Embracing the Silver Age: Cross-Border Wisdom for an Inclusive Technological Future in Aging Societies

The wave of an aging society brings unparalleled challenges and opportunities, affecting every aspect of our economy, society, and healthcare. Faced with a growing elderly population, our challenge is not just to meet their basic living needs, but further, how to empower them with a fulfilling, healthy, and vibrant old age. Technology opens the door for us to realize this vision, widely covering numerous fields such as food, medicine, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment. By building cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration mechanisms, we not only have the capability but can also create a truly inclusive society for all age groups.

By integrating public and private sector technological resources, we can unleash their potential to drive the silver economy, shaping an ecosystem of products and services that fully supports the diverse needs of seniors. For instance, in Sweden, the "Careousel" smart pill dispenser provides a convenient medication management solution for seniors, reminding them to take medication according to time and type, thereby enhancing their ability to live independently. We can learn from such products and stimulate our silver market economy by integrating smart home systems and personalized health monitoring. As for specific goals, we aim to increase the revenue of health and well-being to NT$300 billion by 2025. To achieve this goal, establishing a platform for industry, government, academia, and research exchange or cooperation is particularly important. This will not only strengthen resource integration between different sectors but also ensure effective alignment of innovative strategies with market demands, thereby achieving successful aging in place for seniors and accelerating the growth of the silver tech industry.

Regarding the digital divide, we can empower seniors digitally by promoting technology application and learning. Taking Japan's "IT Machi-okoshi (IT Town Revitalization)" program as an example, this program successfully helped seniors overcome the digital gap and enhanced their social participation by providing digital skills training. We will ensure that the promotion of technology application is not limited to a single field but is widely applied in various living scenarios, including healthcare, social interaction platforms, and smart home systems. For example, we can emulate certain Australian cities by developing interactive social platforms specifically designed for seniors and providing corresponding technology education to encourage seniors to actively participate in community activities. Such a strategy will ensure seniors' quality of life in multiple ways, helping them build a safe, comfortable, and connected living environment.

The successful implementation of inclusive technology strategies undoubtedly requires a comprehensive and carefully planned approach. We can draw on the successful experiences of other countries in this field. For example, the Finnish government has achieved good results in integrating resources from industry, government, academia, and research units through its "Finnish National Ageing Strategy." Its project "Vitality and Care" emphasizes cross-sectoral collaboration, promoting resource sharing and integration across different fields to better meet the diverse needs of the elderly. In Singapore, through the "Smart Nation Initiative," the government actively promotes digital skills training and funds relevant innovative projects to improve the quality of life for the national aging society. Learning from these experiences, our government can play an active role in policy formulation, funding, and regulatory support, such as providing research funds, formulating corresponding tax policies, and creating a regulatory environment conducive to technological innovation. Businesses and research institutions can focus on product development and innovation in market applications to ensure the practicality and foresight of products. Through synergistic cooperation from all parties, we will be able to build a comprehensive solution for the aging society and lay a solid foundation for an inclusive future life.