Have you ever been to Milan? Have you ever been to a Rave party? Well for me the answer to the first question is yes, I’ve been to Milan twice; but come to think of it, I’ve never been to a Rave let alone one in Milan, such as we might know of a modern Rave.
As part of the 3rdMilan Longevity Summit – May 20 to 23, there is a LongevityRavebilled as a “wellbeing experience” on the Friday evening, with ” a continuous flow of sound shaping the rhythm of the night”.
“A key element of the night is the pioneering neurotechnology by NeuroCreate, used to visualise brain‑wave activity through devices worn by DJs and dancers….participants to see what happens in the brain when people enter states of Flow and experience joy.”
Ever since the notion of a Longevity Economy first took shape a decade or so ago, there have been countless global events that have brought together academics, researchers, policy makers, health and wellness professionals, science investors, technology designers and a host of other business people and specialists; shaping a multileveled narrative while incrementally mounting a fortune in longevity markets, notably from America to Asia to Europe.
In 2017, Joseph Coughlin’s book The Longevity Economy arrived and the race was on with more conferences, summits and forums, webinars, books and podcasts flooding the headlines. If you are a participant and/or commentator in this longevity economy space, as I have been significantly since 2012, there comes a point where you have to learn to discern what is hype from what is of human value; and also understand how actual longevity markets play out in multiple sectors which include for-profit and non-profit entities.
What is remarkable about this Milan Longevity Summit is how it has, over three years, developed elements of a high showbiz production. Learning of the first Milan Summit in 2024, I recall being struck by one of their marketing lines – Riscrivere il tempo, rewriting time while living in the moment. But there was more in the publicity pages of the intent for the summit, opening with a question: “Is it possible and ethical, to engage in a chase for eternal youth and extend life expectancy?” Answer, “The world’s cutting-edge scientific research says it is.”
Besides the nod to scientific research slowing down the aging process, there was the call for a holistic approach to building a longevity society “based on new social paradigms about welfare policies, economy, work and cities’ organization”. You can see where hype meets human value here. But looking at the 2026 event, you will see by way of the website narration, there is a more of a well-balanced agenda and the appeal to attend extends beyond a business audience with ticket packages for individual older adults over 65 and for researchers and students.
For those of you working in the longevity field in Europe, it might be exciting to take advantage of this fun filled immersive summit, and get a handle on where this longevity economy is now. You might even like a Rave. Aside from that, if I was able to be in Milan, my preference would be to check out BrainSpace House– an installation that “positions brain health as a fundamental pillar of how we live, think, and thrive over time”. It blends virtual and augmented reality, visuals, sound, and interactive storytelling geared to both adults and children.
In case you might think the Milan Longevity Summit sounds a little over the top, there is a serious mix of subjects being presented under the focus areas – Market & Industry, Sciences & Research, Policy & Economy and People & Society. As an attendee you are encouraged to design your own agenda from curated dialogue, salons and fireside chats, even filtering the menu by your sector choice from this massive list of speaker sessions. Here are a few of mine if I were to attend.
Global Health Governance: What Policies Are Working and What Are Not (Health governance no longer sits within a single sector, it operates at the intersection of economics, environment, and society.) Fireside with Christine Brown – World Health Organization
Supply Chains & Market Shifts in Food & Agriculture (Food systems are under pressure from climate volatility to geopolitical disruption and changing consumer demand.) Curated Dialogue. David Bassani – Maia Ventures & Manon Sarah Littek – Green Generation Management GmbH
Cities as Health Systems: Designing for All Life Stages (Cities are not merely places where people live, they are determinants of health, shaped by the built environment, social infrastructure, and governance decisions. This session explores how urban design and city governance can be repositioned as instruments of public health, creating environments that support wellbeing across every stage of life.) Salon with several speakers including Carlo Ratti – MIT
Cities and Longevity: A Pact for the Future (Can cities develop adaptivity like any other organism? … talking about direct action aimed ay making cities consistent with the longevity curve. The city must position itself as an enabling element… making infrastructures functional to a constant reconfigurability, enabled by technologies, open to social innovation. Curated Dialogue with Marcello Coppa presenting results of research study conducted by Feel*
Redesigning Urban Ecosystems: Health, Resilience & Liveability (Cities are where many of today’s systemic challenges converge, and where solutions can scale fastest. From air quality to mobility, housing to green spaces, urban design directly shapes health and resilience. Salon with Kira Fortune – World Health Organization & Federico Serra – Health City Institute (HCI)
