Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC): SeniorLab UC will develop an unprecedented project with entrepreneurs from Arica and Parinacota
“Region with Experience” will be developed over two years thanks to the award and, after participating in a public tender, of an Innovation Fund for Competitiveness (FIC) of the Regional Government.
The initiative covers the communes of Arica, Camarones, Putre and General Lagos, and will seek to convene at least 100 enterprises that are in them, empowering small entrepreneurs aged 50 or over, who will help position the area as a pioneer in development economically by enabling intergenerational spaces.
Through three lines of action, it is proposed to connect enterprises with each other, within the region and, at the same time, with the existing innovation ecosystem at the national level.
“We are very happy to have the opportunity to take our learning to places outside the Metropolitan Region. The Silver Economy , the one that posits that older people will be the engine of both productive and consumer activities in the coming years, needs to decentralize, grow and develop at the country level” , says Paulina Pozo, Executive Director of SeniorLab UC.
In the first place, taking into account that almost 30% of the region’s population is recognized as belonging to the Aymara culture or other native peoples, the idea is to identify and add enterprises that include this part of the population, in order to consider and enhance the great cultural wealth present in the area.
The second line of action, dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurial culture, seeks to go beyond the identification and connection of enterprises, to establish an intergenerational vision, a pioneer within the ecosystem of Arica and Parinacota. For this objective, workshops are contemplated that will incorporate knowledge of digitization, innovation, empowerment and financing opportunities, among other subjects.
Lastly, it is proposed to disseminate good practices related to intergenerationality in enterprises and the inputs generated by and for the region during the execution of the initiative. As the ultimate goal, the empowerment of senior entrepreneurship and the positioning of Arica and Parinacota are sought, along with the benefits that this brings to local productive development, in addition to the consequences with a view to sustainability.
SeniorLab’s path
Born in 2018, SeniorLab is a social innovation laboratory that addresses the opportunities and challenges that the phenomenon of old age and aging brings with it.
To do this, it seeks to link and stimulate collaboration between the different actors in society in a space of experimentation and systemic change, and thus contribute through different lines of action that range from the generation of knowledge to the facilitation of dialogue and collaboration. between the different actors of the social innovation ecosystem, in order to enhance it by creating value for the elderly.
During the last two years he has developed a line of work focused on the insertion of seniors over 60 in companies. However, she has also sought to promote entrepreneurship from and for the elderly, new work methodologies and help raise awareness of prejudices and assumptions that are usually held regarding the population belonging to this age group.