"'Smart Senior Centers' Equipped with Video Conference Infrastructure to Launch in Daejeon and Bucheon" Project Underway

Recruitment of Service Development Specialists Until the 18th

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) announced on the 1st that they will newly promote the "Smart Gyeongrodang Construction Project," which establishes non-face-to-face video conferencing infrastructure in Gyeongrodang, the main hub of elderly welfare, and pilot applies intelligent information services.

This project was planned in response to the fact that most Gyeongrodang were closed last year due to COVID-19, aiming to expand ICT-based non-face-to-face infrastructure and content in Gyeongrodang to provide leisure and welfare services without interruption.

Through this, it is expected to elevate the quality of leisure and welfare services for the elderly to a new level and create a new care market. Additionally, by having seniors use smart devices and intelligent information technology routinely in familiar spaces, it is anticipated to contribute to reducing the digital divide among the elderly. According to NIA, the digital informatization level of the elderly is only 68.6% compared to the general public (100%).

This year, the project will be promoted in a total of two regions. After project review, Yuseong-gu in Daejeon and Bucheon-si in Gyeonggi Province were finally selected.

Yuseong-gu, Daejeon Metropolitan City, plans to ▲ provide customized non-face-to-face leisure and welfare programs reflecting big data analysis of seniors' participation rates and responses, ▲ offer smart health management services for seniors in cooperation with health centers, and ▲ plan services providing living information such as district office news and weather using digital signage.

Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, plans to ▲ provide hybrid online-offline leisure and welfare services so that seniors can participate in welfare center leisure programs from Gyeongrodang or their homes, ▲ link health information measured by Internet of Things (IoT) devices with health centers and provide health game services, and ▲ install IoT-based vegetable cultivation devices in Gyeongrodang to connect with psychological healing and community meal support programs.

The Ministry of Science and ICT stated, "As we prepare for the upcoming super-aged society, elderly welfare services must qualitatively change by combining with digital technology," adding, "We will strive to establish this pilot project as a leading case of smart Gyeongrodang and expand it nationwide so that all citizens can feel the results of the Digital New Deal and Regional New Deal."

NIA is recruiting specialized companies to build smart Gyeongrodang services by the 18th. Detailed information can be found on the Public Procurement Service's Nara Market website (www.g2b.go.kr) and the National Information Society Agency website (www.nia.or.kr).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.