There is no doubt that the world has changed, and it is for everyone, from those born in the pandemic, the so-called “quarantine”, even older people have played an important role in supporting their own families, businesses and companies thanks to their invaluable experience and great ability to continue contributing actively. Adults over 50 are considered the target population for the development of an ecosystem of Silver Economy in Peru.
The world context presents us with a scenario where the birth rate has drastically decreased, and at the same time life expectancy has increased significantly in the last 50 years. These two combined effects lead us to a population aging whose identified effect for Latin America is at the forefront. In a few years we will move to the group of moderately advanced aging countries, according to a report prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean – ECLAC.
For Javier Salinas, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Universidad del Pacífico – Emprende UP, the value of experience and its direct relationship with longevity has a great positive impact on the economy. “People in the silver range contribute with their knowledge and, above all, with their experience so that companies in early stages pass the validation period and ensure their permanence in the market,” said Salinas.
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The process we know of demographic aging, typical of developed economies, is reaching Latin America. In the case of Peru, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), the populations that experience the greatest growth will be those of +60 (older adults) and +80 (fourth age), which will experience a rate of higher growth.
In the case of people over 60, their participation will rise from 12.7% (4 million 140 thousand) in 2020 to 30.1% (11 million 877 thousand) in 2070. Similarly, people from + 80, they will increase their participation from 2.0% (647 thousand) to 8.6% (3.4 million) at the end of the projection period (year 2070). In both age groups, the female population is the majority.
Therefore, the director of Emprende UP maintains that it is key to start preparing ourselves so that Peru and the region adapt to the changes that will come in the coming decades, facing the challenges that arise and at the same time taking advantage of the opportunities for develop a silver economy ecosystem in Peru.
“From Emprende UP we consider that it is the best time to launch a national initiative and work with stakeholders from the public and private sectors in the development of a silver economy ecosystem in Peru, invite the beneficiaries themselves, entrepreneurs, businessmen who see in this segment not only to potential good clients, but also as a source of knowledge and experience that they can contribute in order to improve the businesses, products and services for this segment. The challenges range from adequately covering the basic needs of this age group to the design of specific products and services to meet and understand their needs, their user experience and their expectations by type of product and service”, mentioned Javier Salinas.
This proposal seeks to include the different actors of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem to involve the platead@s with new opportunities that take advantage of their experience and develop, above all, new skills. It is important to organize working groups with the most representative actors of the ecosystem and jointly promote a public policy in favor of this age segment.
