Fraunhofer’s “Care 2030” Project Pilots Digital Assistants to Address Nursing Workforce Gaps
SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 14, 2025 – The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS is spearheading large-scale practical trials in Bavaria to reimagine the future of eldercare through digital assistants, connected devices, and smart environments. With Germany projected to face a shortfall of at least 280,000 nursing staff by 2049, the “Pflege 2030” (Care 2030) project aims to alleviate workforce pressure while improving the quality of patient interaction.
Smart Technologies Selected by Caregivers
Unlike traditional top-down innovation rollouts, the Care 2030 program puts nurses in charge of technology adoption. Staff at the Karlsfeld-based “Haus Curanum” selected ten solutions to trial, reflecting their day-to-day needs. At the top of their list was not robotics, but a voice-controlled tablet for speech-to-text patient documentation, eliminating manual entry on wired PCs.
Other requested tools include: