Abstract
Hong Kong is experiencing rapid demographic ageing, similar to or ahead of many countries in Asia. In response to the many issues accompanying an ageing population, the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSARG) has introduced an emphasis on gerontechnology, which is a combination of services and support for the care of older persons, incorporating and deploying technological advancement. From 2018, the HKSARG also proposed a HK$1 billion Innovation and Technology Fund to support the adaptation and adoption of gerontechnology in eldercare sectors. However, one of the main challenges in this sphere is an insufficient collaboration between different stakeholders. It is arguably essential to develop opportunities and capabilities by creating a gerontechnology ecosystem to enable different stakeholders to effectively participate in gerontechnology and help Hong Kong society to overcome challenges related to population ageing (OHKF, 2021).The HKSARG and policymakers in the Hong Kong context always play a crucial role in developing strategies and directions for gerontechnology development. However, to plan sustainable development of gerontechnology, it is essential to study the complex concepts of the different stakeholders engaged in the gerontechnology ecosystem through research-based analysis. It is also important to review how the interaction and exchange create value among stakeholders, which is also essential in decision-making and actions. Furthermore, value co-creation may also lead to a more beneficial development of gerontechnology, or more generally, in the field, which could become a strategy for successful ecosystem development.
Developing value creation and stakeholder collaboration in the gerontechnology ecosystem is probably the key to the future direction (OHKF, 2021). Collaboration and construction of the ecosystem of eldercare are increasingly important (Chen, 2020) as to address the challenges and complexities of the growing ageing population. However, how stakeholder engagement and the concept of value creation benefit or interact within this ecosystem development are yet to be considered or answered appropriately with research-based evidence in this field. The current stage of discussion is mainly focused on the supply and demand side development, which has been based on the traditional value co-creation approach. Therefore, the primary goal of this study is to have a comprehensive review of the ecosystem development by analysis of the stakeholders’ engagement and value creation process between stakeholders in the whole ecosystem.
This study provides a review of Hong Kong gerontechnology, using the model of the innovation ecosystem. It has adopted a qualitative approach, using an in-depth interview with sketching work so as to understand the stakeholders and value creation progress in the gerontechnology ecosystem. The purposive sampling in this research reached out to a total of 30 interviewees whose roles have been identified as stakeholders in the gerontechnology ecosystem. Different stakeholders have been performed into four different roles, including Leadership, Direct Value Creation, Value Support and Entrepreneur Ecosystem, which help identify possible positions between the organization and stakeholders for fostering collaboration and contributing to ecosystem development. In addition, the four stages of value co-creation, including (i) co-experience; (ii) co-definition; (iii) co-elevation, and (iv) co-development/ co-evolution, supported the explanation of the practice of the interactive relationships among stakeholders and achieved a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
The study provides a new perspective via its use of the innovation ecosystem to explain gerontechnology development, and identifies interconnections within stakeholder ecosystem development, especially from the perspective of the concept of value co-creation. For developing gerontechnology in Hong Kong, this research provides valuable insights to (i) better understand the role of the stakeholders within the ecosystem and (ii) promote gerontechnology development in Hong Kong contexts. The findings from this study also bring practical suggestions the government can work with different stakeholders to promote achieving social goods through collective actions.
| Date of Award | 8 Aug 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | David Rosser PHILLIPS (Supervisor) |