In 2019, the Global Coalition on Aging teamed with the Government of Finland to present the first-ever global conference of government and business leaders focused solely on the business of aging. Featuring CEOs of global companies, government leaders, NGOs and global institutions, the inaugural Silver Economy Forum:

• Clarified and elevated the understanding of the opportunities of the $15 trillion silver economy;
• Stimulated new thinking on the impact of finance, technology, elder caregiving, and medicine on healthy and active aging;
• Helped map business strategies to create value for established companies and entrepreneurial ventures through the prism of the aging lens;
• Highlighted policies and innovative solutions that enable successful aging; and
• Spotlighted how government and business are working together to leverage the aging mega-trend.

These two days of thought-provoking panels and speeches were complemented by an expo area for showcasing current and future innovations. In October 2019, GCOA released the report Five Powerful Ideas for Capturing the Value of the Silver Economy, based on the expert insights and recommended actions from the Forum.

Following the success of the Helsinki Silver Economy Forum, GCOA was invited to bring the issues highlighted in the Silver Economy Forum to the annual World Summit on the Information Society 2020. GCOA created and implemented the event’s first-ever track on the role of Information Communication Technologies in our 21st Century Aging Societies. This year the Forum is a virtual event that began on June 22nd, 2020 with an opening session hosted by GCOA, and will run through September 10, 2020.

Visit the Silver Economy Forum website to learn more about Helsinki, WSIS, and other Silver Economy Forum events.