Ecosystems for Age-Inclusive Innovation

This chapter unfolds in five interconnected parts. It begins by situating age-inclusive innovation within the broader international policy agenda, highlighting how frameworks such as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing and OECD lifelong learning strategies are reshaping the goals of innovation systems. It then turns to the theoretical foundations—drawing on adult-learning theory, human-capital development, and the concept of cognitive reserve—to show how learning and creativity continue to evolve across the life course. The discussion then moves to organisational and ecosystem dynamics, examining how age diversity, later-life entrepreneurship, and human–AI collaboration can be cultivated as sources of innovation. Building on these insights, the chapter introduces a practical framework for developing age-friendly innovation ecosystems that integrate people, platforms, places, and policy. It concludes by reflecting on how such systems can convert longevity into a shared engine of creativity, productivity, and inclusive growth.