”la Caixa” Foundation and CaixaBank group create university chair to study how to improve the quality of life of senior citizens, in conjunction with Esade, Comillas Pontifical University and Deusto University
CaixaBank and “la Caixa” Foundation have created, in conjunction with Esade, Comillas Pontifical University and Deusto University, the new ‘Chair for a Long, Active and Healthy Life’. Tomás Muniesa, president of CaixaBank; Josep Maria Coronas, director general of “la Caixa” Foundation; Jaume Guardiola, president of the Esade Foundation Board of Trustees; Antonio Allende SJ, rector of Comillas Pontifical University; Juan José Etxeberria, rector of Deusto University; Jaume Masana, business director of CaixaBank; Javier Valle, CEO of VidaCaixa; and Mar Vila, deputy dean of Esade Business School, all took part in the first work meeting about this venture, culminating in the signature of the partnership agreement by all the entities involved.
The chair’s goal is to become a benchmark center in Spain for research into the needs of an increasingly elderly population whilst improving the quality of life of senior citizens. The academic research conducted within the framework of the project will focus on the areas of savings and financial planning, health and care, training and boosting participation, and will study the challenges posed by an ageing population from an ethical standpoint whilst delivering hard data to underpin the creation of new solutions that make a social impact.
In Spain, more than 12 million people are aged 60 years or older: a significant percentage of the population. It is estimated that by 2030, this segment will account for 23% of the population and 39% of the country’s net wealth. In addition, this group has a higher level of education than previous generations, and likewise a longer life expectancy and a greater desire to live better, and requires solutions for all phases of retirement.
Whilst signing the partnership, Tomás Muniesa, CaixaBank president, highlighted the importance of this new venture, “This chair will provide a space for reflection, research, training and innovation and be an example of how academia and the private sector can work together towards a clear goal: building a future in which dignified ageing is a guaranteed right for everyone.”
Josep Maria Coronas, director general of ”la Caixa” Foundation, explained that “caring for the elderly has been in our foundation’s DNA since its foundation by Francesc Moragas, and remains so with our latest Strategic Plan which prioritizes longevity as a great social challenge. We will continue responding to this segment’s new needs and opportunities, as we are doing at present with a program – in which more than 500,000 elderly persons from all over Spain take part each year – which delivers activities and support to improve their quality of life and prevent loneliness.”
Jaume Guardiola, president of the Esade Foundation Board of Trustees, underlined “the honor of collaborating with the No. 1 entity in solutions for the elderly.” He also emphasized the importance of “raising awareness of and focusing discussions on the issues of changing demographics and ageing. This chair is, therefore, a huge asset and we must make the most of it.” Antonio Allende SJ, rector of Comillas Pontifical University, then explained, “we’re facing a human, social and economic challenge,” and emphasized that “we are wholeheartedly committed to being a thermometer and compass of society, focusing on research with a well-rounded outlook from an honest, transformative perspective.” Juan José Etxeberria, rector of Deusto University said, “We are opening a door to the future. A future where longevity is no longer a frightening challenge, but a shared opportunity. A future in which a longer life is also a better life.” “At Deusto we believe that only by adopting a comprehensive, ethical, social, cultural and spiritual perspective can we respond to this issue with humanity and wisdom,” added the rector. Jaume Masana, head of business at CaixaBank, outlined the many ground-breaking measures that have made CaixaBank a key player in this sector. “We’re the first bank to implement unrestricted cash desk working hours, to pay pensions in advance on the 24th of the month, to provide such customers with specific telephone and WhatsApp numbers to speak to fully trained managers and, above all, we’ve stood by our promise to not move out of towns and to increase our presence in towns that might otherwise have no banking services by deploying mobile branches. In other words, measures designed to enhance the quality of life of our senior customers: a market share of 34%.”
Javier Valle, VidaCaixa CEO, pointed out that “we fully identify with this chair because for us, it’s not just theory: it’s a reality that we experience in our business every single day.” Valle went on, “Life expectancy has changed completely: from imagining 9 years after retirement, we now envisage 25. This new stage, this second life in our lifetime, should be lived purposely, qualitatively and to the full. And faithful to our commitment, we’ll be there, providing support and solutions for these new needs.”
Finally, Mar Vila, deputy dean of Esade Business School, brought the session to a close by thanking all the entities for their commitment and participation in “a project that can achieve great things thanks to a partnership between the private sector and academia seeking to improve people’s lives.”
Strategic, multi-disciplinary collaboration
The project is backed by three prestigious universities, Esade, Comillas Pontifical University and Deusto University in Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao, which will contribute their experience in key areas such as leadership, healthcare, tech and social innovation. One venture involves the launch of an interactive digital platform open to the public that gathers updated data and metrics for developing specific services and social inclusion policies. It will provide the basis for an annual report giving institutions and companies decision-making guidelines.
In terms of organization, the chair will consist of an executive committee responsible for management and decision-making; an advisory board of strategic collaborators responsible for defining the mission and objectives; and an academic council to ensure academic excellence and innovation.
The five-year working agenda focuses on issues related to the healthcare system and support for dependent persons, the challenges of the pension system, public/private alternatives for the funding of support for dependent persons, the legal framework for liquidating real estate assets, business indices to support longevity, the management of long-term savings, the employability of seniors, and the challenges of an aging population from an ethical standpoint, amongst others.
”la Caixa” Foundation
”la Caixa” Foundation has its highest ever budget this year: €655m. Over the last decade, the foundation has invested more than €5bn in research and social, educational and cultural ventures with a view to helping make society as a whole better, particularly the most vulnerable groups. In 2024, ”la Caixa” Foundation had an overall budget of €600m, hence this year’s means an increase of 9%. Some 60% of the total investment planned for 2025, i.e. more than €370m, will be earmarked for social change programs.
CaixaBank: commitment to Generation+
CaixaBank regards their contribution to creating the new chair as part of their Generation+ program: a value proposition intended to provide planning and guidance for retirement and a better quality of life whilst growing old. This bolsters the bank’s aim of providing life-long support for their customers in the form of innovative solutions including financial planning and protection services, care programs, support for dependent persons, volunteer and leisure activities, and education.
Generation+ is a line of business featured in the bank’s 2025-2027 Strategic Plan which aims to accelerate growth by improving the quality of customer service. As one of Spain’s leading banks and a benchmark in this segment, with more than 4 million customers aged 65+ and a 34% share of the pension market, the development of a senior ecosystem to provide adequate support for this group is in addition to the commitment to priority attention that CaixaBank has been working on for years. The measures already in place include training all the employees of high-street branches to deal specifically with elderly customers, increasing the bank’s presence in rural areas by deploying mobile offices, providing help for persons with reduced mobility in order to reduce waiting times in branches, and improving the access to both ATMs, all of which are fitted with passbook modules, and on-line channels.
