A delegation from Canton of Bern, Switzerland, led by Prof. Dr. Herbert Binggeli, Rector of Bern University of Applied Sciences, visited NPI on May 8, 2019 for a discussion on the subject of an Aging Society with NPI members and network members (from NLI Research Institute and NTT DATA Corporation).

To introduce the subject, NPI gave a presentation on the following items: i) the similarity between Japan and Switzerland's aging society (population composition, pension care system, etc.), ii) the issues of the medical system for seniors in Japan and the approach to breakthroughs with ICT, and iii) the issues of improving productivity of seniors and support activities through use of ICT. Subsequently, Swiss members gave presentations corresponding to the issues raised by NPI.

The following topics were discussed:

1) Disruptions of healthcare data across medical institutions

2) Effects of multi-generational housing on healthcare in Japan

3) Key factors for improving employment rate for people over 70 years of age

4) Possibility of using an ICT approach for people with dementia

5) Integration of medical and long-term care to support elderly people

We confirmed that the issues identified in numbers 1), 3), and 5) above were similar in both countries, and, on the other hand, there was high interest from Switzerland regarding issues 2) and 4) in Japan, resulting in a meaningful exchange of opinions.