Division 4 CONCLUSION

A KIC which focuses on the broader issue of innovation for healthy living and active ageing meets the criteria put forward for the selection of KIC themes:

• It addresses a major economic and societal relevant challenge (lifelong health and wellbeing of all, while maintaining economically sustainable care systems), and contributes to the delivery of the Europe 2020 agenda and its objectives on employment, innovation, education and social inclusion.

• This KIC focus is aligned with priorities defined in Horizon 2020 and complementary with other Union activities in the health and social care areas, in particular with the corresponding JPIs and the EIP on Active and Healthy Ageing.

• It can build on a strong research base and on a solid industrial sector which will be attracted by a KIC. It is able to mobilise investment and long-term commitment from the business sector and offers possibilities for various emerging products and services.

• It will address the European paradox, since it will capitalise the Union's strong research base and find new innovative approaches to improve the quality of life of European citizens and to maintain economic sustainability of the health and social care systems.

• It creates sustainable and systemic impact, measured in terms of new educated entrepreneurial people, new technologies and new business. It will foster new technological developments and social innovation.

• It aims at overcoming the high level of fragmentation of the whole health and social care sector; and will bring together a critical mass of excellent research, innovation, education and training stakeholders along the sector.

• It takes a systemic approach and thus requires transdisciplinary work involving different areas of knowledge, such as medicine, biology, psychology, economy, sociology, demography and ICT.