Embracing technological advances
Technology can play a vital role in transforming care for people living with dementia. To-date, this has included devices that monitor vital signs, activity, or someone’s whereabouts, providing reassuring data to carers and family members, and enabling the individual to live independently. What this tech doesn’t do is work with the patient themselves – and can instead exclude them from the practicalities of their own care.
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning has become a powerful force in our everyday lives and provides a unique and much-needed opportunity to create assistive technologies for people living with dementia. From adapting predictive text technology to help people living with dementia recall vocabulary, to facial recognition tech software assisting people to remember names – the possibilities are endless.
The prize
The Longitude Prize on Dementia, launched in September 2022, will offer a total of £4.34 million to global innovators who are able to develop the missing piece of the puzzle – assistive, integrated technology that enables people with dementia to continue living independent and fulfilling lives. The competition is brought in partnership by Alzheimer’s Society, Innovate UK and Challenge Works.
Of the total prize, £3.34 million will be awarded in seed funding and development grants to the most promising solutions. The remaining £1 million will be awarded in 2026. The prize will incentivise the creation of personalised, technology-based tools to help people living with dementia.
Non-financial support has also been funded. This will include access to crucial insights and expertise such as data, as well as collaborations with people living with dementia and dementia focused organisations in the UK and globally, and advice on product design, business mentoring and user experience. All of which will help innovators bring their ideas to life.
The prize has been co-designed with people who live with dementia. At each stage of judging, entries will also be reviewed by the prize’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) – where people with early-stage dementia are invited to review the designs and ideas and provide insights into how technologies could support and enable independent living. The thoughts and feedback of the LEAP will be considered by the prize judges.
The prize has received generous donations from the three UK donors: The Hunter Foundation, CareTech Foundation and Heather Corrie. The Medical Research Council has also helped fund the prize.
The timeline
The period for entries closes at 1200 GMT on 26th January 2023. In May 2023, 23 of the most promising solutions will progress, and each will receive £80k Discovery Awards as well as non-financial capacity building support to develop their solutions over the course of 16 months.
In August 2024, five finalists will each receive an additional £300k to progress their solution. In February 2026, one of the five finalists will be selected as a winner – they will receive £1 million.
How to get involved
If you are an innovator keen to get involved, a possible funder or someone who works in this area and would like updates on the Challenge, click here: https://dementia.longitudeprize.org/