Digital Healthcare corporations ROWAN is speeding up its entry into Japan's dementia prevention market. It has joined hands with a national research institute in Japan and a Robotics company to develop an integrated solution.
ROWAN said on Mar. 2 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SoftBank Robotics (SBR) in Japan and the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG) in Japan to develop and validate an "integrated dementia prevention program."
The agreement centers on jointly developing a digital-based dementia prevention solution for Japan's older adults. ROWAN plans to unveil an optimized solution by connecting its in-house developed digital cognitive training software "SuperBrain" with SoftBank Robotics' Humanoid Robot platform.
NCGG will provide trial design and research infrastructure to verify the program's clinical efficacy, while SoftBank Robotics will support the robot platform and maintenance services and handle sales and distribution using its local network.
Based on this agreement, ROWAN plans to conduct a proof-of-concept (PoC) project for local participants in Japan to bolster clinical effectiveness and raise service completeness to meet market demand. Afterward, it will use SoftBank Robotics' distribution network to supply SuperBrain to care institutions and senior facilities across Japan.
ROWAN chief executive Han Seung-hyun said, "Collaboration with NCGG, Japan's central institute for gerontology research, and SoftBank Robotics, a leader in the robotics field, will be an important stepping-stone for ROWAN's SuperBrain to gain recognition in the global market."