The Health Market as a Macroeconomic Driver: Economic Potential of Assisting Technologies

The paper will start with a new understanding of healthcare under the heading "Towards an open health economy". Among other arguments it is said, that the health sector is more than a mere cost factor and that instead of health consumption the investment in health as a growth factor is of particular interest. Health and the health economy are becoming ever more important, the more so with the demographic challenges and economic potential of new assisting technologies for the elderly.

In the center stands the health care market as a driving economic force. This is analysed on the basis of the first and the second sector for health care and for Health in general. With the help of a so-called satellite account for the German health economy it can be illustrated what the health market contributes to growth and jobs. Combined with these calculations are some forecast developments in the health economy for several years resp. decades. These calculations include at least partly new assisting technologies.

In a last part of the paper it is investigated into the potential of new technologies in the different areas of life. Ambient Assited living (e.g. smart home, e-health services, tele-shopping) is one of the key words in this area of health, nursing care, security, nutrition, communication and social life. Perhaps some new business models may be developed in the large area of healthy aging.