National Innovation Centre for Ageing

What National Innovation Centre for Ageing does

NICA (National Innovation Centre for Ageing) is a Newcastle University-hosted innovation centre that helps businesses, governments, and researchers develop products and services targeting the longevity economy. Its core methodology, Ageing Intelligence®, combines human knowledge, data analysis, and real-world applied testing — supported by the VOICE® citizen engagement network (described as thousands of international citizens of all ages), the Insights Suite testing facility at The Catalyst, and the Horizoning® horizon-scanning methodology. The organisation runs multiple programmes including the Internet of Caring Things (IoCT), Longevity as a Service™ (LaaS) cluster, UK-China Healthy Ageing Programme, and the City of Longevity initiative, alongside collaborations with the World Bank, Beijing Hospital consortium, and Piaggio Fast Forward.

NICA's revenue is generated through two primary streams: government and research grants (from UK Research and Innovation, Newcastle University, and regional bodies such as the North of Tyne Combined Authority — anchored by a £5.6m joint investment) and consultancy services delivered to enterprises seeking ageing-related innovation guidance. Customer and partner logos span technology (onHand, EMOTIV, Piaggio Fast Forward), biotechnology (GlycanAge, Skin Life Analytics), healthcare (SymPhysis Medical), health and wellness (Breathe Happy, Solongevity), retail (Coop Italy / Scuola Coop), and financial services (Newcastle Building Society). GTM is community-led, leveraging VOICE®, public-sector partnerships, accelerator programmes, and thought-leadership events (City of Longevity conference, London Design Biennale presence). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are direct enterprise and government deals, with NICA operating as a quasi-public, non-equity-funded entity inside Newcastle University.

Name

National Innovation Centre for Ageing

Legal name

National Innovation Centre for Ageing

Website

https://uknica.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NICA is a Newcastle University-hosted innovation centre that uses its Ageing Intelligence® methodology, VOICE® citizen network, and Insights Suite testing facility to help businesses, governments, and researchers build products and services for the longevity economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ageing Innovation Consultancy

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology Assistance & Digital Support for Seniors (HSABAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smart Home & Assistive Technology Installation for Aging-in-Place (HSABAJAI), Technology & Digital Skills for Seniors (Devices, internet safety, telehealth) (EDAAAMAH)

Keywords

• Ageing innovation consultancy
• Longevity economy services
• Citizen co-design network
• Ageing consumer research
• Product testing insights

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government & Research Grants: NICA receives funding from UK Research and Innovation, Newcastle University, and regional government bodies like the North of Tyne Combined Authority to drive innovation in healthy ageing.
2. Consultancy Services: Ageing Innovation & Consultancy services provided to businesses seeking to harness opportunities related to the longevity economy through their Ageing Intelligence approach.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) provides ageing innovation consultancy services through its proprietary Ageing Intelligence® methodology, which combines citizen insights from the VOICE® network with research data and market analysis to help organisations develop products, services, and policies for the longevity economy. Offerings include data-and-insights research, experience-and-design co-creation, horizoning horizon scanning, and access to a state-of-the-art product testing facility (Insights Suite) at The Catalyst innovation hub in Newcastle.

Product overview

NICA operates as an innovation centre offering the Ageing Intelligence® core methodology alongside multiple complementary programmes and facilities. The portfolio includes VOICE® (citizen engagement platform), The Catalyst (innovation centre), Horizoning® (horizon scanning), City of Longevity (age-ready cities initiative), Internet of Caring Things (connected care technology), UK-China Healthy Ageing Programme (bilateral collaboration), Longevity as a Service™ (business cluster), and the Insights Suite (product testing facility). The ecosystem connects research, citizen insights, and business innovation to address the longevity economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voice: A diverse international network of thousands of citizens of all ages, embedded in NICA, that harnesses intelligence, insights, wisdom, vision and experience of the public for co-designing and testing solutions.
• Ageing Intelligence
• Horizoning
• Longevity as a Service (LaaS)
• City of Longevity

Products and services

• Ageing Intelligence® Comprehensive data-driven approach that leverages human knowledge and experience, data analysis, and real-world applied testing and research to help organisations tackle longevity economy opportunities through evidence synthesis, deep market and trend analysis, horizon scanning, and consumer insights.
• VOICE® A diverse international network of thousands of citizens of all ages embedded in NICA. Through VOICE®, NICA harnesses intelligence, insights, wisdom, vision and experience of the public to co-design, co-develop and test innovations in real-world, real-time settings.
• Horizoning® Horizon scanning methodology that helps identify foreseeable and unexpected shifts leveraged by the demographic revolution to offer ageing innovation opportunities for businesses and policy makers.
• Insights Suite State-of-the-art product testing facility featuring two-way mirror, 360-degree panoramic cameras, 4K video recording, plumbing and kitchen facilities for observing citizen interactions with prototypes in real-world settings.
• Longevity as a Service™ (LaaS) Collaborative cluster bringing together companies from different industries (including Solongevity, Breathe Happy, GlycanAge, Skin Life Analytics) focused on longevity solutions delivered through service-based models to make longevity accessible to consumers.
• Internet of Caring Things (IoCT) Network of connected objects and cognitive systems designed to actively care for people and their physical and mental wellbeing, supporting over 600 businesses and creating 145 new jobs in the North of Tyne region.
• UK-China Healthy Ageing Programme Bilateral collaboration with Beijing Hospital consortium to develop products and services for healthy ageing, including citizen engagement, business missions, and accelerator programmes for UK companies entering the Chinese market.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 local volunteering missions completed in the North East through onHand partnership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Athena LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Athena Labs partnered with NICA to deliver the Growth and Funding Programme Cohort 2, a 12-week business support scheme for women-led businesses in health, wellbeing, technology, and social impact sectors. The programme culminates in a Demo Day in Newcastle.
• Lifted VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifted Ventures partnered with NICA and Athena Labs to deliver the Growth and Funding Programme for women-led businesses.
• Newcastle Building SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to endorse onHand as a featured community service and CSR initiative, with NBS employees serving as volunteers. The collaboration introduced innovative corporate volunteering to Newcastle as the first city outside London.
• Piaggio Fast ForwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to test gita robots with older adults, exploring how the technology can promote pedestrianism, mobility, prevent social isolation, and support healthy ageing. Featured in TrendWatching's 2022 Trend Report.
• CPI (Centre for Process Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner£5.6m joint investment partnership with North of Tyne Combined Authority and CPI to accelerate innovation in healthy longevity, engage 600 businesses, create 145 jobs.
• Beijing Hospital ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Beijing Hospital-led consortium to develop products and services in an ecosystem-to-ecosystem approach, supporting citizens in both UK and China to age better. Part of UK-China Healthy Ageing Flagship Challenge.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICA collaborated on the 'Silver Hues: Building Age-Ready Cities' report with the World Bank, contributing expertise to global discussions on age-ready urban design.
• Design Age Institute (Royal College of Art)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Design Age Institute on the gita project as a Pathfinder Project to develop commercially viable products enabling active life at every age. Featured on Good Morning Britain.
• Edinburgh Futures InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged students from Edinburgh Futures Institute in exploring the Internet of Caring Things concept, specifically around garden-related care contexts.
• Coop Italy (Scuola Coop)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership exploring the future of grocery shopping for an ageing population, understanding how retail can adapt to meet changing consumer needs.
• SolongevityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Longevity as a Service™ cluster, working to develop consumer-focused longevity services through data-driven touchpoints, making longevity accessible to everyday consumers.
• GlycanAgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Longevity as a Service™ cluster, providing glycan analytics for accurate health tests with personalised advice on healthy ageing.
• ConnectedLifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Longevity as a Service™ cluster, contributing to the ecosystem of companies working together on longevity solutions.
• Skin Life Analytics (NICA Spin-off)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNICA spin-off utilizing DNA Damage Technology for health and ageing assessment of skin, part of Longevity as a Service™ cluster.
• NIHR Innovation ObservatorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's national horizon-scanning centre partnering with NICA and VOICE on the Imagine Series project to identify unmet needs of carers of people with dementia.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Longevity Centre UK: UK think tank focused on longevity, ageing, and demographic change, producing research and policy recommendations. Comparable to NICA's thought-leadership and policy-adjacent work in the longevity economy.
• Aging2.0: Global innovation network and platform focused on ageing and senior care, connecting startups, investors, and corporates. Highly comparable to NICA's VOICE network, accelerator programmes, and longevity cluster approach.
• Centre for Ageing Better: UK-based charitable foundation focused on ageing innovation, research, and influencing policy and practice. Highly comparable to NICA as a UK hub generating evidence, insights, and programmes for businesses and policymakers addressing the ageing population.
• Catapult Network: Network of UK technology and innovation Catapults delivering applied R&D and business acceleration. Operates the same UK public-academic innovation centre model as NICA, with comparable funding structures, accelerator programmes, and enterprise GTM motions.
• CPI (Centre for Process Innovation): UK-based technology and innovation centre accelerating development of innovative products and processes. Already a NICA partner on the £5.6m Innovation Deal and operates a comparable public-academic innovation centre model with similar GTM motions.
• Design Age Institute: Royal College of Art-affiliated institute focused on design innovation for ageing, including product design and Pathfinder Projects. Directly comparable to NICA's product co-design, testing, and Insights Suite capabilities.

Others

• Innovate UK: UK's national innovation agency that funds and supports business-led innovation. Comparable as the public-sector counterpart funding NICA's programmes and shaping the broader UK innovation ecosystem in which NICA operates.
• World Economic Forum (Healthy Longevity Initiative): Multilateral body operating the Healthy Longevity Initiative with public-private ageing innovation programmes. NICA collaborated with WEF's ecosystem through the World Bank 'Silver Hues' report and similar longevity-economy platforms.

Broad incumbents

• Nesta: UK innovation foundation that funds and runs applied innovation programmes across health, ageing, and public services. Comparable as a mission-driven innovation organisation operating accelerator and insight programmes, though with broader sector focus than NICA.
• AARP: Massive US-based membership organisation focused on people aged 50+, with policy research, innovation programmes, and a sizeable innovation-focused subsidiary. A broader incumbent addressing a similar mission space with vastly greater scale and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uknicaofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nicageing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Innovation Centre for Ageing