Press Release
April 7, 2015
The World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (GAC) has announced that, in collaboration with Qualcomm, they will sponsor a special prize for the best technology-related design from among the finalists of this year’s Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge. The prize will be titled the “The Stanford Longevity Technology Prize, in collaboration with Qualcomm and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics”. In addition to a cash award of $5,000, a representative from the winning team will be given the opportunity to travel to Dalian, China in September and present at the WEF’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC). Established in 2007 as the foremost global gathering on science, technology and innovation, it convenes the next generation of fast-growing enterprises with world leaders from business, government, media and civil society.
“We are thrilled that the Global Agenda Council network has chosen to highlight the potential for technology to positively impact aging populations across the globe,” said Ken Smith, the Center on Longevity’s Director of Mobility and organizer of the challenge. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the quality of work that has been displayed by students from around the world who have entered the challenge. We would like to thank the Council and Qualcomm for making this possible.”
The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition aimed at encouraging students to design products and services to improve the lives of older adults. This year’s Challenge is focused on ways to motivate and empower mobility among older adults in their daily lives, both inside their homes and in their community. Finalists were selected by a panel of 34 expert judges drawn from academia, industry, and government. This year’s finalist group of eight teams includes representation from Israel, Italy, and Singapore, in addition to teams from across the U.S.
The selection of Mobility as the focus topic for the 2014-2015 challenge is in part linked to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Center on Longevity and the Office of the (U.S.) President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition to “identify strategies to advance awareness and promotion of physical activity, fitness, and nutrition throughout the entire life span, but especially targeted to helping individuals of all abilities at age 50 and above.”