcare technologies to support and enhance brain health, and why? What are the key concerns and barriers to achieving the above potential? How do you envisage open ambient assisted living (OpenAAL) laboratory will help address healthcare challenges? How could we improve OpenAAL concepts, increase the involvement of stakeholders, and promote collaboration and innovation in this sector? How can modern technologies enhance ecological validity? VR or AR, which would best suit older adults with cognitive impairments What have we learned about the use and impact of healthcare technologies during the COVID-19 pandemic and how we should use such knowledge? What strategies should we follow to train the new generation of professionals who will support the deployment and implementation of technologies along the healthcare pathway? Post event resources Summary Workshop summary document: Presentations Professor Craig Ritchie - Touch Points for Technology in the Brain Health Movement: Professor George Crooks OBE - Back To The Future: Professor Lynne Baillie- Exploring Socially Assistive Robots and Sensory Feedback for Cognitive Decline Prevention: Dr Mario A Parra - Technologies for assessment of cognitive and functional abilities - from the lab to the real world: Professor Ruth Aylett - Therapy, diagnostic evaluation, modelling – AI and robot technologies in brain health: Dr Mauro Dragone - IoT, Cloud and Robotics for Ambient Assisted Living: Dr Sarah MacPherson - The Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab - Adopting immersive virtual reality in the neuropsychological assessment of cognitive functions: Dr Kieren Egan - Brain Health Technologies- do we really need co-design: Dr Aleksandra Vuckovic - Brain-Computer Interfaces for neurorehabilitation of sensory and motor functions: Professor Naeem Ramzan - Physiological signal processing for human-centric applications: Iain Aitchison - Design, Technology, Design Thinking: Posters Agent-based Memory Prosthesisto Encourage Reminiscing: ICT- Robotic Architecture for Cognitive: Factors influencing acceptance of technology across age - Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: RadioMe - Adaptive Radio for People with Dementia Living in Their Own Home: Virtual Reality Assessment:

The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, Moray Rural Centre of Excellence (RCE) for digital health and care innovation will support the remobilisation of health and care services and the economic recovery of the Moray region, by investing in research and innovation activities aligned to the digital health and care agenda. With £5M from the Moray Growth Deal , the RCE is the first of the Moray Growth Deal projects and a transformational investment in research and development. The online (soft) launch of the RCE took place on 23 March 2022 where we presented our vision, launched our Living Lab challenge areas and invited everyone to participate in our centre activities, which include, R&D, supporting business innovation and developing the skills base needed for a digitally enabled health and care sector. Janette Hughes , DHI’s Director of Planning and Performance, opened the event with an overview of the journey for the development of the centre concept and the overall aspiration of the RCE, as well as the potential for the citizens of Moray, rural residents beyond the local area and the key activities that are planned. Janette’s introduction was followed by perspectives from Madeline Smith , Director of Strategy at Glasgow School of Art who has a campus in the Moray area and are strategic DHI collaborators. Madeline focussed on the importance of design-led innovation and the skills base needed to support digital health and care transformation. DHI’s Commercial Innovation Lead, Karim Mahmoud , then gave a presentation on the centre’s key objectives and proposed activities and summarised the Living Lab theme areas, the approach to engagement and the citizen-focused research and development opportunity. Karim also issued an open invitation to reach out to the RCE for collaborative opportunities which could include twinned Living Labs, skills development, knowledge exchange/transfer, and innovation projects. Those interested in keeping up to date with the RCE are invited to join DHI’s network and select the "Moray Rural Centre of Excellence" checkbox. The virtual event gathered more than 40 attendees and raised the interest of the audience who actively asked questions and shared their thoughts and comments in the chat.