The Silver Economy: Redefining Aging as a Platform for Innovation

Global longevity transitions: How nations are reimagining aging for the 21st century

Across the world, societies are undergoing one of the most profound demographic transitions in human history: aging populations are becoming the new norm. The “Silver Economy”, encompassing all economic activities related to the needs and potential of older adults, is now valued at over USD 15 trillion globally and expected to reach USD 27 trillion by 2050 (Verified Market Reports, 2025).

Far from being a social burden, many advanced economies are transforming longevity into an engine for innovation. Japan’s Society 5.0 envisions a “super-smart” society where technology and human empathy converge to enhance quality of life for all generations (Cabinet Office Japan, 2020). South Korea has positioned itself as an “Age-Tech Nation,” leveraging robotics, telemedicine, and smart housing to support independent aging (Seoul Metropolitan Government, 2024).

In Canada, cities like Toronto and Vancouver are advancing smart age-friendly urban planning, where IoT and data integration improve accessibility, mobility, and healthcare delivery (WHO, 2021). Meanwhile, European countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, demonstrate how community-based care and co-housing models can maintain social participation and well-being among seniors (Walker & Maltby, 2012).

Singapore, through its Action Plan for Successful Ageing (2015–2030), integrates lifelong learning, inclusive urban design, and senior employability, showing how longevity can become a foundation for national resilience (Ministry of Health Singapore, 2016)

While these models demonstrate remarkable progress in advanced economies, the real frontier for longevity innovation may, in fact, lie in emerging nations, where demographic shifts and digital transformation unfold simultaneously, creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to design aging from possibility, not legacy.

Emerging economies: From demographic challenge to strategic opportunity

While developed nations are adapting to an aged society, emerging economies like Vietnam are approaching this transition earlier in their development curve. This presents both risks and opportunities: without adequate preparation, aging could strain healthcare and social systems; yet with strategic investment in innovation, design, and education, Vietnam could leapfrog toward an integrated Silver Economy model.

Unlike many Western systems built incrementally over decades, emerging countries have the advantage of designing from scratch, integrating healthcare, urban design, technology, and education into a cohesive ecosystem that is both contextually relevant and culturally grounded.

Vietnam’s Approach: Knowledge Leadership and Ecosystem Design

In Vietnam, the idea of “aging with dignity and purpose” is beginning to take shape across academia, industry, and policy. Associate Professor Vũ Anh Dũng and colleagues at VinUniversity are conducting pioneering research on Silver Economy – Building a Sustainable Economy for the Elderly, examining policy frameworks, innovation readiness, and opportunities for age-inclusive growth. Their work contributes to a crucial global discourse: that aging societies can be drivers, not dependents, of sustainable progress.

In a society where intergenerational bonds remain deeply rooted, aging well in Vietnam is not just an individual aspiration; it is a shared cultural value. It reflects the nation’s belief that the wisdom of elders, when empowered, becomes a living source of knowledge and compassion for future generations.

Complementing this academic foundation, Vingroup’s Vin New Horizon marks a milestone in translating these ideas into practice. Positioned as Vietnam’s first international-standard retirement and longevity ecosystem, Vin New Horizon embodies a holistic vision of graceful agingl, where Health, Enjoyment, Happiness, Connection, Longevity, and Serenity are seamlessly interwoven into everyday life.

With these six core pillars, it integrates healthcare, wellness, education, community living, and financial security into a unified model (Vingroup, 2025). Rather than emulating any existing framework, it represents a distinctive Vietnamese response to global longevity: one that blends scientific excellence with cultural empathy, designing aging as both a personal and societal journey.

Beyond facilities and services, Vin New Horizon reimagines the social role of older adults, empowering them to continue learning, mentoring, and contributing meaningfully. The concept aligns with the WHO’s Age-Friendly Cities framework (WHO, 2021), while demonstrating how emerging economies can turn demographic change into a platform for inclusive innovation and social cohesion.

Together, initiatives like Vin New Horizon and the academic research led by VinUniversity illustrate how Vietnam can move from knowledge to impact, turning insights about healthy aging into tangible systems that improve lives, inform policy, and inspire a culture of lifelong contribution.

Cần Giờ (Hồ Chí Minh City) will be the first urban area to welcome Vin New Horizon, a premium retirement community at the heart of one the world’s leading ESG++ Cities. Photo: Vingroup.

Conclusion: Aging well as a shared prosperity frontier

From Japan to Singapore, from Canada to Vietnam, the Silver Economy is redefining how societies measure growth and well-being. Aging is no longer the end of productivity; it is the beginning of a new era of inclusive innovation.

At the international level, this phenomenon has garnered significant scholarly attention. Notably, Dr. Vũ Anh Dũng has collaborated with Diep Pham, Professor Rohit Verma (University of South Carolina), Associate Professor Kejia Hu (University of Oxford), and Associate Professor David Ding (Rutgers University) on the Silver Prosperity Index. This initiative establishes a rigorous, multidimensional framework to evaluate national readiness for silver economies, integrating metrics of health innovation, economic inclusion, policy resilience, and more.

Vietnam’s proactive participation in this global dialogue, through research, experimentation, and ecosystem design, positions it as a potential model for other emerging economies seeking to transform demographic transition into sustainable advantage.

As nations worldwide search for sustainable models of longevity, Vietnam’s experiment offers a powerful message: that the future of aging is not about extending life but about expanding the meaning of it.

In this future, universities act as knowledge anchors, corporations drive applied innovation, and communities become living laboratories for collective well-aging.

References

• Cabinet Office, Government of Japan. (2020). Society 5.0: A People-centric Super-smart Society. Tokyo, Japan: Author.
• Ministry of Health, Singapore. (2016). Action Plan for Successful Ageing. Singapore: Author.
• Seoul Metropolitan Government. (2024, March 8). Elderly care becomes smart in Seoul by using robots and AI technology to keep seniors healthy and safe. https://english.seoul.go.kr/elderly-care-becomes-smart-in-seoul-by-using-robots-and-ai-technology-to-keep-seniors-healthy-and-safe.
• Walker, A., & Maltby, T. (2012). Active ageing: A strategic policy solution to demographic ageing in the European Union. International Journal of Social Welfare, 21(S1), S117–S130. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2397.2012.00871.x.
• World Health Organization. (2021). Global Age-friendly Cities: A Guide. Geneva, Switzerland: Author
• Verified Market Reports. (2025, February 14). Silver economy market size, share, trends, opportunities, scope & forecast. https://www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/silver-economy-market. 
• Vingroup. (2025). Vingroup launches Vietnam’s first international-standard retirement and longevity community: Vin New Horizon – A symbol of happiness for the golden generation. https://www.vingroup.net/tin-tuc-su-kien/bai-viet/3656/vingroup-ra-mat-cong-dong-huu-tri-dang-cap-quoc-te-dau-tien-tai-viet-nam.