Silver Economy Initiative Engages Seniors in Vallo di Diano, Italy

The interior areas south of Salerno, especially the Vallo di Diano, face depopulation and a rapidly aging population. Over‑65 residents account for about 25% of locals, many living alone, prompting a shift from viewing seniors as a burden to seeing them as an economic asset.

The project "Albo Anziani Attivi del Vallo di Diano" aims to integrate seniors into the region’s economic, social, political and logistical life. It includes a contest on the silver economy that attracted fifteen proposals for new activities across the grey‑economy chain. The initiative is coordinated by Protezione Civile Sassano Gruppo Lucano under President Margherita Marraha, with support from local experts and volunteers.

Based on European Commission data indicating more than 200 million active seniors in Europe who control significant wealth and consumption, the programme seeks to harness this potential by promoting active consumption, travel, technology use, investment in wellbeing, and entrepreneurship among the elderly, thereby creating new economic and social opportunities for all generations in the Vallo di Diano.