The traditional three-stage life of education, work, and retirement is giving way to something more fluid, argue IMD's Nele Dael and Alyson Meister. As advances in medicine, science, and technology extend not only lifespan but healthspan, the years lived in good health, longevity is emerging as a strategic priority for business leaders rather than a concern confined to the life-sciences sector. The authors identify three trends shaping the landscape.
First, the rise of the longevity economy: by 2050, more than 2.1 billion people will be aged 60 and above, roughly 20 percent of the global population, and the longevity economy, valued at $8 trillion, is projected to reach up to $12 trillion by 2030. Second, the multigenerational workforce, in which leaders now manage teams spanning as many as six generations and careers may stretch across five decades or more. Third, the growing influence of social media and "longevity influencers" n how societies understand aging, an opening for evidence-based communication as well as a channel for misinformation.
Synthesizing research from the WHO, OECD, McKinsey, and the World Economic Forum, the piece argues that prevention is an economic strategy, citing a McKinsey estimate that optimizing employee health represents a global opportunity of $3.7 trillion to $11.7 trillion.
