At the VII Congress of Bioeconomy, which is one of the most important events on the calendar of the Lodzkie Region, which took place on October 7 2019 over half a thousand participants and almost a hundred speakers arrived. It was attended by companies using innovative solutions, universities, representatives of state and local authorities who debated during 18 thematic panels. Topics related to climate change, the fight against smog, waste management, green public procurement, geothermal potential of the region and sustainable agriculture were discussed.

During the congress, issues of the potential for the development of the silver economy in the Lodzkie region were also raised. The need for a system for the production and distribution of goods and services aimed at satisfying the specific needs of seniors and people approaching the beginning of old age has been confirmed, among others, by the Deputy Marshal of the Lodzkie Region Piotr Adamczyk. During the panel, demographic changes, development perspectives for selected sectors of the economy (consumer goods, tourism) and methods of influencing the increase in activity of people at retirement age on the labor market (age management, intergenerational knowledge transfer) were presented, specifying the specificity of the Lodzkie region. It should be noted that, according to research of the STAY project, as many as 40.6% of companies confirm that they have standards that take into account the needs and capabilities of 50+ clients.

Experts from the University of Lodz agree that it is the “Silver Economy” that increases the professional activity of people over 50, influencing the development of intergenerational knowledge transfer. Employers are increasingly aware that after retiring older employees, it will be difficult to find younger employees with the same experience and skills. Despite the weakening of employees’ health, their value for the enterprise is appreciated by 54.7% of the surveyed entrepreneurs from the Lodzkie region.

To sum up, the successful implementation of the silver economy requires above all awareness of the challenges arising from the aging of society and a departure from the perception of this phenomenon as a threat to enterprises.