In an era where longevity is rapidly evolving through science and technology, the real question is shifting from “how long do we live” to “how to organise a society that lives longer.”
With this reasoning, Prof. Nicola Palmarini put the deeper political and social dimension of longevity at the center of the discussion, highlighting the need for a new model of thinking that goes beyond the boundaries of biology and touches the core of social planning.
With a big question, Prof. Nicola Palmarini, Director, UK National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA); Co-Founder, Edelman Longevity Lab; CEO, Voice® Italia; Affiliate, Harvard Meta Lab, began by setting the tone for the discussion around longevity and its place on the political agenda, raising from the beginning the question of whether modern societies are truly ready to transform longevity into an organised public strategy.
Speaking at the CYPRUS EMEA Healthspan Summit, Palmarini noted that the scientific and research field of longevity is already at an advanced stage and supported by significant resources. The critical gap, he stressed, is at the political and institutional level, in the way society is organised around the fact that people are living longer.
Referring to a broader social planning approach through the “The Republic” exhibition, he emphasised that longevity cannot be treated solely as a biological issue. As he explained, factors such as meaning in life, quality sleep, urban environment, nutrition and social connection directly affect the length and quality of life, but remain fragmentedly integrated into public policies.
At the same time, he highlighted the importance of collective choice, noting that when citizens are asked to take a stand, they reject the idea of immortality and turn towards a more balanced and meaningful longevity, with an emphasis on quality and social cohesion.
He also raised the dimension of technological dependence, noting that the concentration of data and technological infrastructures in external providers creates issues of autonomy and strategic control for societies. At this point, he underlined that Cyprus has only nine weeks to give concrete political form to the discussion around longevity, highlighting the need for immediate institutional preparedness in the face of technological developments.
In closing, he emphasised that longevity is primarily a political choice and social plan, which requires redefining the way institutions are organied and the life model itself, with the aim of more resilient and cohesive societies.
The CYPRUS EMEA Healthspan Summit was organised by the St. Moritz Longevity Forum in strategic partnership with the MHV Group.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
