A new £20 million research centre is to be established in Scotland to help improve the understanding of care in later life as the population ages.
The University of Edinburgh will partner with Legal & General to create the Advanced Care Research Centre (ACRC) for a seven-year programme.
It is hoped the research will lead to data-driven, personalised and affordable care for people living in their own homes or in supported care environments.
Professor Peter Mathieson said the centre will aim to address the challenge of caring for the 12 million people over the age of 65 in Britain.
He said: “We are delighted to host this ground-breaking collaboration with colleagues at Legal & General.
“This exceptional partnership will re-imagine care for the mid-21st century.
“As our population ages, so we need to develop innovative new approaches to provide individually-tailored care.
“This is the big challenge that the partners will address, bringing to bear pioneering research from the brightest academic minds across multiple disciplines to deliver creative and trusted solutions to address real world problems.”
The ACRC will also include an academy to develop a new generation of later life care leaders through the centre’s research-based training.
The £20 million funding comes from L&G which works with a number of other institutes across Britain.
Group chief executive Dr Nigel Wilson said: “Establishing the ACRC will revolutionise the UK’s commitment to understanding and addressing the huge issue of demographic change – part of a global challenge with significant social and economic impacts.
“Edinburgh’s academic-led, data-based and cross-disciplinary approach will deliver vital positive change to ageing and care and we find this a compelling and practical vision.
“The partnerships we are forging with premier institutions up and down the country, from the University of Oxford and Newcastle, to Bath University, UCL and now Edinburgh, will help shift the dial in the delivery of science, technology and ageing care for many future generations to come.”
