IBERLONGEVA: A New Perspective on Longevity

A necessary transformation in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula

 

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IBERLONGEVA is a cooperation project between Spain and Portugal that was born with a transformative vocation: to rethink aging as an ally in building fairer, more sustainable, and more cohesive societies. In contrast to discourses that associate old age with decline, dependency, or the depletion of resources, IBERLONGEVA proposes an alternative narrative: longevity as a social achievement, as a meaningful stage of life, and as a driver of innovation for both present and future. 

According to EUROSTAT data, Spain (20.1% of the population over 65) and Portugal (24.1% over 65) are among the countries with the highest aging rates in Europe. 

This progressive aging is advancing at an accelerated pace in both countries and is particularly evident in rural areas and, especially, in the cross-border Spanish-Portuguese region. Areas such as Ourense, Zamora, and Lugo in Spain, and Pinhal Interior Sul in Portugal, are among the ten most aged regions in Europe. For example, the province of Zamora has an aging index of 333.74; that is, there are 334 people aged 65 or older for every 100 individuals under the age of 16. According to Spain’s National Statistics Institute, in 2024 more than 32% of the population of Ourense province will be over the age of 65. 

In some municipalities of Lugo and Ourense, an over-aging phenomenon is even observed, where half of the population is over 65 years old. Official projections indicate that this trend will not only continue, but intensify in the coming years, especially in the rural border territories between Spain and Portugal. 

A comprehensive approach to active, healthy, and meaningful longevity 

IBERLONGEVA is structured around a rigorous and representative research project focused on people over 60 years of age living in three key territories: the city of Zamora (urban environment), the province of Ourense (rural and semi-urban), and the Portuguese district of Bragança (urban, semi-urban, and rural). Through interviews, health evaluations, functional tests, and advanced technologies, essential data will be collected across multiple dimensions—from participants' social and emotional conditions to clinical parameters related to frailty, well-being, and quality of life. 

This information gathering is not merely descriptive or diagnostic. IBERLONGEVA is based on the conviction that data, when interpreted in depth and oriented toward the common good, becomes a tool for transformation. For this reason, the project incorporates artificial intelligence to identify significant patterns, anticipate risks, and design prevention strategies tailored to each individual and territorial context. 

Three guiding principles of the project IBERLONGEVA is structured around three fundamental pillars: 

  • Science with purpose: the project combines social, epidemiological, and clinical research methodologies with state-of-the-art technological tools. The knowledge generated is action-oriented: it seeks to guide public policies, inspire new models of care, and contribute to the development of a more proactive, effective, and personalized system of support. 
  • Prevention through knowledge: anticipating frailty is one of the greatest challenges for longevity-focused societies. IBERLONGEVA promotes comprehensive prevention that takes place before problems appear and combines healthcare strategies with a strong community-based dimension. 
  • Commitment to territory: the project starts from the specific reality of each location, without imposing standardized solutions. It listens to communities, values local knowledge, and works from a logic of rootedness, proximity, and shared responsibility. 

 

OLAS: the Observatory for an Active and Meaningful Longevity 

One of the project’s main instruments will be the creation of OLAS, the Observatory for an Active and Meaningful Longevity. This space will collect, process, and analyze all gathered information and become a reference platform for public authorities, health and social professionals, third-sector organizations, the media, and the public at large. 

OLAS will help answer key questions: How do people age in different contexts? What factors best predict loss of autonomy? How are physical health, psychological well-being, and the social environment related? What strategies can improve daily life in aging rural communities? Beyond its analytical dimension, OLAS aims to become a space from which to collectively rethink the meaning of longevity and its structural value for our societies. 

An Iberian alliance with a transformative vocation 

IBERLONGEVA is the result of a strategic alliance between the University of Salamanca, the University of Vigo, and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança—institutions that bring together complementary expertise in academic, clinical, and technological fields. It also involves university nursing schools, centers specializing in digital innovation, and organizations with communication expertise. 

The project is co-financed by the Interreg Spain–Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021–2027, of the European Union. It is part of a new generation of cross-border initiatives that aim to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future of well-being. 

An invitation to change the narrative 

IBERLONGEVA seeks to contribute to a profound change in the way we understand longevity: moving from fear of aging to a culture of extended life; replacing passive care with active participation; broadening the clinical perspective to integrate health, community, and meaning. 

Because aging well is not only a personal aspiration—it is a collective commitment. A society that prepares for longevity does not only care for its elders: it strengthens itself. And along that path, IBERLONGEVA offers a clear compass for moving toward a shared, dignified, and hopeful future.