Collaboration and exchange between ISG Chapters: A Round Table Discussion
H.S.M. Kort, J. Garcia-Alonso, W. Kearns, F Orsi Medola, G Gutman; V Taipale.
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AbstractPURPOSE: The International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG) was established on September 3th 1997 with past president and grandmaster Vappu Taipale MD as one of the founding persons. The other founding persons are Herman Bouma, ISG first Grandmaster, Jan Graafmans and Richard Pieper. All three were employed in Eindhoven. The city of light. The initiative to start with the international network was executed through the EU project Action A5-Ageing and Technology of COST (European COoperation in Science and Technology). The first Gerontechnology conference took place in 1991 in Eindhoven, followed by a second in Helsinki in 1996 (Table1). These meetings led to the creation of the International Society for Gerontechnology (ISG) in Eindhoven, which established the Gerontechnology journal and formed its first board. Early efforts focused on collecting country-specific gerontology insights and examining how technology could shape interventions and their impacts (Graafmans & Taipale, 1998). METHODS: Country-specific approaches were supported by helping Gerontechnology researchers establish regional or cultural chapters. These ISG chapters operate independently under local or national law. The idea was to create settings where challenges and opportunities in Gerontechnology could be discussed more easily, with space to exchange knowledge and build collaborations. Information about the chapters is derived from a) ISG archives and Chapter applications; b) previous meetings with chapter presidents and c) one-on-one-chapter president meetings. During the roundtable, chapters will compare differences and similarities and share best practices. The goal is to strengthen connections, identify topics for potential ISG activities, and gather ideas for competitive international proposals. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The first chapter established was the Japanese chapter founded in 2006 after the members had learned to know each other during the ISG world conference in Nagoya, Japan. Table 1 gives an overview of the ISG world conferences. Currently, ISG has 12 chapters with three new chapters under construction two of which are in Asia (Singapore and Indonesia). Some chapters are comprised of one nation (e.g., the Japan and Brazilian chapters), some include multiple countries having a language or culture in common (e.g., the Francophone chapter). Some chapters are strongly connected to geriatric and gerontology national societies some have a more technology-based orientation (e.g. the Taiwan chapter) while some have strong focus on professionals (e.g. the Korean and Finnish chapters). The ISG started with strong focus on researchers current chapters also focus on professionals. This results in not just having a Gerontechnology matrix for scholars to enhance their knowledge but also in having tools that facilitate professionals to apply the Gerontechnology principles in practice.Keywords: Community building, Knowledge exchange, Best practices
H.S.M. Kort, J. Garcia-Alonso, W. Kearns, F Orsi Medola, G Gutman; V Taipale. (2026). Collaboration and exchange between ISG Chapters: A Round Table Discussion. Gerontechnology, 25(2), 1-10
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.2.1684.3