Innovation | AT2030 Programme

Supporting new products and service delivery models to scale

Improve the use of emerging technology for accessibility
Spark Assistive Technology (AT) innovation
Scale-up proven AT and associated service delivery models
Establish an Innovation Ecosystem in Kenya: Innovate Now.
Assistive Technology Impact Fund (ATIF)
Support start-ups to scale solutions to new service delivery approaches and disruptive technologies
Ecosystem acceleration programme
Live Labs and an AT Makeathon

Sub-Programmes

SP 3: Innovation: Delivering AT innovations in East Africa through inclusive innovation ecosystems, AT accelerator, service delivery and wheelchair provision. Horizon scanning to scope the disability mobile gap and programmes to address stigma. 3D printing for humanitarian response and an AT Makeathon.
SP 4: Innovation Hub India: Led by the WHO, UCL and the Indian Council for Medical Research we are exploring a new partnership to deliver an Innovation Hub in India with regional reach.
SP 5: AT Impact Fund: The AT Impact Fund was established to better enable frontier technology solutions to reach people with disabilities in Africa, and to test business models that are most likely to succeed.

Latest

Marketing matters [New blog series: AT, Entrepreneurship & Finance - with Assistive Tech Impact Fund]

Dr Rhys Williams

July 21, 2022

It’s time for AT companies to take marketing seriously. Even if companies are not in a position to hire marketing professionals, the founding team can upskill in this area to get their company and AT out into the world. it’s time to take marketing seriously. As we see individual companies grow through sales, we’ll also begin to see more and more ecosystem stakeholders wake up to the opportunities that this impactful sector has to offer.
Validate to find customers in AT ventures [New blog series: AT, Entrepreneurship & Finance - from Assistive Tech Impact Fund]

Dr Rhys Williams

July 14, 2022

Any company that hopes to be successful in the long-term needs to find a customer base that can reliably pay for products and services. Companies that create Assistive Technology are no different, with many companies opting for a business-to-business (B2B) model. For AT companies that are providing goods and services in LMICs, these models can be challenging, because customers could be governments, hospitals and clinicians, non-government organisations, charities, and faith-based organisations.
Digital Fabrication of Lower Limb Prosthetic Sockets

Dr Ben Oldfrey, Mark Miodownik, Dr Giulia Barbareschi, Dr Rhys Williams, Catherine Holloway, Global Disability Innovation Hub, UCL, Institute of Making

Dec. 16, 2020

Global

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This innovation insight discusses current approaches to digital fabrication of lower limb prosthetics (LLP) sockets aimed at low resourced settings. Digital fabrication of LLPs sockets has been researched for a number of decades, yet these technologies are not widely adopted, and most of the activities within this domain reside in high-income settings. However, the majority of amputees are in LMICs where there is a severe lack of access to services. It is in LMICs then, that the advantages that digital technologies offer could be of particular benefit however little to no progress in digital workflow adoption has been made to date
Assistive Tech Impact Fund: £4m fund trialling impact investment

Global Disability Innovation Hub, Brink, Catalyst Fund, Tamara Giltsoff

Dec. 3, 2020

Global

On the International Day of People with Disabilities, the new Assistive Tech Impact Fund (ATIF) has been launched out of the UK Aid-funded AT2030 programme, led by the Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub. It is a collaboration between GDI Hub, Brink, Tamara Giltsoff and Catalyst Fund. The partnership combines deep expertise in AT, innovation and venture building in Africa, respectively.
Powering Inclusion: Artificial Intelligence and Assistive Technology

Felipe Ramos Barajas

Nov. 14, 2020

Global

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2050 two billion people will need AT, yet 90% will not have access. This is why the AT2030 programme is engaged in testing research, innovation, policy, and building community solutions to see what works in addressing that enormous challenge.