Australia succeeds in bid for longevity centre

The International Longevity Centre Global Alliance, a multinational consortium sharing research, policy and knowledge related to population ageing, has announced overnight that a bid for an Australian centre has been successful.

The Australian bid was made up of 11 organisations including consumers, aged care providers, academics, researchers and policy advisors.

International Longevity Centre – Australia (ILC–Australia) will join the international alliance of centres which includes the UK, US, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and South Africa.

The mission of the centres is to help societies address longevity and population ageing in positive and productive ways.

The organisations behind the Australian bid said it involved more than two years of hard work and collaboration.

The acting head of ILC–Australia, Professor Julie Byles from the University of Newcastle, said that international collaboration offered an opportunity for Australia to focus its efforts in ageing research, share its knowledge, and learn from other countries.

“The consortium represents a range of interests including consumer peak bodies, aged care providers, academics, researcher and policy advisors. This gives the group great advantage in driving evidence-based change,” Professor Byles said.

“The aim is to support a better experience of ageing at a societal level, including better services, better community structures and better government policies.”

Sandra Hills, CEO of Benetas, one of the 11 organisations involved, welcomed the news of the successful bid, and said ILC–Australia represented a chance to work with international stakeholders on significant projects.

Ms Hills said the consortium would now work to provide a framework agreement for the new centre and begin its role across a number of important policy areas.

The 11 member organisations behind ILC–Australia are:

• Australian Association of Gerontology
• Benetas
• Brotherhood of St Laurence
• Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research
• COTA Australia
• La Trobe University
• Monash University
• National Ageing Research Institute
• University of Adelaide
• University of Melbourne
• University of Newcastle

ILC–Australia will be supported by a sponsorship model. Corporate organisations looking to invest in a social purpose will find ILC–Australia a valuable opportunity for driving international collaboration and supporting ageing populations, Professor Byles said.

“It will act as a bridge between evidence, policy and practice on societal ageing issues. It will have an international focus, bringing new ideas into Australia, extending and sharing databases, and sharing innovation arising from Australia to a wider audience.”

ILC–Australia will foster long-term, independent policy analysis, research, advocacy and knowledge translation. The centre will concentrate its efforts on the social effects of longevity, with a focus on:

• health and wellbeing
• workforce participation
• diversity
• economic status
• intergenerational issues
• transitions (retirement, widowhood)
• aged care
• frailty
• a good death (including advance care directives and palliative care)

Click here for more on the International Longevity Centre Global Alliance.