The Viseu Dão Lafões region is seeking new ways to boost the local economy and integrate its senior residents, learning from international experiences. A visit to Žabljak, a mountain town in Montenegro focused on tourism, as part of the European project Silver Up, provided insights into community organizations and residents facing similar demographic challenges.
The Silver Up project aims to combat population aging and the risk of social isolation in the Viseu Dão Lafões region by promoting inclusion, senior entrepreneurship, and active aging. The Intermunicipal Community (CIM) Viseu Dão Lafões seeks to replicate European best practices to strengthen integration and social cohesion.
A key message from the visit is that seniors are not just recipients of services but active contributors to the local economy. To remain involved, they need a voice in decisions affecting them. In the visited communities, residents manage businesses, support tourism and agriculture, and stay active after retirement with the help of local institutions.
The lesson learned is that local institutions should leverage the territory's resources to enable all residents, regardless of age, to remain active, leading to a stronger local economy and reduced social isolation for everyone.
The visit underscored the urgency of developing innovative approaches to entrepreneurship and active aging in the region, highlighting the importance of the Regional Strategy for the Silver Economy (Silver Up) and strengthening the integration of the senior population into the economic dynamics of Viseu Dão Lafões. Aging is viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the local economy, support families, and build a connected community.
The Silver Up project is co-financed by the European Union through the Interreg Europe program, bringing together European regions to share approaches and find solutions tailored to their communities.
