Panel Discussion at ZEW on Demographic Change - "Healthy Ageing" Concerns Economists and Physicians

What does healthy ageing mean? Physicians dealing with the health effects of ageing as well as economists examining the challenges for the labour market of a society that is getting older are trying to find an answer to this question. The Leibniz Research Alliance "Healthy Ageing" organised a two-day interdisciplinary symposium on February 25 and 26, 2015, at the Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in order to explore the reasons for demographic change and the ageing of the population. The panel discussion in the evening of February 25, 2015, on how research, economy, and society can face the demographic problem formed a major part of the event.

Professor Clemens Fuest, President of ZEW, welcomed about 120 guests for the debate at ZEW and underlined the topicality of the symposium: "Demographic change, healthy ageing, and working at an old age are topics we should discuss." He said that he primarily has a look at the demographic change from an economic point of view like for example its impact on the development of future prosperity and on the competitiveness of knowledge-based economies. However, he admitted that the topic is multi-dimensional and that its extent can only be fully understood by interdisciplinary research. "Given this complexity a research alliance is an appropriate response," said Fuest.

"Getting old is one of the most important topics for all of us," said Professor Matthias Kleiner, President of the Leibniz Association, in his welcome address. According to him, the Leibniz Association's aim is to engage in research which is of relevance to society, economics, and the lives of people. Research Alliances and ScienceCampi are important means in this respect, he added. He highlighted the fact that ZEW hosts a total of two Leibniz ScienceCampi – Mannheim Taxation Science Campus (MaTax)and Mannheim Centre for Competition and Innovation (MaCCI) – and that it participates in five Leibniz Research Alliances.

Following this, Professor Karl Lenhard Rudolph of the Fritz Lipmann Institute, Professor Jean Krutmann of the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Professor Michael Falkenstein of the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Professor Björn Schumacher of CECAD Cologne, and PD Dr Alexander Spermann of the Institute for the Study of Labor discussed the impact of demographic change on health, economics, and society within the framework of a panel discussion. The discussion was hosted by Holger Bonin, head of ZEW Research Department "Labour Markets, Human Resources and Social Policy". The researchers on the panel all agreed that the prevention of age-related conditions should have the highest priority. A healthy nutrition and sufficient physical exercise are fundamental for everyone's health. However, it is difficult to motivate large parts of the population to change their habits. Changes are also required in the working world, where more flexible working practices have to be introduced. This is the only possibility to take pressure off elder employees, to reduce stress, and, finally, to facilitate a more healthy working and ageing. From an economic point of view, an increase in productivity is necessary to cushion the rising financial burden placed on the welfare systems by the increasing number of elderly people. The result of the debate is that the greatest challenge will be to combine all these objectives.

About 90 researchers from different disciplines participate in the two-day symposium. The discussions and specific lectures are dedicated to the various aspects of healthy ageing and the social challenges of demographic change.