Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

During the first two years of Horizon 2020 (Work Programme for 2014/15), the EU will invest some €1 200 million in this Challenge.

Personalising health and care

Research & Innovation supported by this call will:

  • improve our understanding of the causes and mechanisms underlying health, healthy ageing and disease;
  • improve our ability to monitor health and to prevent, detect, treat and manage disease;
  • support older persons to remain active and healthy;
  • and test and demonstrate new models and tools for health and care delivery.

Coordination activities

R&I supported by this call will leverage Member State activities in areas including neuroscience, cancer, systems medicine. It will contribute to European and international initiatives such as the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing, the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases, the Joint Programming Initiative "More Years, Better Lives - the Challenges and Opportunities of Demographic Change" and the Joint Programming on Neurodegenerative Diseases Research.

Other activities

Several activities not included in the 2014/15 work programme will also be part of the 'Health, demographic change and wellbeing' challenge, notably the Innovative Medicines Initiative, the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), and the Active and Assisted Living Programme.

R&I performers

R&I supported by this societal challenge will enable the translation of findings from the laboratory into the clinic and other health and care settings, by engaging all relevant R&I performers. For instance,

  • The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) will continue to support collaborative research projects and builds networks of industrial and academic experts to boost pharmaceutical innovation in Europe.
  • The Active and Assisted Living Programme (AAL) will continue to support market-oriented research and SMEs, and work in tandem with the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) to ensure the wider dissemination of best practices.
  • Targeted support will be given to innovative SMEs in the area of biomarkers and diagnostic medical devices validation during the first two years of Horizon 2020.

Short description: 

Responding to this challenge, research and innovation (R&I) under Horizon 2020 is an investment in better health for all. It aims to keep older people active and independent for longer and supports the development of new, safer and more effective interventions. R&I under Horizon 2020 also contributes to the sustainability of health and care systems.