Manulife and WEF UpLink Initiative Launch Canadian Longevity Innovation Challenge

‘Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage’ challenge will invite innovators to deliver solutions that strengthen health, financial resilience and social connection across longer lives

The challenge is an initiative of Manulife’s Longevity Institute, driving Canadian solutions for a longer‑living society

Toronto, ON (Apr. 22, 2026) – Manulife, in partnership with UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation initiative, and the Forum’s Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems, has announced the launch of a new innovation challenge, ‘Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage,‘ focused on enabling lifelong health, wealth and purpose across multistage lives.

Canadians are living longer, more complex lives, often balancing their own health and financial needs while supporting ageing parents or caregiving for others. Insights from the National Institute on Ageing‘s Ageing in Canada Survey, conducted by the NIA with support from Manulife, highlight the urgency of this challenge: 43 per cent of older Canadians are at high risk of social isolation, while only 29 per cent feel they can afford to retire. These realities underscore the need for practical, near-term solutions that help people live not just longer, but better, supported by stronger financial resilience, meaningful connections, and confidence across life stages. The ‘Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage’ challenge invites innovators to deliver integrated solutions that create measurable improvements in critical areas impacting longevity in Canada.

The challenge will focus on innovations across three opportunity areas:

• Financial resilience across life stages, including budgeting and saving tools designed for longer lifespans, AI-enabled financial planning solutions, modern retirement and care planning platforms, and financing solutions that support caregivers balancing work, family and care responsibilities.
• Healthy aging for all, including digitally enabled health navigation solutions, preventative health and wellness innovations that help delay or manage chronic illness, and tools and platforms that directly support caregivers in coordinating care and maintaining their own wellbeing.
• Purpose and connection, including digital, physical and nature-based spaces that foster social engagement, AI-supported platforms that reduce isolation, and intergenerational initiatives that strengthen community ties, belonging and shared purpose.

Through this Canada-focused challenge, Manulife, UpLink and the Forum’s Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems aim to surface and support solutions that respond to the realities of longer lives, helping individuals build resilience, stay connected, and maintain a sense of purpose at every stage.

This initiative is aligned to the Manulife Longevity Institute, a recently launched global research, thought leadership, innovation, advocacy, and community investment platform that will help people thrive at every age.

A call to strengthen Canada’s approach to longevity

“Living longer should also mean living healthier–and Canadians need the right support to make that possible,” said Naveed Irshad, President and CEO, Manulife Canada. “As lifespans increase, people need help navigating care, preventing illness, and managing chronic conditions. Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage reflects our commitment to giving Canadians the tools and confidence they need to live healthier lives at every stage.”

“As Canadians live longer, financial planning is no longer about a single life stage, but a multi-decade journey with growing complexity,” said Paul Lorentz, President and CEO, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management. “Financial resilience is becoming central to healthy longevity. Investing in innovators developing AI-enabled modern savings and planning tools, and caregiver support reinforces our commitment to offering advisors and plan sponsors the resources they need to help individuals secure their financial futures and live longer lives with confidence.”

“The longevity economy is emerging as a defining force shaping future growth and resilience,” said John Dutton, Head of UpLink, World Economic Forum. “With Canada officially becoming a ‘super-aged’ country in 2026, the time to turn challenges into opportunities is now. Through our partnership with Manulife and the Forum’s Centre for Financial and Monetary Systems, the Global Longevity Innovation Initiative strengthens the conditions needed to scale early-stage innovation and drive real-world impact that promotes healthy ageing, purpose, and financial resilience across generations.”

Challenge details

The challenge is part of Manulife’s broader, multiyear partnership with the World Economic Forum’s UpLink initiative, reflecting a shared commitment to accelerating innovation in the longevity economy and supporting solutions that improve quality of life as people live longer. It also supports the World Economic Forum’s broader efforts to address the demographic and financial realities of global ageing.

Shaping Canada’s Longevity Advantage marks the third challenge in this partnership, building on successful challenges previously delivered in the United States and Asia. Together, the Manulife-powered UpLink challenges support a global ecosystem of innovators accelerating solutions across health, financial resilience and well-being, reflecting the company’s commitment to driving global change through locally relevant, place-based solutions.

Full details and entry information can be found here.

About the Manulife Longevity Institute

The Manulife Longevity Institute is a global research, thought leadership, innovation, advocacy, and community investment platform to drive action that can help people live longer, healthier, and more financially secure lives. Underpinned by a $350 million signature commitment, its focus is on helping people extend their healthy years, promoting greater financial resilience for all. As a global insurer, retirement plan provider, and asset manager, Manulife is uniquely placed to help lead this change. The Institute’s work will support Manulife’s Impact Agenda strategy by investing in organizations that are growing the longevity economy, convening research collaborations with leading academic institutions and think tanks, and producing thought leadership to advance awareness and action on the issues impacting populations as they age. The Institute will be known as the John Hancock Longevity Institute in the United States. The actions of the Institute will be guided by a Steering Committee of members of Manulife’s Executive and Global Leadership Teams and in partnership with a robust ecosystem of partners and experts who champion longevity across Canada, Asia, and the US. Canada, Asia, and the US. For more information, visit www.manulife.com/longevity.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation (TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC, SEHK: 945) is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in our ambition to be the number one choice for customers, we operate as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and Philippine stock exchanges, and under ‘945’ on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For more information, visit www.manulife.com.

About UpLink

UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s early-stage innovation engine, connects purpose-driven innovators with the partnerships, resources and capital they need to scale solutions for the markets and economies critical to a resilient, sustainable and prosperous world. UpLink envisions a future where profit and purpose go hand in hand — where innovation drives competitiveness, inclusion, and long-term value, where economic growth uplifts people while restoring the planet, and where resilience is the foundation of thriving, future-proof economies. For more information, visit uplink.weforum.org.

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. For more information, visit www.weforum.org.

SOURCE: Manulife Financial Corporation

Tags: health care, Life Insurance, Manulife, retirement planning & savings, World Economic Forum