Regardless of the sketched situation, experts from academia and enterprises expect a broad introduction of AAL systems within the next few years. To make these systems a success, a technologically qualified work force has to mirror technological progress. A central issue in this context is that the existing professional careers have to be widened in order to include sound knowledge on AAL. This means that nurses using the systems and craftsmen installing and maintaining AAL solutions need skills complementary to their existing professional expertise; an aspiration that is not accomplished so far.
In order to react to this foreseeable qualification shortfall, since 2011 the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has promoted nine interdisciplinary educational and training projects that aim at conceptualising advanced training courses in higher education for non-academics and academics. The overall budget for these projects amount to up to 5 million Euros.
Based on an analysis of future technological developments, future needs mainly arise in sectors of care and handicraft . A er the validation of the identified and qualified tendencies and elaborated roadmaps, a set of curricula for extra-occupational and full-time training (theory and practical elements) has been developed. Professionals as well as undergraduates and post-graduate students can achieve a Master of Science in Ambient Assisted Living or be trained as consultants for Ambient Assisted Living in their special fields of work.