Challenges and solutions to cope with ageing in rural Europe: the role of the Silver Economy
Euromontana organised SILVER SMEs’ mid-term conference on “Challenges and solutions to cope with ageing in rural Europe: the role of the Silver Economy” on April 21, 2021, from 10:00 to 12:30 (CET).
Context
SILVER SMEs is a five-year project (2018-2023) funded by the European Union’s Interreg Europe programme. The project aims at improving the implementation of Regional Policies for SMEs competitiveness by taking better advantage of opportunities derived from the Silver Economy. By supporting the development of new SMEs from the Silver Economy, an intrinsic objective is to generate services and goods that will contribute to improve the quality of life within an ageing society, in particular in EU rural or mountainous areas. SILVER SMEs gathers 9 partners, including Euromontana and some of its members.
By 2070, 30% of Europe’s population will be aged 65 and over, which is 10% more than today. Rural and mountainous areas are particularly affected by this demographic change and need to develop living environments that meet the needs of older people.
What are the impacts of ageing in rural and mountain areas? How can the Silver Economy help addressing the needs of rural older adults? SILVER SMEs’ mid-term conference will discuss demographic changes in rural territories and showcase inspiring initiatives collected from all over Europe.
At a time when the European Commission is investigating the challenges of ageing and when a new programming period is starting, SILVER SMEs’ event will also explore how European and regional policies can cope with the challenges of ageing in rural regions. In particular, the conference will look at how EU initiatives can help to build more dynamic rural communities and boost economic sectors that improve the quality of life in these areas. By providing examples of policy actions that support business creation, the event will also explore how regional policies can further contribute to the development of the Silver Economy and the well-being of their ageing population.