Population aging is transforming society and raising new challenges related to health, housing, finances, or leisure. However, despite the growing social and economic weight of this group, older adults continue to have limited participation in the design of many solutions aimed at addressing their needs.
This reality also coexists with situations of ageism, mainly in the workplace, though also in access to financial services, public administration, or health care, according to the “VI Senior Consumer Barometer” from the Ageingnomics Research Center at Fundación MAPFRE. A paradox that relegates those who, because of their experience, knowledge, and decision‑making capacity, should be protagonists and drivers of responses to the challenges associated with longevity.
Thus, with the aim of helping to change this reality and turning senior experience into innovative solutions that improve the quality of life for older people in Spain, the Ageingnomics Research Center and the Santander International Entrepreneurship Center (CISE) have launched the senior idea contest “Senior Talent.” The competition is part of the interuniversity TaleS program that both entities promote to foster senior entrepreneurship.
This initiative is aimed at people over 50 who have creative proposals to solve the daily challenges of the senior generation. The competition is founded on the premise that the best solutions should be thought of, precisely, by the seniors themselves. In this way, the submitted proposals can address multiple areas that impact the daily life of this group, such as “Active Life and Health,” “Healthy Eating,” “Finance,” and “Savings, Leisure, and Housing,” among other topics that participants consider relevant. The submission window will be open until September 30, 2026, and the winning idea will receive a €1,000 cash prize.
“For too long, we have designed solutions for older people without involving them. With ‘Senior Talent,’ we want to demonstrate that experience is also a source of innovation and that those who best understand the challenges of aging can contribute useful answers for society as a whole,” says Juan Fernández Palacios, director of the Ageingnomics Research Center at Fundación MAPFRE.
Support and Ongoing Training
To enroll, participants do not need to develop a complex project or a structured business plan; they only need to fill out a brief form, via this link, explaining the identified problem and their proposed solution in a text of up to 350 words. A panel of experts will evaluate the submitted ideas and announce the winner.
Additionally, all registrants will have free access to the “Senior Momentum Pack,” a virtual training program designed to provide them with tools in three key areas: creativity (techniques to unlock the more innovative side), emotional well-being (psychological keys to fulfillment in maturity), and business opportunities (tools to validate ideas in the current market).
“We want anyone, regardless of their entrepreneurial experience, to be able to turn a detected need into a proposal with the potential to generate impact. We are not looking for finished business ventures, but ideas capable of addressing real challenges. Our goal is to identify the needs of seniors and help them build solutions through training and mentorship,” adds Nacho Rodríguez, the TaleS program coordinator at CISE, part of the Ageingnomics Research Center.
