Output
1) Research on the Elderly Digital Inclusion Policies and Initiatives in APEC
The research will provide a basis for the workshop by exploring the building blocks of the elderly digital inclusion (i.e. digital access, digital literacy, online safety, etc) and comparing the definition of digital inclusion through a literature review. It will include the case studies of policies and initiatives for the elderly digital inclusion based on the survey conducted on policies and initiatives for digital inclusion for the elderly across the APEC economies. The research paper (APEC Publication) will be minimum of 12 pages excluding annexes.
2) Information Sharing Workshop
The one full day, in-person workshop will be held during TEL71 on the margins of 2025 SOM3 meetings in Korea. The purpose of the workshop is to share policies and initiatives regarding digital inclusion focused on the elderly of the private and public sectors within and beyond the APEC economies.
The workshop will be organized as follows:
(1) Morning sessions : identifying building blocks of policies and initiatives for digital inclusion, sharing policy priorities and challenges to enhance digital inclusion
(2) Afternoon sessions : sharing experiences on digital inclusion policies and initiatives, innovative solutions which enhance elderly well-being, economic empowerment from various stakeholders including telecommunications operators, platform companies, local communities etc.
In order to evaluate the workshop, a post-workshop survey is carried out on site immediately after the workshop has finished.
3) Workshop Summary Report
The workshop summary report would include the basic information about the workshop; the purpose, contents, etc.
The background section provides an overview of the issues regarding digital inclusion for the elderly as an information for participants and speakers. It would provide a broad overview and context of the workshop including the scope, focus and objectives, policy challenges and opportunities, etc.
In the body section, it would summarize the presentations and discussions during the workshop and provide key findings and takeaways from the workshop. The report will be minimum of 12 pages(excluding annexes).
Outcome
1) Enhanced understanding of digital inclusion for the elderly: The participants could get information about policy approaches to enhance digital inclusion from different perspectives; digital access, capacity building, social well- being and economic empowerment, etc. The relevant stakeholders including central and local governments, private sector, civil society will discuss on digital inclusion and share the cases of policies and initiatives.
2) Multi-stakeholder Collaboration: The workshop will serve as a platform for sharing policies, initiatives, and experiences to enhance digital inclusion focused on the elderly with the objectives as below:a. Institutional approaches to ensure digital access and skills for the elderly; and
b. Innovative digital solutions to facilitate digital access and usage among the elderly Peer learning and networking among various participants is expected during the workshop.
Beneficiaries
Participants will be of policy makers from the public sector including central and local government officials who are in charge of telecommunications and digital issues specifically on addressing the societal impact of digital transformation and fostering digital inclusion. Many stakeholders including industry, academia, civil society and international organizations can participate in the workshop considering their expertise and experiences.
It is also expected to contribute to older people in APEC by improving understanding of policy discussions on digital inclusion of older people.
