Aging well in an aging society: Italy at the forefront of global aging and the Age-It Research Program.

OBJECTIVES

Italy, one of the world's super-aged societies, faces profound demographic transformations amid relevant regional disparities in sociodemographic trends, institutional structures, and economic conditions. These features make it an ideal laboratory to study both the challenges and opportunities of population aging. This article introduces Age-It, a Research Program designed to leverage Italy's position at the forefront of global aging to advance transdisciplinary research and inform evidence-based policies and practices on aging.

METHODS

Age-It adopts a life course perspective encompassing individual, family, and societal levels. It conceptualizes "aging well" as the outcome of multi-agent, multi-context processes unfolding from early life through old age. Furthermore, Age-It moves beyond a multidisciplinary approach by fostering true cross-fertilization between biomedical, sociodemographic, and technological sciences. Structured as an umbrella initiative, the program brings together multiple interlinked projects that address diverse dimensions of aging through transdisciplinary and collaborative research.

RESULTS

The program addresses key limitations in Italy's current aging research and policy landscape: fragmented data, disciplinary silos, and weak connections between research and policymaking. By integrating biomedical, technological, and socioeconomic perspectives into structured, theory-driven research centers (Spokes), Age-It provides a coordinated and innovative platform for studying aging.

DISCUSSION: Leveraging Italy's unique demographic profile and internal heterogeneity, Age-It promotes sustainable aging by harnessing the opportunities embedded in demographic change. The program ranges from the biology of aging to mental and physical health prevention, long-term care, labor market dynamics, and social participation-ultimately aiming to reshape how aging is perceived and managed in aging societies.