Applied research in the field of medical technology is the driving force behind the devel-opment of innovative medical-technical devices and technically assisted living. A constant improvement in the quality and efficiency of treatments in medicine, rehabilitation and health care requires the permanent improvement and development of new technological procedures for medical and biological applications. Interdisciplinary thinking and the inte-gration of the newest findings in medicine, as well as the natural and engineering sciences form the basis for both current and future research and development projects.

The field of social services is at dynamic stage of development. How fundamentally the basic social framework is changing can be seen today in the upheaval of family structures, in the shifting population structure due to increased life expectancy and low birth rates, as well as in the consequences of migration. Social services face the challenge of developing innovative concepts and a differentiated range of services, while at the same time economic and political development sets limits on the quantitative development of the welfare state. For this reason efficiency and profitability are demanded of facilities in social services and health care.