The Executive Board of the AAL Association selected Mr Klaus Niederländer as the new Director of its Central Management Unit. The AAL Programme funds applied research for developing ICT-based (Information & Communication Technologies) innovation in order to enhance the quality of life of older people.

Under the supervision of the Executive Board Mr Niederländer will be in charge of the operations to develop the AAL Programme in a fast moving market environment for age friendly technologies. Mr Niederländer will be instrumental in driving the engagement of member countries and stakeholders in AAL projects in close cooperation with the European institutions and in particular the European Commission.
Mr Niederländer, a German and Belgian national, took office on 5th April 2017. He was previously Director of Cooperatives Europe, the European Association of Cooperative Enterprises, which he led for the last six years. Next to his longstanding European leadership experience, he has a track record in SME development, as well as in management consulting and investment finance. Mr Niederländer holds a Master Degree in European Economics as well as a bachelor degree in European Business.

“With more than ten years of professional experience in various management positions in the Brussels scene– said Dr Rafael de Andrés Medina, President of the AAL Association – and with his strong record in successfully leading European organisations, we will count on Klaus to strengthen our constituency and develop our programme into the future.”
I am looking forward to this new professional challenge in another crucial European domain – said Mr Niederländer. Demographic change and the accompanied need for active & healthy ageing is not only a challenge, it also provides great opportunities for our societies. Digital technologies and social innovation on inclusiveness can hereby play an important role in achieving these changes smoothly. I look forward to collaborating with the 19 countries composing the AAL Association and with the European Commission and other stakeholders, in order to advance this societal cause.

General Information on the AAL Programme
The Ambient Assisted Living Association (AALA) was founded in September 2007 to manage the AAL Programme with a decision by the European Parliament and the EU Council co-fund it with 150 Million € from PF7 during 2008-2013. The programme went in its second phase from 2014-2020 under the name Active and Assisted Living (AAL) Programme with 175 Million € of EU co-funding from Horizon 2020.
It currently consists of 19 AAL Partner States, also including Israel and Canada from outside Europe.
The AAL Programme leverages additional public and private investment. Among AAL project partners are SMEs, larger enterprises, end-user organisations, universities and research and technology development (RTD) organisations.
AAL solutions are a combination of ICT based products and/or services that are bundled to deliver real solutions for enhancing the quality of life of older people.

For more info about the programme: www.aal-europe.eu
Twitter: @AALProgramme