A key next step in our Ethical AgeTech initiative (ICE-TEA) is to mobilise actors, stakeholders and organisations with a shared concern for ethical AgeTech by establishing a sustained international ICE-TEA Community of Practice (CoP) to disseminate findings, share learnings, and mobilise knowledge into policy. The CoP will bring together older adults, caregivers, community organizations, industry, policy, academia, and NGOs through a a collaborative platform to mobilize knowledge and encourage participatory action. Starting with a core group, we will grow the CoP to include participants globally. This will include well-established stakeholders in North America, Europe and Asia, but will aim to extend into less-established Regions of the Global South.

Integrated knowledge mobilization is the key to real-world impact. We frame this as a knowledge networking process, where knowledge is a product whose impact is best achieved through the involvement of all stakeholders, both knowledge producers and knowledge users, at all points in a research and innovation process (Sixsmith et al., 2021), with a view to ensuring the sustainability of the learnings and networks within the CoP to maximise the impact of the research, employing various measures to position the research for uptake and practical application.

Community of Practice (CoP) enables engagement, co-learning, and capacity building opportunities with key stakeholders. The involvement of older people and key actors in project design and implementation, as well as the establishment of advisory groups with external representatives, exemplify the trans-sectoral nature of AgeTech research and innovation.

Two workshops to develop ICE-TEA's CoP took place in May 2024, which engaged national and international experts in the field including key stakeholders in academia, community, and industry. The workshops also explored where ICE-TEA should go next. The team is currently engaged in developing a final report for Year 1 of the project which will include key recommendations for moving forward.

Stay tuned for more updates.