Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Research Centre Technology in Care

Heerlen, the Netherlands

Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, located in Heerlen, Maastricht and Sittard, offers a wide range of study programmes (33 bachelors’ degrees and 13 masters’ degrees)ranging from Technology to Health Care and from Economics to Artfor 14.000 students. The Faculty of Health Care includesArts Therapies, Biometrics, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Speech and Language Therapy. To support students’ development education is closely linked to practice and research. So called “Lectoraten” are the research centres of Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences connecting education and practice in practice-based research.

The Interreg i2-CoRT project is situated under the Research Centre (lectoraat) for Assistive Technology in Care as part of the Expertise Centre for Care and Technology network (EIZT). Care organizations, knowledge and educational institutes, and the business community have combined forces in EIZT with the goal of innovating and improving health care and making it more effective. Through research, they contribute to future-proof health care. By educating and training current and future professionals, they anchor care innovations in practice.

Within the network of EIZT, the Research Centre for Assistive Technology in Care closely works with other faculties in Zuyd University on questions from care institutes, business partners or clients regarding designing, evaluating and implementing assistive technology. It has a lot of experience in assistive technology research and education, aiming for close collaboration between business, clients, care organizations and knowledge/research centres to attain affordable, accessible, effective and usable products and their implementation in care institutes and in people’s homes. Target groups range from people with intellectual disability, communication disorder or visual impairment, to children with autism of physical disability or elderly. Living labs offer great opportunities for cross-over collaboration including involvement of students from faculties of Health Care, Engineering, Biometrics, Communication and Multimedia Design and ICT. Next to i2-CoRT Research Centre for Assistive Technology in Care is involved in the Living Lab Crosscare (Interreg) and Living Lab Care Robotics (OP-Oost); both are focused on supporting business partners in developing care technology.