Rethinking age means more than appreciating experience. Today we know much more about how exercise, strength and endurance, nutrition, sleep, social relationships, and lifelong learning support physical and cognitive health – and how adaptable our brain remains through neuroplasticity even in old age. In a world of change, therefore, the year of birth alone does not determine future viability. Crucial are also the conditions and opportunities to stay healthy, to continue learning, to unlearn, and to start anew. Even at 60, 70, or 80, one can be a beginner again.

Social innovations arise when societal challenges meet creative ideas. Initiatives at the federal level and from Lower Saxony promote projects, startups, and social entrepreneurship. What kind of creative environment is needed locally to develop viable concepts? Where is support useful?