New Longevity Societies Project

A strategic and cultural response to the demographic revolution 

We live longer. And we live better. This reality, which should fill us with pride as a society, can no longer be perceived solely as a budgetary challenge or a headache for pension systems. Longevity is not a problem to be solved, but an opportunity to be governed. An asset that, if properly understood, can positively transform our societies. And it is precisely on this premise—ambitious, yet realistic—that the New Longevity Societies project is based. 

We are facing one of the most profound and far-reaching transformations of our time. The combination of three factors—sustained increase in life expectancy, declining birth rates, and unbalanced territorial distribution of the population—creates a new scenario, both in terms of social structure and models of coexistence, productivity, wellbeing, and sustainability. This demographic shift joins the other two major vectors of the 21st century: climate change and the digital revolution. Together, they outline the map of challenges—and decisions—that will define the future of Europe and the planet. 

In this new context, the Iberian Peninsula finds itself in a unique position to lead an intelligent, cooperative, and inspiring response. Spain and Portugal are among the countries with the highest life expectancy in the world, and together they welcome over 120 million tourists annually, making them a major hub for new models of life, work, and wellbeing. The New Longevity Societies project emerges from this dual awareness: of the demographic challenge and of the Iberian potential to be at the forefront of building a new social model centered on the value of longer lives. 

Driven by a committed and multisectoral consortium, this project is based on a solid foundation of institutional cooperation between the Economic and Social Councils of Spain and Portugal—formalized in October 2022—the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança and the University of Salamanca, with the participation of other universities, research centers, and social and economic stakeholders from both countries. It is a proposal aligned with the objectives of the Interreg VI A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) 2021–2027 Cooperation Programme of the European Union, which has recognized its strategic relevance through the granting of more than 2.7 million euros in funding. 

New Longevity Societies is born with a broad and transformative vision. Its objectives are not limited to better managing ageing, but rather to completely reinterpreting what it means to live longer. It proposes a cultural and structural redefinition of old age: moving away from its automatic association with loss, dependency, or inactivity, and recognizing it as a stage of vital wealth, active participation, and social innovation. In this new paradigm, more years of life do not represent a burden, but more social wealth, more accumulated talent, and more time to make life decisions with freedom and awareness. 

This change in perspective requires rigor, data, and sustained pedagogy. That is why the project proposes three major strategic actions: understand, know, and act. 

• Understand the complexity of the new demographic reality and its implications in all areas of life: economy, health, intergenerational relationships, work, culture, or technology. 
• Know in depth, through interdisciplinary, scientific, and territorial analysis, the essential characteristics of this transformation in order to dismantle ageist prejudices and promote a fairer and more complete understanding of longevity. 
• Act decisively to anticipate challenges, design better policies, promote cross-border cooperation, and foster a conscious, co-responsible, and future-ready citizenry. 

Within this framework, the project aims to promote a new model of intergenerational relations based on reciprocity, revalue senior talent in the world of work, combat precariousness and inequality in old age, and strengthen the links between academic knowledge and real social needs. The exchange of knowledge, the co-creation of solutions, and the development of new action protocols will be key tools to provide effective responses tailored to local contexts. 

The ultimate aspiration is clear: to transform longevity societies into fairer, more cohesive, inclusive, and sustainable societies. And for Spain and Portugal, through a logic of cooperation, to lead this transition, showing the world that longevity is not just a biological or statistical phenomenon, but a cultural project of the highest order. A project that challenges us as coexisting generations and invites us to imagine—and build—a new way of being together in time.