A ground-breaking new living lab for healthy ageing is set to launch in the North East, through a collaboration between Bernicia, one of the region’s leading housing providers, and the Internet of Caring Things® (IoCT™) programme (part funded by North East Combined Authority), which is part of Newcastle University’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA).
Set within a region facing urgent population ageing challenges, the Longevity Home is more than a showcase, it’s a dynamic testbed for future living. Residents, families, care professionals, and businesses actively collaborate to explore and refine innovative technologies, from TV-based messaging tools like Chatta to circadian lighting by Heleos, to emergency response platforms such as ChipTech Seven.
This hands-on environment allows users to live with, evaluate, and shape these technologies, ensuring the home evolves in response to real needs and possibilities. By grounding innovation in lived experience, it positions the North East as a national leader in the longevity economy.
The Longevity Home, based in the Bernicia property at Grasmere House, will remain accessible until 30th September 2025, by appointment, with bookings coordinated through the IoCT™ team who can be contacted at [email protected]
Jennine Jonczyk, Programme Lead for the Internet of Caring Things, said:
“The Longevity Home is about exploring how technology can help us live better. At NICA, We want to create spaces, like our homes, neighbourhoods and our cities that work better for all people, that help us in our everyday lives, to help us stay strong, healthy and happy. We want people to share their experiences, insights, and feedback with us, through Longevity Home, to drive the design of future homes and services.”
The North East is ageing faster than many other UK regions, and the Ageing in the North report1 has highlighted growing inequalities in health and wellbeing. This project responds directly, positioning the region at the forefront of Ageing Intelligence®- a new way of designing and delivering innovation not just for ageing population but with it.
With informed consent, the Longevity Home will collect real-life data and feedback to ensure technologies and services respond to the genuine needs of the region.
Paula Leckey, Head of Bernicia Living – the team delivering Bernicia’s age exclusive living locations, said:
“Our partnership with the nationally acclaimed team at IoCT allows us to examine the very latest technology and see how it performs on a daily basis in our home at Grasmere House in Walker.
“The ‘living lab’ on our doorstep allows our residents and housing sector colleagues to see cutting-edge technology in an everyday domestic setting, helping us decide what could work for residents and their families to help them live longer, more independent lives.”
In addition to empowering communities, the project aims to strengthen the region’s position in the growing longevity economy. By showcasing regional innovation, creating demand for future-ready homes, and building stronger ties between housing, health, and technology sectors, the Longevity Home is set to deliver both social and economic impact.
