There is a growing demand for technology-based solutions, multidisciplinary skills, and related collaboration in Finland and other industrialized countries with aging population. For professionals working in the field it is essential to reach higher awareness and competence in utilizing rapidly developing new technological solutions in health and care. In addition, they need to gain skills to guide their customers in the use of numerous new digital heath care applications and personal medical devices. Furthermore, supporting multidisciplinary collaboration and expertise in the field of health and wellness technology expands potential to innovate novel applications. Social and health care sectors are currently going through rapid growth and structural change and have urgent need for more skilled workforce and new training opportunities. RoboPop, HealthLab as an Environment for Continuous Learning Development -project, creates a regional learning ecosystem and develops education and training of health and wellness technology in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland. The main goal of the RoboPop-project is to develop high quality and multidisciplinary expertise in health and wellness technology in Central Ostrobothnia. The sub-objectives of the project are to 1) develop novel learning environments that enable continuous learning of health and wellness technology, and include individual, versatile, time- and place-independent education. 2) support the utilization of new technology and working methods, as well as the related learning and competence development in health and care workplaces. 3) promote the integration between research, development and innovation, education of the social and health care and technology, social and health care providers and technology companies The project produces new educational solutions applying multidisciplinary R&D, educational and working life interaction. The ability and motivation to utilize technology increase among the project target group of multidisciplinary employees and students. The health and wellness technology know-how increases among social, health and technology professionals, as well as related education and R&D professionals. The project develops effective pedagogical solutions for strengthening the skills of teachers and social, health and technology students and professionals. The open access virtual education environment, which will be developed in the project to promote continuous learning of health and well-being technology, other produced material and project results will be published and informed on the project and Centria HealthLab websites, social media, as in publications and events. The RoboPop project will provide means to begin and continue the teaching and development of health and wellness technology in educational organizations in Central Ostrobothnia. For the workplaces, the project will provide skills to apply and develop health and wellness technology. Overall, the project will support a positive attitude towards technological development in social and health care. Moreover, the project will intensify collaboration between the R&D and educational organizations, social and health care actors and technology companies into a regional learning ecosystem. This will strengthen the region's capacity to respond to and benefit of the global changes, such as digitalization and aging, and increase and diversify business growth and opportunities.
