Investing in Longevity: Healthy Living, Purposeful Ageing and Ageing in Place
Investing in Longevity: Healthy Living, Purposeful Ageing and Ageing in Place
Professor Axel Börsch-Supan
14 April 2026
11:15am – 4:15pm
Sands Expo and Convention Centre
Singapore
Singapore is officially now a super-aged society, and by 2030, one in four citizens will be aged 65 and above. For a city-state that until recently has placed greater emphasis on youth-centric policies, this demographic shift underscores the need for a holistic strategy to mitigate the impact of a shrinking labour force and declining capital accumulation on productivity and the economy.
In conjunction with the World Ageing Festival, this edition of SMU City Dialogues was themed “Investing in Longevity: Healthy Living, Purposeful Ageing and Ageing in Place”. Addressing the audience, keynote speaker Professor Axel Börsch-Supan, Executive Director of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) at the Munich Research Institute, outlined what a comprehensive approach could look like: smarter policies, industry innovation and community design.
He joined in a panel discussion moderated by Professor Paulin Tay Straughan, Interim Co-Director of Longevity Societies and Economies Institute (LSEI), and Director of the Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA) at the Singapore Management University (SMU). Panellists included Associate Professor Low Lian Leng, Chairman of the Division of Population Health and Integrated Care at the Singapore General Hospital, and Director of the Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation at SingHealth, as well as Mr Ong Yunn Shing, Chief, Strategy, Research and Data at the Agency for Integrated Care. Their discussion focused on the challenges and opportunities Singapore faces in navigating the ageing transition.
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A super-aged society presents a labour, capital and productivity conundrum. How can productivity continue to grow with a shrinking workforce, compounded by low fertility rates and declining labour force participation as people age?
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To maximise the productivity of labour and capital, education is key to nurturing brighter young minds and equipping people with skills and technologies to do more with less.
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Apart from raising productivity and efficiency, it is important not to lose focus on the bigger picture – what gives life meaning, and how to create better opportunities for younger generations.
Speaker
Speaker
Professor Axel Börsch-Supan
Director of the Munich Research Institute for the Economics of Ageing (MEA), and Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy
What can Singapore do so that our health-adjusted life expectancy keeps pace with life expectancy? How can we ensure older adults age well and live purposeful, engaged lives? The panel shed light on the policies in place to unlock these opportunities and explored the shifts in societal mindsets and norms required to make ageing more positive and socially accepted.
Additionally, they also pose thoughtful questions that incite further discussion and thinking among participants.
Earlier in the day, at the SMU Longevity Societies and Economies Institute (LSEI) was launched. Building on ROSA’s research and SMU’s expertise across economics, business, social sciences, law, accountancy and computing, LSEI will consolidate existing ageing research efforts into a coordinated, university-level platform, and translate rigorous research into actionable insights for government agencies, employers, financial institutions and community organisations.
Find out more about LSEI here.
Agenda
Agenda
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11:15am
Welcome Remarks
Mr Christopher Chew
Vice President
Office of Corporate Communications and Marketing, SMU -
11:20am
Keynote Presentation
Professor Axel Börsch-Supan
Director of the Munich Research Institute for the Economics of Ageing (MEA), and Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy -
11:30am
LSEI Research Project Showcase
- Financial Literacy, Insurance Protection, and Retirement Preparedness: Evidence from the Singapore Life Panel (Presented by Jackie Li, Professor of Statistics and Economics, SMU)
- A Multimodal Investigation into Successful Ageing: Integrating Digital Phenotyping for Early Intervention in Social Isolation (Presented by Shaikh Ismail Sathakuthamby, DEng Candidate, SMU / Director, Entity Tech PlansOffice, Synapxe)
- Still Connected: Addressing Psychological Barriers to Social Engagement Among Older Adults (Presented by Minju Han, Assistant Professor of Marketing, SMU)
- Understanding the Demand Side of the Silver Economy (Presented by Hannah H. Chang, Associate Professor of Marketing, SMU)
- Navigating Singlehood in the Longevity Society: The Influence of Inequality, Social Capital, and Solitude Capacity for Holistic Well-Being Among Singles in Singapore (Presented by Kenneth Tan, Assistant Professor of Psychology, SMU)
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11:40am
Panel Discussion and Question & Answer
Moderator
Professor Paulin Tay Straughan, Interim Co-Director, Longevity Societies and Economies Institute (LSEI); and Director, Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA)Panellists
- Professor Axel Börsch-Supan, Director, Munich Research Institute for the Economics of Ageing (MEA); and Director Emeritus, Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy
- Associate Professor Low Lian Leng, Chairman, Division of Population Health and Integrated Care, Singapore General Hospital; and Director, Centre for Population Health Research and Implementation (CPHRI), SingHealth
- Mr Ong Yunn Shing, Chief, Strategy, Research and Data, Agency for Integrated Care
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12:40pm
Lunch
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1:40pm
Parallel Dialogue Sessions
Track 1: Ageing in Place: Transforming Homes and Communities for Active Ageing by Professor Paulin Tay Straughan
Track 2: Healthy Longevity: Prevention and Behavioural Nudges for Lifelong Health Investment by Associate Professor William Tov
Track 3: Purposeful Ageing: Work, Contribution, and Meaningful Engagement by Dr Cheong Wei Yang, Dr Tan Yi Wen and Dr Salai Kaung Htet Tun
Track 4: Building Resilience: Systems that Support Financial and Social Resilience by Associate Professor Seonghoon Kim
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4:00pm
Wrap Up
