First EU joint-action to harmonize national research programmes on demographic changes

Demographic change is one of the great societal challenges that the European states currently face. Due to the  great significance of this topic 14 European states and Canada have joined the Joint Programming Initiative 'More  Years, Better Lives – The Potentials and Challenges of Demographic Change'.

The overall aim of this  initiative is a better co-ordination of national and EU programmes in the field of demographic change. This Strategic Research Agenda (SRA)  launch is an important milestone in promoting research on demographic change in Europe. Moreover, it is a first  step towards the implementation of joint activities and the alignment of national research programmes.

There are  no simple 'European' solutions to the challenges of demographic change, since member states and their regions  vary greatly in history, culture, economic circumstances and welfare models. The aim of our strategy is to ensure  that policymakers and practitioners, at all levels, have the scientific evidence needed to trigger strategies ensuring  all the citizens of Europe the most satisfying and productive lives possible.

The JPI's General Assembly believes  that the research proposed in the Strategic research Agenda will help to ensure that demographic change becomes  an opportunity instead of a burden for Europe and its citizens, and that the potential social and economic risks are  minimized.

The Strategic Research Agenda defines priorities for research  and policy making in four domains of demographic impact on society: Quality of Life and Health, Economic and Social  Production, Governance and Institutions, and Sustainability of Welfare in the EU. High-level representatives from the Steering Board (Troika), the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and the Societal  Advisory Board (SOAB) of the JPI-MYBL are set to introduce the key research priorities of the SRA which have been identified  as main fields of action in future national and European research policy (see attached agenda of the event).

Professor Paolo M. Rossini, internationally known neurologist, director of the Neurology institute of the Cattolica  del Sacro Cuore University and chairman of the JPI said: "For the first  time, Europe aims to insert in the national research programs of an important number of member states, a unifying  approach hopefully producing an harmonized and innovative research strategy aiming to tackle the challenges related  to the demographical changes.

"Our plan is to develop and foster a new type of interdisciplinary science tackling this  important topic from – different scientific angulations including health, welfare, urbanization, mobility, social sciences,  labour and production, and lifelong education."

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