How to turn age diversity into energy and innovation within organizations.
Longevity is one of the most profound transformations of our time. Living longer and in better health coincides with an opposite phenomenon: the sharp decline in fertility and birth rates. Fewer young people are entering the labor market, while the relative weight of older generations is rapidly increasing. For the first time in history, four or five generations coexist within the same organizations – each with different values, rhythms, and expectations. This new reality poses an obvious challenge but also represents an extraordinary source of innovation, if we know how to turn it into energy.
It was with this ambition that AGEnergy – Intergenerational Innovation at Work was created, positioning Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics and Universidade Católica Portuguesa as leading platforms for dialogue and research on longevity and intergenerational relations in the workplace.
The AGEnergy group brings together nine leading companies in Portugal – Brisa, CUF, Fidelidade, Galp, Grupo José de Mello, Santander, Servier, Trivalor and VdA – committed to exploring how age diversity can drive innovation, sustainability, and organizational well-being. The goal is to share challenges, experiences, and best practices, as well as to discuss examples from different sectors of activity.
Longevity compels us to rethinking the way we work. Careers are no longer linear, and professional transitions are becoming more frequent. Senior talent gains new relevance, while younger generations bring digital skills and a sense of purpose that inspires others. The challenge for companies lies in connecting these forces: combining experience and energy, stability and curiosity, tradition and disruption.
In this context, Católica Lisbon’s Longevity Leadership program has sought to equip leaders and decision-makers to understand the strategic implications of longevity for markets and talent policies. Leading in the age of longevity requires new skill – generational empathy, continuous learning, and the ability to build inclusive cultures where age does not define contribution but amplifies its value.
Organizations that turn age into energy – AGEnergy – will be the ones to innovate most rapidly. True innovation does not emerge from technology alone, but from the ability to bring together different perspectives around a common purpose. The future of work will inevitably be intergenerational. And the companies that understand his first will be the ones to grow in a sustainable, human, and intelligent way.