Overview

Longevity International is a social enterprise bringing together start-ups, industry, academic and governmental stakeholders under one umbrella to provide a unified voice and coordinating vehicle for positive discourse and change to ensure the ‘longevity dividend’ is accessible to everyone. We are the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Longevity in the UK. Ageing represents a problem through a deficit-model lens- but could be one of the most promising opportunities of the 21st century if managed through an asset-based paradigm. The UK Government stands to either suffer or benefit from the growing ageing demographic shift or ‘Silver Tsunami’, depending on how it responds. Failure to reformulate the fundamental ways in which it deals with societal ageing will result in the government continuing to shoulder a growing economic burden. However, if it can achieve a shift in healthcare from treatment to prevention (including use of genomics and advanced biomedicine), support positive ‘age-tech’ that meets citizens’ aspirations for a longer life, and keep the working population fit and functional for longer, the UK can turn a looming economic bust into a thriving socioeconomic boom, delivering increased healthspan, a growing national GDP and better health and wealth for its citizens.