The aim of this study was to explore the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT)-based services for informal carers and paid assistants of older people living in the community. We cross-case analysed the effects of twelve initiatives in the EU, the USA and Canada, based on their individual analysis documented through interviews with promoters and a literature review. We carried out the cross-case analysis following a variables-oriented strategy on seven dimensions of impact at micro-, meso- and macro-levels: the quality of life of informal carers and paid assistants, quality of life of care recipients, quality of care, care efficiency and sustainability, acceptability, and infrastructure and accessibility. ICT-based services for informal carers and paid assistants improve the quality of life of older people and their carers and access to qualified care. They also generate savings which contribute to the sustainability of the care systems. These findings constitute a first look at the benefits of the use of ICT-based services for informal carers and paid assistants. Nevertheless, more research using experimental methods is needed to demonstrate the impact of these ICT-based services at meso- and macro-levels. This would help to support policy-makers to deploy these technologies for long-term care delivery.

This report shows the role played by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in supporting the employability and integration of immigrants in Europe in three European countries, framed in their migration history, migration policies, integration policy and levels of integration of migrants in the country. This study complements the findings obtained in the report entitled ICT for the employability and integration of immigrants in the European Union: Results from a survey in three Member States. The research found that age, education, employment status and type of occupation are drivers of digital inequalities; ICTs constitute an important resource for employability and integration of immigrants in the three countries, and specific groups of immigrants such as older and less educated are isolated from the digital world, and that immigrants they are not making more advanced uses of ICTs. Policy strategies go toward increasing access and the digital literacy of isolated groups and in particular for newly arrived migrants, as to provide on-line access to relevant information and on-line services for migrants through user friendly multi-lingual websites.

Introduction: Research acknowledges the relevance of social support and coping strategies to manage the pressure of care experienced by informal carers, where ICT-based services like telecare and telehealth can provide more effective and efficient support to individuals compared with traditional interventions. Nevertheless there is still little evidence of their benefits of these technological services for informal carers and on the factors associated with their successful development and transfer. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study was to study how the technologies for independent living of the elderly affect the informal carers, and to identify the policy role to develop and scale these technological services in the European Union. Methods: The methodology was to map the most relevant ICT-based initiatives existing in Europe to support informal carers of older people living in the community. We develop an impact assessment methodology that identified the most relevant factors of impact. We then carried out them an in-depth analysis of 5 selected good practices of telecare and telehealth in European countries to better understand the impact of such services. Moreover, we crossanalysed of 12 good practices of ICT based services for informal carers to identify the key success factors to develop such services. Results: We found that telecare and telehealth provide relief, independence and peace of mind for informal carers. This allows carers to have more active social lives and more time for themselves. These tools can guarantee a decreased in demand by carers and care recipients for support and care services. The research also evidenced that key issues for the success of telecare and telehealth is to articulate a multi-level policy framework based mainly on policy leadership, combination of funding programmes, and support of intermediaries (in particular the third sector). Conclusions: Telecare and telehealth are technologies for elderly people that can also benefit informal carers. Challenges still exist for their development, but a multi-level policy framework can help for the success.

The article outlines a set of visionary scenarios on how the European society could develop by 2030 by using advanced ICT tools and modelling techniques and integrating them into governance processes and policy making mechanisms. These scenarios have been designed through a foresight exercise conducted by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) as part of the CROSSROAD Project, a support action of the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme. After presenting the conceptual framework and methodological approach followed, the scenario design framework developed and the resulting views of what the European Information Society might be by 2030 are presented. The article follows with a discussion of the implications of the scenarios design in terms of key areas of expected change and grand challenges to be addressed. It concludes by identifying policy challenges and proposing possible future research directions in the domain of ICT for governance and policy modelling needed to build a truly open Digital Europe twenty years from now.

The use of ICT by adult migrants for learning the host country language (or second language, L2) is a topic which crosses three policy areas at EU level: immigration and integration policy; information society policy; and education and training policies. All three areas are currently addressed by flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Second language acquisition by adult migrants is perceived as a crucial factor for socio-economic and cultural integration. Several EU Member States have actually introduced compulsory L2 requirements for migrants, and a major effort is underway by a large number of stakeholders to assist migrants in enhancing their L2 proficiency, even where no binding requirements exist. ICT has started to be used in this context and is looked at with increasing interest as a means of helping with both the quantitative and qualitative challenges of L2 education. This report reviews the current challenges of L2 provision and provides examples where ICT has been implemented to by-pass or solve these challenges. The mission of the Joint Research Centre is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of European Union policies. As a service of the European Commission, the Joint Research Centre functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national.

The report Envisioning Digital Europe 2030 is the result of research conducted by the Information Society Unit of IPTS as part of the CROSSROAD Project - A Participative Roadmap on ICT research on Electronic Governance and Policy Modelling (www.crossroad-eu.net ). After outlining the purpose and scope of the report and the methodological approach followed, the report presents the results of a systematic analysis of societal, policy and research trends in the governance and policy modelling domain in Europe. These analyses are considered central for understanding and roadmapping future research on ICT for governance and policy modelling. The study further illustrates the scenario design framework, analysing current and future challenges in ICT for governance and policy modelling, and identifying the key impact dimensions to be considered. It then presents the scenarios developed at the horizon 2030, including the illustrative storyboards representative of each scenario and the prospective opportunities and risks identified for each of them. The scenarios developed are internally consistent views of what the European governance and policy making system could have become by 2030 and of what the resulting implications for citizens, business and public services would be. Finally, the report draws conclusions and presents the proposed shared vision for Digital Europe 2030, offering also a summary of the main elements to be considered as an input for the future development of the research roadmap on ICT for governance and policy modelling.

The paper outlines a set of proposed visionary scenarios on how governance and policy modelling could develop by 2030. These scenarios have been designed through a foresight exercise conducted by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) as part of the CROSSROAD Project, a support action of the European Commission 7th Framework Programme. After presenting the conceptual framework and methodological approach followed, the main results of the trends analysis conducted as part of the project are discussed. This entails the presentation of societal trends and a deeper analysis of policy and research trends that are considered central for understanding and mapping ICT research for prospective governance and policy modelling. Based on the framework proposed, four internally-consistent views of what the European Information Society might be by 2030 have been designed. The resulting scenarios and the consequent implications for citizens, businesses and public services are then presented. The timeframe in which certain (or all) the elements of the visions will occur are influenced by the technological and societal 'speed of change'. However, considering the unprecedented growth and speed of take up experienced in several research areas under investigation, it is argued that the world we will be living in by 2030 will be radically different from the world we are living in today. Finally, the key areas of expected change and the research challenges identified for building a Digital Europe twenty years from now are presented.

The paper outlines a set of proposed visionary scenarios on how governance and policy modelling could develop by 2030. These scenarios have been designed through a foresight exercise conducted by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) as part of the CROSSROAD Project, a support action of the European Commission 7th Framework Programme. After presenting the conceptual framework and methodological approach followed, the main results of the trends analysis conducted as part of the project are discussed. This entails the presentation of societal trends and a deeper analysis of policy and research trends that are considered central for understanding and mapping ICT research for prospective governance and policy modelling.