IDA Ireland welcomes GE Healthcare’s investment in TRIL Centre, Ireland, to develop new technologies for independent living

The TRIL (Technology Research for Independent Living) Centre, Ireland has announced a new industry partner, GE Healthcare.  TRIL is a groundbreaking research initiative, founded in January 2007 by Intel Corporation and IDA Ireland, to explore the physical, cognitive and social consequences of ageing and design technologies to help address them. The addition of GE Healthcare as an industry partner will help TRIL to extend and expand its research programme.  GE joins the TRIL Centre as its second industry partner for 2010, alongside co-founder Intel and academic partners University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and NUI Galway.  GE Healthcare is investing $3 million in the TRIL Centre.

Commenting on the announcement, Barry O’Leary, IDA CEO said, ‘IDA is delighted with today’s announcement by GE Healthcare to join INTEL, and a number of leading Irish Universities, to develop new technologies at TRIL. IDA in collaboration with INTEL founded TRIL and GE Healthcare’s investment in this cutting-edge facility is a significant endorsement of Ireland’s ability to win key projects in the innovation space, building on the Government’s Smart Economy Strategy.’
‘GE Healthcare and INTEL are world-class corporations and leaders in their fields. The convergence of the companies’ technological expertise and the innovative research that will be carried by joining forces at TRIL has the potential to lead to ground-breaking advances in the emerging area of independent living technologies.’

A key goal of TRIL’s research, which brings together world-class industry and academic experts from multiple disciplines, is to enable older people to live independently in the homes of their choice for as long as possible, with the help of technology—and in the process, to help ease the strain on global healthcare systems as the world’s population ages.  This objective aligns with GE Healthcare’s goal of continuously developing innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency.
Home health is a key business focus for GE Healthcare.  The company recently acquired Living Independently Group, a provider of QuietCare, a passive activity monitoring system used to assist in the care of the elderly.  The company is also leading a consortium of private and public sector organizations in a $5 million three-year home health research program funded by the Hungarian government.  In April 2009, GE and Intel announced the formation of a healthcare alliance to develop and market technologies for independent living and chronic disease management.  As part of this alliance, GE Healthcare markets the Intel® Health Guide in the US and UK. The Intel Health Guide is a comprehensive personal health system that combines an in-home patient device – the Intel® Health Guide PHS6000 – as well as an online interface – the Intel® Health Care Management Suite – allowing clinicians to monitor patients from their homes and manage care remotely.

Over the last three years, more than 600 older adults have been assessed in the TRIL Clinic and a large number have participated in the TRIL technology home deployment programme.  The commitment of GE Healthcare will enable TRIL to expand the pool of participants and build on the accomplishments of the first three years. The addition of GE Healthcare as an industry partner supports TRIL’s strategic vision of securing additional industry partners, from SMEs to multinational companies such as GE and Intel, to advance its important research effort.

For further information

IDA Ireland
Thomas McEvoy,
Press and PR Manager,
Tel: 01 603 4255, Mob: 087 7426684

Antoinette Tyrrell,
Press Officer,
Tel:01 603 4256,
Mob: 087 7572053

Seamus Small
TRIL Centre Manager
Tel:+ 353 171 65302
seamus.small@trilcentre.org

Dr. Val Jones
Media Relations Manager
GE Healthcare
Tel: +44 7917 175 192
val.jones@ge.com