INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Aging Gracefully: The Future of Care for Older Adults
April 24 and 25, 2026
Graduate School. Alumni Building. Madrid
LONGEVITY LAB
Exploring Possible Futures in the Face of Demographic and Technological Challenges
The Longevity Lab addresses the urgent challenges of ageing societies by examining current care practices through the lens of signals of change, emerging trends, and possible future scenarios. As healthcare systems face increasing demographic pressure, rapid technological transformation, and growing ethical uncertainty, there is a need to critically explore how models of care may evolve in the coming decades, with the aim of anticipating implications, improving decision-making in the present, and beginning to design more desirable futures.
The Lab creates a space for strategic reflection and forward-looking analysis, bringing together professionals and academics, alongside the participation of design students from the Universidad de Navarra.
It will also incorporate the perspectives of young people aged 12 to 17 from different countries, members of the Young Voices Council of Teach the Future, enriching the conversation with an intergenerational perspective.
Throughout the sessions, participants will examine the current state of the sector, challenge assumptions, and imagine and articulate possible futures. Through a strategic dialogue, an expert roundtable, and hands-on Future Thinking workshops, participants will work with emerging trends, structural tensions, and alternative models, analysing their potential long-term implications for institutions and systems, with the aim of translating these reflections into concrete decisions and actions in the present.
SUMMARY
FRIDAY, THE 24TH | MORNING
Emerging Challenges: Care & Person Think Tank
A strategic reflection space where professionals from the fields of care, innovation, and longevity analyze emerging challenges in the sector. Through a workshop based on signals of change and trends, participants explore real tensions, ethical dilemmas, and structural transformations that are redefining the care of older adults.
FRIDAY, THE 24TH | AFTERNOON
Symposium: Academia and the Context of Aging
An roundtable bringing together experts to explore emerging perspectives on care and longevity. Through shared discussion, the event showcases projects, approaches, and experiences from universities and research centers research are transforming current care models.
SATURDAY, THE 25TH | MORNING
Designing Futures: Envisioning Desirable Care Scenarios
A participatory workshop in which professionals, academics, and university students collaborate to explore desirable futures of care. Through foresight tools, participants broaden their perspectives by engaging with possible scenarios, anticipating opportunities and risks, and beginning to design present-day strategies that guide the transition toward more desirable, equitable, and sustainable futures of care.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
Understanding the Present:
Emerging Challenges and Questioning Assumptions
9:00-9:30 a.m. |
Networking coffee |
9:30–9:45 |
Opening • Ana Marta González— Director of the Chair on New Longevities | University of Navarra |
9:45–10:00 |
Welcome • Javier Antón— Professor of the Degree in Design and the Master's Degree in Design and Hospitality Management |
10:00–10:45 |
Keynote Lecture • Riel Miller— Global Authority on Future Literacy | Former Head of Foresight at UNESCO |
10:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m. |
Collaborative Trend Mapping Session • Lourdes Rodríguez Rodríguez — Strategic Foresight Consultant (United Nations / European Commission) | Director of Policy, Advocacy & PR en Teach the Future |
1:30–3:30 p.m. |
Food |
3:30–4:00 p.m. |
Symposium: Academia and Its Latest Advances in Longevity • Jane Ann Driver — Geriatrician and Leader of Clinical Innovation in Aging | Harvard Medical School |
4:00–4:30 p.m. |
Symposium: Academia and Its Latest Advances in Longevity • Martin Quirke — University of Stirling | design Dementia and Aging |
4:30–5:00 p.m. |
Networking coffee |
5:00–5:30 p.m. |
Symposium: Academia and Its Latest Advances in Longevity • Céline Abecassis-Moedas — Stanford Center on Longevity |
5:30–6:00 PM |
Symposium: Academia and Its Latest Advances in Longevity • Dr. Andreas Motel-Klingebiel — Linköping University | Aging and Social Change |
6:00–6:45 p.m. |
roundtable: Global Dialogues on Care • Moderator: Javier Antón — Professor in Degree design the Master's Degree design management Hospitality Services |
18:45 |
Cocktail |
SATURDAY, APRIL 25
Designing Futures:
Envisioning Desirable Care Scenarios
9:00–10:00 a.m. |
Networking coffee |
10:00–10:15 |
Introduction • Phil Balagtas — Founder, Design Futures Initiative • Lourdes Rodríguez — Strategic Foresight Consultant (United Nations / European Commission) | Director of Policy, Advocacy & PR en Teach the Future |
10:15–10:30 |
Icebreaker |
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. |
Instructions and Groups Presentation of scenarios and futures persona |
11:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m. |
"A Day in the Life" Analysis of potential future challenges and opportunities |
12:20–1:00 PM |
Strategic Response Concept Development and Presentation Preparation (Storyboarding) |
13:00 |
presentation of desirable care scenarios |
Riel Miller
Global Authority on Future Literacy | Former manager Foresight at UNESCO
Riel Miller is one of the world's leading designers and strategic foresight practitioners. He was head of UNESCO's Foresight from June 2012 and of Futures Literacy from January 2018 to 2022. In 2005 he founded a consultancy service xperidox, to advise clients on how to use the future more effectively.
For thirty years, he has dedicated his work innovation, leadership, and transformation in the public and private sectors around the world. Before joining UNESCO in Paris, he worked as General Manager in the Ontario public service (Ministries of Finance, Universities, and Industry) and spent thirteen years at the OECD in Paris (Directorates of Economics, Science and Technology, Education, development , and development).
Lourdes Rodríguez
International Strategic Consultant in Foresight | Teach the Future
With an advanced degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Cyber Policy and Government, Lourdes is a senior trend analyst and foresight practitioner with over 15 years of experience delivering lectures, workshops, and seminars for senior executives, organizations, and public institutions worldwide.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the leading futurists in Spain (2021, 2022), she collaborates as an external expert with the European Commission and the United Nations on foresight and emerging technologies. As an independent consultant, she works closely with Mindset, contributing to the design of transformative learning experiences through foresight, and with Innuba, a B Corporation specialized in innovation, futures, and organizational transformation.
She is also Global Director of Policy, Advocacy and PR at Teach the Future, where she advances the integration of futures thinking into education systems.
Javier Antón
Director the Longevity Lab | University of Navarra
Javier Antón, graduate in Architecture in 2006, he obtained his doctorate at the University of Navarra in 2016. During his programs of study of doctorate He moved to the United States to continue his training at Columbia University, where he completed a Master's Degree in programs of study Curatorial projects in 2014.
He is currently a professor and Deputy Director in it department of Theory, Projects and Urbanism at the same school. research and teaching They focus on the intersection between art curating and architecture, design of services, spatial narrative and pedagogy of design Javier has been recognized for his commitment to the evolution of the Education and the commissioning. This has been reflected in his work for the CCCP Venice Observatory at the 2014 Venice Biennale, his role as trainer at the 2016 Summer School at the Architectural Association, and his numerous curatorial projects in cities such as New York, London, Istanbul, Venice and Madrid.
He has published extensively on the interaction between art and space and has directed major projects in research in design Services in the Hospitality and Health sectors, improving service quality through development of the employees.
Phil Balagtas
Founder of the Design Futures Initiative | HABITAT
Phil Balagtas, a Barcelona-based designer, strategist, and futurist, has over 25 years of experience designing digital products, services, and strategies for a variety of devices and platforms.
During the last decade he has served as director of design for the group of Digital Aviation at General Electric and for McKinsey & Company. In addition, he combines his degree program professional with the teaching as a professor at Elisava University and the University of Navarra. Phil runs HABITAT, his own consultancy service , in which she trains organizations in Futures Thinking; and she has just published a book with O'Reilly, graduate Making Futures Work: Integrating Futures Thinking for Design, Innovation and Strategy .
Jane Ann Driver
Geriatrician and Leader of Clinical Innovation in Aging | Harvard Medical School
Jane Ann Driver is a geriatric oncologist with over 20 years of experience in clinical innovation. research and healthcare administration. She is an associate professor of medicine at the School of Medicine from Harvard, a professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and serves as Chief of Geriatrics for the Veterans Administration Health Care System at the area Boston metropolitan area.
Dr. Driver has dedicated her degree program professional to the research and clinical innovation to improve healthcare for the elderly; and as a recipient of grants from the VA, NIH, and various foundations, its work It has had a national and international impact on epidemiology, geriatric oncology, and clinical innovation. Currently, it is one of the driving forces behind the Veterans Administration's efforts to establish itself as the nation's largest age-friendly care system.
Martin Quirke
design Dementia and Aging | University of Stirling
Martin Quirke is an architect and professor of design for Aging and Dementia at the University of Stirling (United Kingdom), in partnership with the Center development Dementia Services. work It focuses on how built and social environments shape experiences of care, health, and independence throughout life, with a particular emphasis on cognitive health and dementia.
She has led and contributed to projects encompassing housing, nursing homes, and neighborhoods, combining research , internship of design and partnership with industry. His international experience includes work in research and consultancy service in Australia and Japan, along with collaborations with global partners in the design for dementia.
Martin is a co-developer of the tool of assessment of design Environments for Aging and Dementia (EADDAT), used internationally to assess the design age and cognitive development in physical environments. work This current explores how the design can support models of design and more inclusive, participatory and future-oriented care in aging societies.
Céline Abecassis-Moedas
Ambassador for the Center for Longevity | Stanford University
Céline Abecassis-Moedas is Ambassador for the Stanford University Center for Longevity, Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Professor of Strategy and management of Innovation at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP), where she served as Dean of Education Executive (2019-2024).
She is the Founder and Academic Director of the Catholic Center on Leadership in Longevity, and designed the first program of Education She is an Executive in Longevity Leadership, which she continues to coordinate. She also serves on the boards of Vista Alegre Atlantis (luxury home goods) and Lectra (technology). She was a non-executive board member of CUF (the leading private healthcare provider in Portugal) from 2016 to 2025.
Doctor of management by the École Polytechnique de Paris, and a graduate of Master's Degree in management from the Université Paris Dauphine, Céline is a graduate of the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan and La Sorbonne in Economics and management She was an assistant professor at the Centre for Business Management at Queen Mary University of London and during her professional career has collaborated in the development She studied business reading in New York and has worked as a Consultant at AT Kearney in London.
Andreas Motel-Klingebiel
Professor of Aging and Social Change | Linköping University
Andreas Motel-Klingebiel is a professor of Aging and Later Life, director of research and Education in research on Aging and Social Change, and Deputy Director of RELATE (the Swedish Centre of research for the Return to work in Later Stages of Working Life) at Linköping University, Sweden.
During his professional career he held the position of head of research and Deputy Director from the Institute at the German Center for Gerontology (DZA), and from director of the survey German Association on Aging (DEAS) and others programs of study It is the publisher He is a scientist at the Journal of Aging and Social Change and holds a PhD in Sociology from the Free University of Berlin. He also holds the venia legendi in both Gerontology and Sociology from the University of Vechta and Humboldt University of Berlin, respectively.
His research It focuses on the interaction between social processes, social and technological environments, life trajectories, human aging, and old age. Key thematic perspectives include quality of life, diversity, distributions, social inequality, the life course, and development individual, and social and cultural change. research The current one includes the European programs of research comparative 'EIWO – Exclusion and Inequality in Late Working Life: Evidence for Policy Innovation towards Inclusive Extended Work and Sustainable Working Conditions in Sweden and Europe' and 'FuturISE: The Future of Intergenerational Solidarity Beyond the Pandemic'.
Raquel Cascales
Professor of Aesthetics and Ethics of design University of Navarra
Raquel Cascales, PhD in Philosophy of Art (2016), teaches Ethics of design and Art Theory at the University of Navarra. She has been a visiting researcher at The Warburg Institute (London, 2018) and at Columbia University (New York, 2022).
Among his work Among his academic works, his books Arthur Danto and the End of Art (2019) and Beware of Aesthetics: Reflections Between Art and Life (2024) are worth mentioning. He is a member of the board board member of the Spanish Society of Aesthetics and Theory of the Arts, and member of the Chair New Longevities at the University of Navarra. Their research The current focus is on the Aesthetics of Everyday Life and the Aesthetics of Care.
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