How to get off the Roundabout

In April European Knowledge Tree Group held its 2013 European Masterclass with the theme of "Getting off the roundabout" bringing together experts for a series of presentations, exhibitions & demonstrations.

Large numbers of pilots and demonstrators have taken place.
But what must we do to stop this pilot roundabout and get into the mainstream?


  • How do we really make changes for disabled and older people?
  • How do we educate the people who need support?
  • How do we educate those who should provide services for them?
  • How do we pay for what’s needed?
  • Is it value for money anyway?
  • What can technology do for: Mental Health, Hearing and Sight Deficits, Mobility, Diabetes, Heart Disease?
  • How can we exploit technology from field to field?

The major conference sessions were:

  • Setting the Scene
  • Costings and Proactice
  • Systems, Robotics, Sensors and Users
  • Regulation, Standards, Ethics - Making Policies Work in Practice
  • The Market in times of stringency?
  • Financing the Market, Turning opportuntiy into Practice
  • Costs and Care in the Community
  • Community Care and User Needs
  • Transfer of High Tech to Daily Living
  • Masterclass summary - What did you get out of it?

All the details and presentations are in the Document Library.

General Documents for the event were:

Masterclass Programme

Day 1 - Monday 8th April


12:00 Registration

13:30 Welcome and Aims - Setting the Scene
Chairman: Nigel Rix, ESPKTN and EKTG
Speakers: Peter Wintlev-Jensen, Mike Biddle, Peter Walters, Sofia Moreno Perero

14:30 Parallel Sessions: 1- 2

Session 1: Costings and Practice
Chairman: Mike Biddle, AAL/TSB
Speakers: Adelina Comas-Herrera, Markus Bolton, Carlos Garcia-Gordillo, Mike Clark, Stephen Hope
Reporter: Gill Whitney, University of Westminster

Session 2: Systems, Robotics, Sensors, and Users 
Chairman: Richard Foggie, ESPKTN/EKTG
Speakers: Ian Glasscock, Rich Walker, Henk Herman Nap, Angelo Rossi Mori, Rory Wilding
Reporter: Justin Halls, Brunel University

16.00 Tea/coffee networking

16.30 Feedback from Parallel Sessions
Chairman: Andy Stuart, CareWhere
Reporters: Gill Whitney, Justin Halls

17.30 Regulation, Standards, Ethics and Making Policies Work in Practice
Chairman: Peter Saraga, AAL
Speakers: Andrea Sutcliffe, Jack Stilgoe, Neil Ebenezer, Chris Wright, Heinz Wolff, Clive Noak, Geoff White

20:00 Drinks Reception/Networking

Day 2 - Tuesday 9th April


08:00 Registration

09:00 The Market in times of stringency? 
Chairman: Markus Bolton, Shearwater Healthcare 
Maria Kanellopoulou, Naoki Ito, Dave McDaid, Paul Hitchcock, Roderick Udo

10.40 Tea/Coffee

11.00 Financing the Market, Turning Opportunity into Practice 
Chairman: Maggie Ellis, LSE/EKTG
Speakers: Brian Capon, Andy Stuart, Paul Lukowicz, Patrick Roe

12.30 Lunch/networking

13.15 Parallel Sessions 3-4

Session 3 Costs and Care in the Community
Chairman: Steve Smithson, LSE/EKTG
Speakers: Lord Addington, Cate Henderson, Raphael Wittenberg, Mike Jackson
Reporter: Mike Clark, Independent Consultant

Session 4 Community Care and User Needs 
Chairman: Steve Welch, ESPKTN
Speakers: Annette Bauer, Verina Waights, Clare Walton, Steve Hope, Justin Halls
Reporter: Patrick Roe, LEMA-EPFL, Switzerland

15.15 Feedback from Breakouts 
Reporters: Mike Clarke, Patrick Roe

15:45 Transfer of High Tech to Daily Living
Chairman: Clive Noak, TSA
Speakers: Paul Lukowicz, Heinz Wolff, Peter Saraga

16.45 What did you get out of this, What did you contribute to this?
Chairman: Peter Walters, FP7

17:30 Networking and End of Conference