The project addresses one of the great challenges in our time; the increasing number of elderly people and people in need of recovery after injuries, and how to give them a dignifying life. Keeping seniors healthy through both preventative and rehabilitative means is of paramount interest to everyone. Having them living at home as long as possible will be of economic benefit to society and the individual, as well as increase their quality of life. Objectives of the projectThe main goals of the project is to develop multidisciplinary courses, and to educate people to use and develop new technical achievements within welfare technology. The students shall participate in ongoing development and research activities at the HEIs, in close cooperation with the HEIs incubator companies or other companies/organizations that the HEIs are cooperating with. Giving these start-up companies the possibility to get assistance from international students will be of great importance for these companies, making them more sustainable and increase and maintain international networks. This will be important for the creation of new jobs and new products within the EU.The project is innovative because it helps students and employees to commercialize new ideas and results of ongoing research activities at the HEI institutions.Number and profile of participantsAll the five project HEI partners have earlier collaborated within EU-Erasmus Intensive Programmes and within Erasmus Student and Teacher exchange activities. The HEI project partners have the following complementary experience and competences:HBRS: Safe system development and implementationFHV: 3D Capturing and Modelling, User-experience related to Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), Serious Gaming-SimulationNTNU: Software system development, Real time human motion capturing and gait analysis, Clinical experience with serious games used at spinal cord injury units. Nursing, physical activity and depression in elderly.HvA: Serious Games design and developmentThe industry partners are start-up companies or consortia, some coming from the HEIs: 3DMoTech: http://www.3dmotech.com/ Works with real time human motor control, tracking and visualization. HvA: Dezzel Media http://www.dezzel.com/ Design, develop and sell online brain fitness services, primarily based on serious games. Axendo http://en.axendo.nl/ develops advanced and smart websites optimized for mobile, tablet and desktop use alike. FHV: has links with Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) Austria Working Group Qualification and Training where they are defining new AAL qualification and training programmes. HBRS: cooperates with the Inst. for Occ. Safety and Health (IFA) http://www.dguv.de/ifa/index.jsp IFA is an institute for research and testing of the German Social Accident Insurance in Germany.ITC: Salso https://salaso.com Makes people feel better faster by turning exercise routines/advice into lifestyle habits.Description of activitiesDevelopment of MOOC modules for serious games related to welfare technology.Development of serious games related to welfare technology by international multidisciplinary student project teams supervised by international teams of professors from the partner HEIs and partner companies. Project meetings and intensive programmes for both professors and students.Methodology used in the carrying out of the projectAdministrative and learning management system to be used is Blackboard.The development of the MOOC units using a proper educational framework.The development of the serious games based on teaching and learning theory. The scientific methods used by the students in their development of the serious games will be literature studies, design science, and experiments and testing. A short description of the results and impact envisagedDistant learning MOOC modules addressing development, use and application of serious games related promotion of health and general wellbeing, of senior citizens and people in need of rehabilitation.International student projects (bachelor theses and undergraduate projects) supervised by HEIs and industry partners. The projects to be given a common grading by professors from the HEIs and industrial project partners.Relevant knowledge and education for meeting the social challenges of an aging, and in need of rehabilitation, population.Enhanced and sustainable cooperation between HEI partners and partner companies. The potential longer-term benefitsA joint semester on development of serious games and welfare technology.Increased mobility by students and professors.Help creating new jobs and companies by enhancing cooperation between HEIs, health care institutions and start-up companies.Development of serious games within welfare technology, thereby enhancing the quality and cost effectiveness of the treatment of the increasing number of elderly people and people in need of recovery after injuries.