Demographic change affects already many regions in Europe. Many regional policy makers are aware of already existing trends of decreasing population and the changing relationship between older and younger people in their region. Especially for remote and rural areas the demographic change could develop quite dramatic. These challenges need comprehensive activities. Assistive technologies and assisted living solutions are therefore of increasing interest for regions.

Many project proposals of AAL calls also include regional aspects and relations. A closer cooperation between the AAL Association and the regions making use of assistive  technologies and systems solutions  should therefore have advantages for both. For a first exchange of information and views about a closer cooperation, the AAL Association invited regions already active in ambient assisted living solutions for a one day conference on June 10^th in Brussels. In the meeting the regions presented their respective activities. Already with the presentations regional problems resulting from demographic change and possible contributions of assistive technologies were intensively discussed. The development of markets for assistive technologies and systems solutions turned out to be the most important problem for the regions. Te regions stated, that there is no serious technology bottleneck and a high potential for innovative solutions. But the innovative transformation of the potential into marketable products and systems solutions is an important bottleneck and constrains the dissemination of AAL solutions.

Therefore the regions present in the workshop recommended expressly the provision of a European platform for information exchange and cooperative development of solutions for market introduction and development, provided by the AAL Association. The AAL Association declared its preparedness to establish and host such a platform.

The workshop also developed first outlines of a concept of work of the envisaged platform. The start for market development shall be use cases, e.g. telemonitoring systems for chronic conditions or the smart home as a focus of many different solutions for living at home as long as possible. There are of course many more use cases and also region specific ones. The second decision taken at the workshop therefore has been that every region should work out a short description of use cases they think as important and as of interest for their region.

The definition of use cases and the selection of use cases being of interest for many regions shall be the first step for a process of market development. A further second necessary activity of the group of regions shall focus on the implementation of concepts and policies. As a first step, realised projects shall be evaluated to identify success factors and market barriers.

Finally, after a transformation of use cases into business concepts large scale pilots and/or demonstration projects shall be defined including organisation and financing. EU regional policy programmes could be one source of financing. Close contacts to the EU Commission, especially DG Region and to other financing institutions like European Investment Bank are on the agenda of the regional group for the future.

The next meeting of the regional group shall be on September 21^st, again in Brussels. Main topic on the agenda: Discussion of the short descriptions of possible use cases.