Reflections from the 2025 Silver Economy Forum in Manchester

Mike Mansfield
14 hours ago
3 min read

Last week, I had the privilege of attending Silver Economy Forum 2025 (SEF 2025) in Manchester — a powerful gathering of global leaders, policy‑makers, investors and innovators united around the theme of “Age‑Friendly Cities: Reimagining Life, Work and Community.” The forum was convened by the Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and brought together ideas and momentum that are directly aligned with the mission of ProAge: helping businesses to embrace workplace age inclusion, and local authorities to harness the “silver economy” of older workers and citizens.

Here are some key take‑aways and reflections — and how I believe they feed into ProAge’s work, partnerships and ambitions for the year ahead.

1. Cities as the frontline of the silver economy

The forum opened with a strong message: age‑friendly cities are not merely a social policy aspiration but are economic power‑houses in the making.

This matters for ProAge because when you talk about workplace age inclusion, you are also talking about the broader ecosystem: transport, housing, neighbourhoods, lifelong learning and employment opportunities that span the life course. In Manchester, I heard vivid examples of how aligning all these pieces can create meaningful impact for older workers, employers and communities.

ProAge takeaway: The case we make for businesses and councils should increasingly emphasise that workplace age inclusion is part of a city‑wide strategy — not just HR policy. When local authorities talk about “age‑friendly cities”, they should also see their employers (and their older workforce) as vital partners in delivering that vision.

2. The Silver Economy: Innovation, Opportunity & Shared Impact

Across both days, the Forum underscored how the Silver Economy is reshaping global economic thinking, emphasising that longer lives are transforming not only who lives in our cities, but how our economies function.

A standout discussion on Day One featured Catherine Collinson, who powerfully articulated that longer lives are rewriting the rules of the global economy. From labour markets and retirement systems to healthcare, productivity and social infrastructure, the implications of ageing run deep. That panel explored how longevity can fuel economic growth, influence public policy, and catalyse a more forward-looking approach to 21st‑century economic planning.

Day Two built on this momentum with a discussion on age‑friendly investments. I was pleased to join a panel moderated by Ian Philp alongside Sydney Hughes (SeniorProof), Peter Mangan (Freebird Club) and Alan Pitcher (EssilorLuxottica / Nuance Audio) — each offering different perspectives on how innovation is meeting the needs of an ageing society. Together, we reflected on how safer homes, community‑building platforms and inclusive tech solutions are becoming mainstream, shaping markets that work for people of all ages.

My contribution centred on helping organisations prepare for an ageing workforce. Moving age inclusion onto the board agenda requires reframing it from a DEI “nice‑to‑have” to a strategic business imperative. Research we conducted with Brave Starts illustrates the gap clearly:

Employers rate the importance of preparing for an ageing workforce at 7 out of 10, yet
Their strategic readiness is only 4 out of 10.

Closing this gap means supporting organisations to build a clear business case — grounded in productivity, retention, skills, and long‑term workforce resilience. The innovations highlighted by the panel reinforced this: age‑friendly design and age‑inclusive practice strengthen businesses, communities and the wider economy.

ProAge takeaway: The Silver Economy conversation gives us a powerful platform to show employers that age inclusion is a core economic opportunity. By linking our work to growth, innovation and labour market resilience, we help position age inclusion where it belongs — at the heart of organisational strategy. This aligns closely with the innovations showcased by my fellow panellists, all demonstrating how age-friendly design benefits people of all ages.

3. Local authority & employer collaboration is essential

Given our work targeting councils and local authorities (and their employer networks), a standout insight from SEF 2025 was the explicit role of local government and cities in driving change.

Leadership from city‑level government can enable employer action, infrastructure, lifelong learning and older‑worker engagement.

ProAge takeaway: ProAge can play a unique bridging role between employers and local authorities — helping regions translate their age‑friendly ambitions into practical steps employers can take. Our work strengthens both sides: councils aiming to boost older‑worker participation, and organisations seeking to retain experience and skills.

4. Final thoughts

Attending the 2025 Silver Economy Forum in Manchester was a timely moment for ProAge. It reinforced that age inclusion is no longer a niche HR concern — it is integral to economic growth, city strategy, investor confidence and workforce planning.

For older workers, flexible working, experience and motivation are not just beneficial to them — they are strategic to employers and communities.

I’m excited to bring the energy, insights and global momentum from SEF 2025 into our work in the months ahead, turning high‑level ideas into meaningful action.