Opportunities for the Innovative(a)|银发商机，创意无限

Walking into a shopping center, you see free electric vehicles that move you around at your convenience. Product instructions feature large print, and sales clerks are happy to chat with elderly customers. In addition to shopping, various kinds of educational, social, and leisure activities are also available to seniors. Restaurants offer tasty and easy-to-chew silver-haired specials. At the moment, this is just the stuff of dreams, but places designed around the needs of the elderly may well arise as a result of the conceptual revolution taking place as Taiwanese society rapidly ages.

The world's growing elderly population has already had a great impact on consumer behavior and the rise and fall of businesses. Take Japan, which is rapidly aging, for example. Declining industries there include pediatrics, toys, education, and real estate focused on younger buyers. Meanwhile, travel, pet care, religious activities, and health care are booming.

In Taiwan, obstetrics was booming not long ago, but today many of those clinics are closing or turning themselves into nursing homes. Some businesses, however, have found ways to profit from the rising tide of elderly people. For instance, business in adult diapers, health foods, nutritional supplements, and mobility aids has been steadily increasing. Wheelchair sales have risen 20 percent in the last two years alone. Cell phones with large fonts or radio functions, telephones that are easy to operate, and iPads with gaming functions have increasingly been winning the affections of elderly consumers. The last in particular makes for the ideal gift from filial youngsters to their elders. The wave of the elderly is a challenge and also an opportunity for creative development in many industries.

银发商机，创意无限

『银发餐』。此刻，这仅是一个梦幻街区，但是这个为银发族设计的街区，或许在不久后就将因台湾社会高龄人口的快速增加及观念变革而诞生。

　　随着世界高龄人口的增长，各种行业的消长与消费行为已受到极大的冲击。像是在高龄化进程快速的日本，逐渐萎缩的行业包括医院小儿科、玩具业、幼教业及针对年轻买家的房地产业。同时，行情看涨的则是休闲旅游、宠物照护、宗教活动、健康照护等。

　　早期在台湾，产科曾是明星产业，但现在许多诊所因生意清淡而关门，或是转型为赡养院。但有些行业则从老化潮中得利。例如成人尿布、健康食品、营养补给品、行动辅具的业绩逐年上扬。而最近 2 年光是轮椅的销售量就成长 2 成。超大字体兼具收音机功能的手机、操作简易的电话、具游戏功能的 iPad 都越来越受到老年人的钟爱，后者更是晚辈孝敬长辈的最佳礼品。老化潮是挑战，也是许多产业创新的机会点。