Assistive technology refers to hardware, software, and systems that can increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of those with disabilities. Some assistive technology exists, but those with disabilities are largely underserved.
Fortunately, the potential of this unexplored market is now evident. Many are now creating or investing in needed disruptive technologies.
Need for Assistive Technology Growing
According to the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Assistive Technology, there is a huge need for more assistive technology. Currently, 1.3 billion people in the world have a disability. As the population ages, disabilities are expected to triple to approximately 3.5 billion people by 2050.
Huge Array of Opportunities
Since disabilities can affect speech, sight, hearing, learning, memory, mobility, and more, assistive technology offers a huge array of opportunities. Additionally, end-users can be a healthcare provider, a caregiver, or the patient themselves, adding to the diversity of potential innovations. Since assistive technologies can span borders disruptive technologies can also reach a global market.
Examples of assistive technology today include telecare systems as well as blood pressure and glucose monitoring apps. These already benefit many, but may soon play a leading role in managing common afflictions such as hypertension and Type II diabetes. Assistive technology will also increase mobility for millions dealing neurogenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
Artificial intelligence has already had a sizeable impact on the research and development of language models too. The disabled can learn at their own pace and the software improves over time. Additionally, machine learning aggregates data from medical institutions to predict emergency admissions and create new treatments for diseases.
Hardware innovations are also on the brink of explosive change. For instance, brain-computer interfaces will soon be in trials. If successful, these devices will link a person to hardware so they can operate by thought alone. AR and VR advancements will also make it easier for those with visual impairments to navigate their surroundings.
Market Expected to Expand
The number of connected IoT devices in the world will nearly double by 2030. As our population ages, the need for high-quality, affordable assistive technology will become urgent.
The WHO set up the Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology initiative to spearhead innovation to make assistive technology available to all. It includes 135 countries and highlights the potential reach of new technologies.
Accessing Assistive Technology Resources
Many companies are already working on assistive technologies or innovations that can improve existing solutions. Others are well-equipped and ready to create new technologies. However, finding technologies suitable for specific organisational needs may seem an overwhelming task.
Luckily, EarlyBirds can help organisations identify innovations suitable for all areas of assistive technology. We offer four pathways towards successful innovation and the following benefits:
- Reduced cost of innovation
- Quick increases in innovation capability, when required
- Connections to the best Subject Matter Experts and innovators available
- Simple process
EarlyBirds Innovation Ecosystem
Our award-winning Innovation Ecosystem earned us the title of Global Open Innovation Platform of the Year 2023 and 2024. It allows both innovation and strategic thinking in all areas of a business, whatever the technical or business challenge or potential opportunity your organisation wants to explore.
We unite Innovators, Early Adopters, and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to fuel rapid innovative adoption and business evolution. Early Adopters are leaders eager to identify new and disruptive technologies. They want to seize opportunities, solve business challenges, or create new products and services.
Our Ecosystem has a data pool of over 4.9 million global innovations across many industries with solutions that may already address your organisation’s challenges. Alternatively, organisations can list their challenges and request solutions from innovators.
EarlyBirds Ecosystem Maps
The Assistive Technology market is large, complex, and fragmented, presenting significant challenges to those who need to search, analyse, and find solutions from startup, scaleup, and mature companies.
Fortunately, EarlyBirds offers Ecosystem Maps to help organizations invest in suitable assistive technology solutions. These maps offer themes and sub-themes to accelerate innovation and pinpoint potential innovative partners. It also tracks industry news from numerous daily and historical news and media articles from across the world.
EarlyBirds Explorer Program
The Explorer Program is tailored towards those who need innovation as a service to supplement existing innovation programs, or to conduct innovation projects when required. It is designed to speed up the process of technological innovation for the organisation as a service.
The Explorer program includes several features including quarterly and monthly innovation days; regular webinars to help stimulate innovation in the organisation; a focus on types of innovations; a platform enterprise license; and a nominated SME for the business.
EarlyBirds Challenger Program
The Challenger Program focuses on a single organisational or technical challenge. It looks for the most relevant innovators that meet your organisational, technical, and risk requirements.
The program is run by an EarlyBirds Subject Matter Expert who identifies your key issues. The SME then searches the data pool to identify and curate options for further evaluation. The most suitable option is chosen and the SME drafts a roadmap of next steps, POC, trial, or implementation.
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EarlyBirds can help your organisation access global innovation resources. We’ve helped those in the Public Sector, Food Industry, Retail, Healthcare, Operations & Maintenance, Manufacturing, Finance & Insurance, Energy, Education, Cybersecurity, and many other industries. Let us guide you towards appropriate partnerships that can reduce risk, amplify resources, solve problems, and spur innovation.
Businesses primed to capitalize on such innovations are urged to sign up for the EarlyBirds platform as early adopters by visiting https://earlybirds.io/en/early_adopter. Alternatively, those unsure of which option is best suited to their needs can schedule a consultation. We use an individualized approach to ensure you find the best possible solutions.