Manulife has partnered with UpLink and the World Economic Forum's Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems to launch an innovation challenge aimed at helping Canadians navigate longer, more complex lives.
The Canada-focused challenge, "Shaping Canada's Longevity Advantage," is seeking solutions that support lifelong health, financial resilience and a sense of purpose as the country moves toward becoming a "super-aged" society.
Manulife pointed to findings from the National Institute on Ageing’s Ageing in Canada Survey, conducted with support from the insurer, to underline the scale of the issue. According to the survey, 43% of older Canadians are at high risk of social isolation, while only 29% feel they can afford to retire.
The partners said these figures highlight the need for practical, near-term solutions that help people live not just longer, but better, backed by stronger financial resilience, meaningful social connections and confidence across life stages.
“Living longer should also mean living healthier – and Canadians need the right support to make that possible,” said Naveed Irshad, president and CEO, Manulife Canada. “As lifespans increase, people need help navigating care, preventing illness, and managing chronic conditions.”
The challenge is targeting innovations across three main themes.
The first is financial resilience across life stages, including budgeting and saving tools designed for longer lifespans, AI-enabled financial planning, modern retirement and care-planning platforms, and financing solutions that help caregivers balance work, family and care responsibilities.
The second is healthy aging for all, spanning digitally enabled health navigation, preventative health and wellness tools that help delay or manage chronic illness, and platforms that support caregivers in coordinating care while maintaining their own well-being.
The third is purpose and connection, including digital, physical and nature-based spaces that foster social engagement, AI-supported platforms that help reduce isolation, and intergenerational initiatives that strengthen community ties and a sense of shared purpose.
“As Canadians live longer, financial planning is no longer about a single life stage, but a multi-decade journey with growing complexity. Financial resilience is becoming central to healthy longevity,” said Paul Lorentz, president and CEO, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management. He added that backing innovators in areas such as AI-enabled savings and planning tools, and caregiver support, is intended to give advisors and plan sponsors more resources to help individuals secure their financial futures.
The challenge is aligned with the Manulife Longevity Institute, a recently launched global research, innovation and advocacy platform focused on helping people thrive at every age. It also forms part of Manulife’s multiyear partnership with the World Economic Forum’s UpLink initiative, which aims to accelerate innovation in the “longevity economy” and support solutions that improve quality of life as populations age.
“The longevity economy is emerging as a defining force shaping future growth and resilience. With Canada officially becoming a ‘super-aged’ country in 2026, the time to turn challenges into opportunities is now,” said John Dutton, head of UpLink at the World Economic Forum.
Dutton said the Global Longevity Innovation Initiative, which includes the new Canada challenge, is intended to create conditions for early-stage innovation to scale and deliver impact across healthy aging, purpose and financial resilience.
Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage is the third Manulife-powered UpLink challenge, following earlier rounds in the United States and Asia. Collectively, the challenges are building a global cohort of early-stage innovators working on health, financial resilience and well-being with locally tailored solutions.
