VOICE is an international organisation at the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA), established to harness the enormous amount of experience, skills and insights of the public, of all ages and backgrounds, particularly older people. The members work with research and businesses to uncover the unmet needs, priorities and aspirations of consumers, as well as to co-develop products and services that are needed to support healthy ageing and healthy longevity. Professor Lynne Corner, COO of the UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing and Director of VOICE, shared key insights on the concept of human capital – experience and wisdom – in the fifth instalment of the Healthy Ageing lecture series.

Professor Corner says, “Healthy ageing and longevity present huge opportunities in every sector, with a diverse range of products and services needed to help us all make the most of the opportunity to live, work and age better, enabling us to care for ourselves and enjoy a better quality of life for longer.” In fact, the population over 60, one of the few engines of global economic growth, is well placed to generate at least half of the growth of all urban consumption between 2015 and 2030.

She adds, “Harnessing human capital is essential to learning what people actually need – not what we think they need, but what they actually need – and also what they can offer. Their ideas, insights and imagination are critical to harness to build a resilient recovery.” Rather than simply setting our sights on young people, older folk offer an enormous resource of knowledge and experiences that is often underutilised.

By tapping on these knowledge and experiences in imaginative ways, and working with businesses to produce products and services that people would like to see in their lives, VOICE can empower the world to more effectively tackle the various challenges that society is facing. For example, a mobile application has been developed in the United Kingdom to confront the pressing social issue of loneliness, something the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified due to social isolation. The app matches volunteers with people seeking help – whether it’s with shopping, collecting medicine, dog walking, or simply a chat on the phone.

In addition, NICA is partnering with businesses to provide “Longevity as a Service” through personalised advice and guidance – such as interactive yoga classes, data-driven monitoring and real-time feedback of health and well-being, accurate tests of one’s biological age and wellness along with actionable advice, and more.

As more and more people embrace the opportunity to live longer in our modern age, we need strategies to build human capital resilience and empower generations to thrive together.

View the full recording of the webinar "Ageing Intelligence™ - Valuing Citizen and Consumer VOICE ".

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Contacts

Research: Professor Caryn West [email protected]
Media: Pinky Sibal [email protected]