New project launched for sustainable living and working environments for older people

The "Alterperimentale" transfer alliance, which is based at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Berlin, aims to improve the quality of life of older people in the peripheral German-Polish border region through transfer ideas developed together with civil society actors. With its innovative approach, the network won the selection process for the "T!Raum - Innovations for the Future of the Regions" funding line of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF ) and will be funded for three years until August 2026 with an initial total of 5.9 million euros.

The "Alterperimentale" project focuses on socio-technical, socio-ecological and socio-spatial innovations. The aim is to create sustainable living and working environments in rural areas in a participatory manner and together with older people. The aim is not only to ensure social participation. In particular, regionally relevant topics of Social Work, gerontology and regional development are to be worked on and researched together with local practitioners.

Alliance coordinator Prof . Dr. Alexandra Retkowski , who holds the chair of Social Services for Structurally Weak Regions at BTU, emphasizes: "Based on our scientific expertise, we want to develop social, technological and natural spaces that integrate older people well in all areas. In this way, sustainable, good living and working environments are to be created that are characterized by coexistence within a committed civil society. Our practical research centers function like workshops."

In the future, so-called practical research centers are to be established and sustainably anchored in the region. The practical research centers act as places of exchange and knowledge transfer. They enrich the mutual learning process between science and practice. In addition to the existing practice research center in Heinersdorf, two more are to be established in Cottbus and Görlitz. The interdisciplinary team consists of the chairs of Social Services for Structurally Weak Regions and Regional Planning at BTU as well as the Chair of Social Work in the Digitalized Society at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Berlin and the Heinersdorf Practice Research Centre. Against this backdrop, an extension of the transfer alliance for a further six years is being sought.

The civil society initiative "Praxisforschungsstelle für Lebensmodelle im Alter auf dem Land" in Heinersdorf in the Oder-Spree district has already been in existence since 2020, enriching the new project with valuable experience in three years of cooperation between research, society and practice at eye level. This forms an important basis for the new transfer approach of Alterperimentale.

The public kick-off event for the project will take place on April 25, 2024 in the project region. Stakeholders from local authorities and administrations as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and organizations from the areas of services of general interest, health, care and agriculture are cordially invited to attend, as is the interested public. Anyone interested in shaping structural change and the conditions for ageing well in rural areas is welcome to contact the network team or subscribe to the newsletter. Please send inquiries to: kontakt@alterperimentale.de