Leveraging digital technology to redefine retirement

Digital technology can redefine retirement and enable longer working lives if governments integrate their ageing populations into the digital economy and leverage new technologies to support active ageing.

Digital technology can enable older workers to stay in the workforce longer by enabling them to work in ways that are appropriate for their lifestyles and preferences, for example, through technology workers can work remotely and on more flexible schedules. Digital technology can also redefine retirement by creating healthcare advances that keep workers healthy and active. Public-private cooperation will be essential in supporting these efforts. Critical next-steps include:

• Businesses need to integrate digital technology into the workplace and ensure that older workers benefit from these new technological advances through training and other initiatives that foster digital readiness.
• Education systems should step up and become a key partner in re-skilling workers and promoting digital readiness.
• Public and private sectors need to leverage digital technology to increase the access and efficiency of healthcare and to find solutions to the health challenges of an aging population.
• Governments need to address any outdated policies that prevent longer working lives and advance policies that encourage the engagement of older workers in the economy.
• Policymakers need to support policies that encourage innovation and investments in digital technology.
• Public and private sectors need to create a new security and privacy regime for data collection and sharing that promotes greater trust between all participants.
• Both private and public sectors need to work together to increase funding for research and development for new breakthrough innovations.