NIC The challenge of boosting the silver economy as a response to the needs of aged people

  • ECOSYSTEM OF DRIVING-FORCE COMPANIES, ENTREPRENEURS AND RESEARCHERS

  • PROFESSIONALS SPECIALISED IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROCESSES

  • USE OF BIG DATA AT PUBLIC AUTHORITIES IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

NIC: Nagusi Intelligence Center

A strategic project by the Provincial Council of Biscay to boost a new sector of activity relating to ageing, health and long-term care.

NIC is a space for public-private collaboration that aspires to transform the challenge of the ageing population into an opportunity for economic and social development. The convergence of such different yet complementary aspects as technological innovation, the optimisation of care and guaranteeing specialised and sustainable jobs makes the silver economy a suitable commitment to specialisation in Biscay.

TO BOOST THE CREATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, ALONG WITH STRENGTHENING A SPECIALISED SECTOR IN AGING IN BISCAY.

Concept The aging population – an opportunity for Biscay

Biscay transforms the challenge of the ageing population into an opportunity for socio-economic development.

  • It creates an ecosystem for economic promotion and entrepreneurship in the silver economy.
  • It generates a critical mass of professionals with specialised training in the silver economy.
  • It fosters the implementation of projects with driving-force companies in the silver economy.
  • It manages and ensures the responsible use of the ecosystem data in the silver economy.
  • It fosters the generation and transfer of knowledge in the silver economy ecosystem.

will be located on the 3rd and 4th floors of Torre Urduliz

Space Urduliz tower: silver economy ecosystem in Biscay

NIC is located in the Urduliz Tower – a public-private collaboration venue where different agents in the silver economy ecosystem will be established. This is proposed, from the outset, as a venue for interaction between entrepreneurs, companies, researchers and students located on different floors.

NIC Training, NIC Entrepreneurship, NIC Data and NIC Company will occupy a total surface area of 963 m2.

The Tower will also house Escuela 42 Urduliz, an area of 2,400 m2, distributed on five floors, with a capacity for 600 students.

Pillars of main activity

NIC responds to three challenges, the generation of specific knowledge focused on ageing, the generation of new care technologies and innovation incare for the aged people. This is structured through four pillars of activity.

  • NIC training

    Train professionals in the silver economy. To generate and transfer knowledge regarding the ageing population, health and long-term care.

  • NIC entrepreneurship

    To generate an entrepreneurial ecosystem, to foster the creation of specific start-ups for this sector of the silver economy of Biscay.

  • NIC company

    To attract driving-force companies and foster diversification towards the silver economy sector through public-private collaboration projects.

  • NIC data

    Ensuring the responsible use of data from the healthcare system in Biscay. Development of big data and artificial intelligence projects.

Pillars of cross-cutting activity

  • FORESIGHT

    To study, reflect and innovate in relation to the challenge of the ageing population and the opportunities this presents.

  • RESEARCH

    To foster the development of collaborative research projects with competitive financing in relation to the ageing population and the opportunities this presents.

  • EVIDENCE

    To set up a situation to assess the results of the different initiatives and projects carried out with public financing as a tool for decision-making on scalability (focus: return from public investment).

Ecosystem of agents vis-à-vis silver economy

Biscay has an ecosystem of agents in relation to the silver economy, grouped into the following types:

  • Society, as the end destination

    • Active, sick and dependent
    • Care-givers and professionals
    • Communities and associations of users
  • Healthcare system agents

    • Osakidetza
    • Healthcare service institutions
  • Third sector agents

    • Associations
    • NGOs
  • Academic agents

    • Educational and vocational training institutions
    • Universities
  • R&D+i agents

    • Health and social R+D+i organisations
    • Cooperative Research Centres
    • Centres of Research Excellence
    • Technology Centres
  • Public authorities

    • Provincial Council of Biscay (DFB)
    • Regional Government of the Basque Country – Regional Health Department (GV)
    • Local councils and other municipal or district entities
  • Entrepreneurs, companies and business associations

    • Entrepreneurs
    • Companies
    • Business associations
    • Other intermediaries and agents that back business initiatives
  • Biscay transforms the challenge of the ageing population into an opportunity for socio-economic development.

Market opportunities

A series of 27 market opportunities have been identified to develop the silver sector in Biscay.

Market opportunities Potential returns
Silver tourism and leisure New products 
Product silverization New products
Training geared to silver market Training offer
Physical and cognitive activity Social well-being and enhancing health capital
Healthy food Healthy food products
Health and dependency prevention Health and dependency prevention activities
Promotion of silver health and personal autonomy Health and personal autonomy promotion activities
Elderly silver economy volunteers Inter-generational collaboration – elderly volunteers
Silver work (harnessing elderly talent) Innovative solutions for current retirement regime
Financial products and services geared towards silver market New financial products
Insurance products and services geared towards silver market New insurance products
Adaptation of homes Technology geared to citizens
Automation Technology geared to homes
The Internet of Things Technology geared to homes
New services for homes New care services for homes
New care facilities in homes New care services for homes
Friendly care for the elderly Town planning for the elderly
Mobility adapted to the elderly New solutions for adapted elderly
Local retail trade adapted to the silver market Diversification of local commerce
Silver voluntary workers for the elderly Inter-generational collaboration – young volunteers
Healthcare services for the elderly New healthcare services
Long-term transformations for citizens New care resources
Coordinated and continuous healthcare New care models
Big data and artificial intelligence AI solutions to improve care
E-care solutions (PoC) Healthcare technologies
E-health solutions (PoC) Healthcare technologies
End-of-life care New models and services for transition to death

Action plan

The activity of NIC has begun in October 2021.

INTERNATIONALISATION

COMMUNITY

NIC TRAINING

NIC DATA

NIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP

NIC COMPANY

NIC

2021. START OF ACTIVITY Start-up of the space and attracting driving-force companies and entrepreneurs to the NIC ecosystem. First edition of Master’s degree in technological entrepreneurship for the Silver Economy

2022. MOBILISATION OF THE COMMUNITY and attraction of more agents and value projects to the NIC ecosystem

2023. CREATION OF INTERNATIONAL NETWORK with benchmark R+D+i centres in the Silver Economy

NIC

  • INTERNATIONALISATION

    2023. CREATION OF INTERNATIONAL NETWORK with benchmark R+D+i centres in the Silver Economy

  • COMMUNITY

    2022. MOBILISATION OF THE COMMUNITY and attraction of more agents and value projects to the NIC ecosystem

  • NIC TRAINING, NIC data, NIC entrepreneurship, NIC company

    2021. START OF ACTIVITY Start-up of the space and attracting driving-force companies and entrepreneurs to the NIC ecosystem. First edition of Master’s degree in technological entrepreneurship for the Silver Economy

Contact NIC: Nagusi Intelligence Center