Digital Common(s) is an eduTECH venture turning ageing into innovation.

By 2050, one-third of Hong Kong will be over 65, while one-third of its buildings will be over 50. Facing this “double ageing” future and trained as architects, I ask myself: what urban environments are we building for our parents, and eventually, for ourselves?

Having engaged older adults and surveyed their public space needs in my doctoral research, I realise what they seek are inclusive spaces that break the stereotype of elderly centres: “I want to know trendy activities too, like video games”. This inspired our founding principle: video games are powerful digital systems that can enhance spatial memory, train executive brain functions, and build community. They offer non-pharmacological intervention for dementia symptoms like apathy and anxiety.

Our intergenerational service integrates digital games with digital twins to foster social empathy and enables seniors and youth to co-design products in the metaverse. They co-create inclusive urban solutions from ergonomic benches to gerontech tables using sustainable materials. The impact is three-fold: enhancing digital literacy in lower-income neighbourhoods; training professionals in community co-creation through serious games; and prototyping active-ageing public spaces in our metaverse.

Validated through 3 years of pilots with 150+ citizens, we have demonstrated 35% increased social participation and launched youth into computer science programs. Now we are scaling, integrating our eduTECH games with AI to empower more seniors to become active creators, not passive care recipients, and to build a future where we all can age with purpose, pride, and power.

組長
Team Leader
吳正研
NG Tsing Yin Provides (CUHK)

組員
Team Member
DORRER Elizaveta (HKUST)

院校顧問
Faculty Advisor
劉楚儒博士
Prof. LAU Chor Yue Victor (CUHK)

Website
https://provides-ism.com/