REPORT

Aging populations put pressure on systems built for different times. Concerns around pensions, healthcare and labor markets are well founded, and without urgent reform, their sustainability is in question. But it is not about managing decline. It is about turning one of the defining trends of the 21st century into a source of resilience, innovation and sustainable growth. See our full report here. Or click on each article below.

Reforming healthcare for longer lives and better living
By Nuria Mas
Aging populations demand we transform healthcare, building systems prepared to meet our societies’ demographic challenges.

Rebuilding state pension systems with fairness and urgency
By Javier Diaz-Gimenez
These are the reforms needed to restore sustainability and trust to a system under demographic strain.

How to manage migration effectively and humanely
Marta Elvira in conversation with Douglas Massey
Migration has always been part of the human story, says the award-winning sociologist Douglas Massey, so let’s manage it well for global progress.

Can migration save the welfare state? The real economics of migration
By Joan Monras
Betting on migration to fund aging societies is not so simple. Economics research reveals why the story is more nuanced than the politics suggest.

CASE STUDY

How personal values can become a catalyst for innovation
By Anastasia Sergeeva and Christoph Zott
Innovation is sometimes limited to market analysis and customer needs. But Magnum Photos shows that values can be just as powerful a driver.

THE INTERVIEW

IKEA CEO: Leading with humility, determination and values
Juvencio Maeztu on balancing affordability and sustainability while preserving foundational values in a polarized, fast-changing world.

Using data to drive better business decisions
From cinemas to retail, here’s how any business can use data insights to serve customers, improve flows and predict success, all without losing the human touch.

How companies can use power and partnerships to drive system change
By Desirée Pacheco, Thomas J. Dean and Jacen Greene
Real change happens when business, policy and society move together. Here’s how leaders can move beyond isolated efforts and scale innovation for sustainable impact.

Why your biggest cybersecurity risk isn’t technology — it’s your people
By Tawfiq Alashoor
Use this framework to build a strong privacy culture, adding zero-trust behavioral safeguards to your technical defenses.

How AI is depressing entry-level wages and hiring
As generative AI grows more sophisticated, research by IESE’s Mireia Giné and José Azar reveals salaries and demand for junior employees seem to suffer.