SWITZERLAND – Ageing populations and the pension “time bomb” are on the agenda at the forthcoming World Economic Forum event in Davos.

“The New Market for Ageing Populations” and “The Pension Time Bomb is Still Ticking” are both on the agenda for January 22 at the annual meeting of top business and political leaders at the Swiss ski resort.

“Ageing populations in some of the world's most affluent nations promise to have a tremendous impact on consumer behaviour,” runs the schedule. It asks: “What new products and services are going to be in greatest demand?” and “How will ageing populations affect how companies do business?”

And, on the pension time bomb issue, it asks why it is that most policy debate so far has remained at the national level. “Are there any best practices that countries could use as guidelines? What are the most efficient public policy levers?”

Also amid the forum’s dozens of agenda items are sessions on demographics, private equity and corporate governance.

The forum takes place from January 21-25 on the theme of “Partnering for Security and Prosperity”. The organisers say that more than 2,100 participants from 94 countries will attend, including more than 30 heads of state or government, as well as industry leaders.

“We live in a world which is uncertain and fragile,” said World Economic Forum chairman, Professor Klaus Schwab.

“To have both security and prosperity we must have peace. This is the Davos equation: security plus prosperity equals peace.”

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