Asia’s largest exhibition of products and services for older adults, AID 2026, has concluded in Shanghai. More than 680 companies from 22 countries and regions showcased technologies that could reshape the lives of ageing populations in the years ahead.
Among the exhibition’s standout innovations were robotic exoskeletons designed to help older people walk, intelligent wheelchairs equipped with obstacle-avoidance systems and stair-climbing capabilities, AI-powered companions for communication and caregiving, and mobile robots designed to assist with household tasks.
The scale of the event underscores how seriously China is approaching the challenge of demographic ageing. Of the country’s 1.4 billion people, more than 310 million are now over the age of 60, and policymakers increasingly view the “silver economy” as a new engine of growth. Estimates suggest that the sector could reach 30 trillion yuan ($4.4 trillion) by 2035, while the share of citizens aged 65 and above is expected to exceed 30% of the population.
One notable trend is the adaptation of products originally developed for children to meet the needs of older consumers. One exhibitor told reporters that a range of oral-care devices had initially been designed for young children before being redesigned for elderly patients.
In effect, China is transforming a demographic challenge into a new economic opportunity. Beijing sees the silver economy not merely as a social policy priority, but as a potential source of growth capable of supporting the world’s second-largest economy over the coming decades.
