Tags project overview - Sept 2014

TAGS - Project Overview

TAGS ‐ Project Overview

Ann Blaylock, Thomas Bechtold, Katy Stevens, Barbora Široká and Tom Wright

The Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development“Textiles for Ageing Society”

FUNDING SOURCE: “THE RESEARCH LEADING TO THESE RESULTS HAS RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE EUROPEAN

UNION’S SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME (FP7/2007-2013) UNDER GRANT AGREEMENT NO. 290494.”


INSTITUTE FOR TEXTILE CHEMISTRY AND TEXTILE PHYSICS

2

Founded in 1982

Staff 7 government employees12 scientists from projects1 dissertations

Third party budget2012 ca. 500 k€

Institute ca. 600 m²further infrastructure: testing lab and HTL

intensive industry co-operation


INSTITUTE FOR TEXTILE CHEMISTRY AND TEXTILE PHYSICS

3

Dornbirn

TAGS - Project Overview4

Textiles for Ageing Society (TAGS), is a research programme coordinated by the University of Innsbruck, carried out by a consortium of European institutes, and funded by the European Commission, as part of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

Began in January 2012

Duration: 4 years

PROJECT INFORMATION


Acronym Participant legal name Country Organis. type

1‐UIBK University of Innsbruck AUT University

2‐TITK Thuringian Institute of Textiles and Plastics Research GER Research

organization

3‐NIRI Nonwovens Innovation and Research Institute, Ltd GBR SME

4‐WarmX WarmX GER SME

5‐TEXVER Textilverein – Registeredassociation of textile SMEs AUT Non‐profit

Organiz.

6‐FLORIDA Tessitura Florida S.R.L. ITA SME

7‐CONN Connexia – Gesellschaft für Gesundheit und Pflege gem. GmbH AUT End‐User

8‐KHBG Vorarlberger Krankenhaus‐Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H AUT End‐User

9‐ANS Anziani E Non Solo società cooperativa ITA End‐User

10‐DCS Democenter‐Sipe ITA Inn./Tech.Transfer Org.

TAGS CONSORTIUM


For the EU‐25, 22% of the population will be aged over 65 by 2025, rising by almost 30% in 2050. This represents an increase of circa 60 million people between 2004 and 2050, to a total of 134.5 million.

Over the last century the average life expectancy in Europe has increased: for males from 45.7 to 75.0 years; and for females from 49.6 to 79.9 years.

Furthermore, the proportion of very old people (aged 80 and above) in the EU‐25 has grown rapidly from 4% of the total population in 2004 and is due to reach 6% by 2025, and 10% by 2050.

Eurostat's old‐age dependency ratio showed that the ratio for the EU‐27 was 25.9 % in 2010 which means there was 1 out of 4 people of working age, aged 65 and over.

Source: i2010: Independent Living for the Ageing Society (2007) http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/policy_link/brochures/documents/independent_living.pdfEurostat (data from October 2011) http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Population_structure_and_ageing#

BACKGROUNDAGEING SOCIETY – DRIVING FORCE


AIMS/IMPACT OF TAGS

7

To identify:● The specific textile requirements of the elderly and care institutions.● The latest developments in materials science and technology.● Strategies to incorporate developments in future manufacturing chains.

Expected Impact: Initiation of research and innovation activities to develop new materials and products for the elderly. Improving the quality of elderly lives and also improving the work quality of people involved in care‐giving. To assist or initiate European enterprises to compete in the global marketplace. Increase competence in a given field. Support the establishment of new contacts and co‐operations. Establish new co‐operations and strengthen existing innovation networks.

Elderly

Social and Medical Care Institutions

Research Institutions

Technology Transfer

Institutions

Manufacturers & Industry


MAIN FIELDS OF INTEREST

Bedding: Complete

January 2012 – June 2013

Clothing: CompleteJune 2013 –June 2014

Hygiene: Ongoing

June 2014 –June 2015

Therapeutic: Begins

January 2015 –December 2015

Progress

Bedding Hygiene

ClothingTherapeutic


BEDDING TEXTILES - RESULTS

9

Questionnaires were completed in care homes in Austria, Germany, Italy, UK and Slovakia.

What was shown as the current state of bedding materials:

• Hospital like appearance of bedding in care institutions• Little expectations in functionalities of bedding and lack of knowledge of alternative

materials • As would be expected cotton is the most commonly used fibre in bedding textiles



10

Where could the research be focussed based on user opinions?

• Comfort in bedding was the most important property• This can be achieved through moisture control, friction, handle (softness and

drape) and warmth – which can be achieved in part by fibre selection• More intelligent bedding systems e.g. with sensors, aid movement, decrease

pressure

• Bedding viewed as a low technology product (production in low-labour countries) –cost is therefore a difficult hurdle

• Washing and other practicalities must be considered



Outcomes:

Further Projects• Bedding Preferences, Pflegeheim Dornbirn, Austria

• The preliminary aim of the research was to elicit opinions from care home residents on the proposed bedding design, fabric selection, and bedding and environmental colour schemes, to be implemented in the new care home.

• Netzwerk waschbare Sensortextilien (NewS) Projekt, UIBK, Austria

• The NewS project focuses on research into new technologies to produce composite textiles which function as washable sensors. New embroidery techniques will also be used to integrate sensor functions in bedding textiles. In a care home for the elderly, washable sensor-textiles will be tested for usability and lifetime expectancy.


CLOTHING TEXTILES - RESULTS

12

Questionnaires were completed in care homes in Austria, Germany, Italy, UK and Slovakia.

It was found that there was very little in the way of day to day useful technologies in clothing and that there were many ideas and preferences when it came to improvements on the current state of the clothes used.

A look at the current research activities in the area of clothing specifically for people in the later stager of life.


CLOTHING TEXTILES - RESULTS

13

Should there be more innovation in “Clothing for the elderly”?

• A philosophical question or a question of practicality• TAGS aims to provide guidance for the emergence of new projects relating

to textiles that will help to alleviate specific problems usually encountered during ageing.


CLOTHING

Outcomes

• VESTA, Anziani e Non Solo società cooperativa, Carpi, Italy • Develop clothing for people with disabilities.

• CITEVE Portugal and Dave Taylor (The University of South Wales, USW)

• To investigate the potential for a collaborative research project in the area of smart clothes and wearable technology. The team identified an opportunity in one of the Horizon 20/20 streams which may be appropriate for a cross European collaboration with USW and CITEVE as the lead partners providing an Academic / Commercial collaboration. Discussions are currently underway to scope out this opportunity and way forward to making a bid.


HYGIENE & PERSONAL CARE TEXTILES

15

• A new questionnaire style was used in which a few closed questions were asked simply to direct the respondent (caregiver) to the type of materials the topic covered, following this an interview style was taken on to learn more about typical problems faced during hygiene practices

• This work is still ongoing however some interesting outcomes have already been seen

• Following this a study on therapeutic textiles will commence


TAGS ACTIVITIES

16

Next Consortium meeting

• 15th October in Modina, Italy• Partnered with “Ageing Wealth” conference


Thank you for your attention

“The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant

agreement No. 290494.”

Follow us:Homepage: http://www.textilesforageingsociety.eu/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TextilesForAgeingSocietyTAGSTwitter: https://twitter.com/#TAGS_FP7

[email protected] [email protected]

Documents

Tags project overview - Sept 2014