China Association of Gerontology and Alibaba Forge Strategic Partnership to Launch 'Digital Elder Care' Smart Aging Platform

On October 17, the Chinese Gerontological and Geriatric Society (hereinafter referred to as the “Chinese Gerontological Society”) and Alibaba Group (hereinafter referred to as “Alibaba”) signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly establish an industry-academia-research platform for “digital assistance for the elderly and smart elderly care.”

Under the guidance of the National Working Commission on Aging, this platform will leverage the extensive academic resources on aging from the Chinese Gerontological Society and Alibaba’s digital research capabilities to jointly establish a public-welfare scientific research data platform for geriatric medicine in China. It aims to enhance the development of think tanks in gerontology and geriatric medicine, jointly undertake national research projects on elderly health and smart elder care, and strive to become a national-level digital platform for elder support, achieving breakthroughs in medical research and applications related to aging health. For instance, in key medical areas of significant public concern—such as cognitive impairment, nutritional status, and oral health among the elderly—the two parties will combine their respective strengths in academic research and digital technology to provide observable and predictive scientific models for early warning of age-related physiological decline and pathological changes.

Not only in the field of scientific research, but both parties also transform academic innovations into marketable products and services, jointly initiating and advocating for an industry alliance dedicated to the research, development, and production of age-friendly products.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Wu Yushao, Member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Working Commission on Aging and Vice President of the China National Committee on Aging; Liu Weilin, President of the Chinese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics; and Xing Yue, Vice President of Alibaba Group.

The Chinese Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Alibaba Group

Enabling older adults to share in the fruits of reform and development, enjoy a happy later life, and use internet services equally and freely will improve their quality of life. This not only reflects social care but is also an essential path toward achieving common prosperity. At the National Conference on Aging held on October 14, it was proposed to better leverage the role of social forces to meet the multi-level and diverse needs of older adults, strengthen the prevention and early intervention of age-related diseases, and continuously enhance the sense of gain, happiness, and security among the elderly population.

Wu Yushao, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the National Office on Aging and Vice President of the China National Committee on Ageing, stated at the conference that China’s national condition is characterized by “aging before prosperity” and “aging before preparedness.” Although the cause for the elderly has developed rapidly in recent years, research on aging remains “unprepared” and relatively lagging, necessitating an acceleration of theoretical research. He expressed hope that this initiative would further enhance the think tank development of the Chinese Society of Gerontology and contribute to aging research in China.

“Alibaba has actively explored and undertaken substantial work in recent years in the areas of ‘digital assistance for the elderly and smart elderly care,’ leveraging internet platforms, digitalization, and intelligent technologies to help address and meet the basic needs of older adults.” Liu Weilin, President of the Chinese Association of Gerontology, expressed hope that this collaboration will enable a broader population of older adults to better benefit from the rapid advancements in China’s information technologies, such as the internet and artificial intelligence, thereby further enhancing their quality of life.

Alibaba has long been attentive to the digital life experiences of elderly users. In early September 2021, Alibaba unveiled its “Ten Initiatives to Boost Common Prosperity,” with “enhancing the digital life experience for older adults” as a key component.

Previously, Alibaba pioneered the “Little Padded Jacket Initiative,” a dedicated public welfare campaign for the elderly in China, helping them bridge the “digital divide” through an integrated online-offline approach that includes a dedicated hotline, video tutorials, in-person classes, and printed handbooks.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Alibaba has been progressively advancing age-friendly adaptations across its apps, focusing on high-frequency daily life scenarios for the elderly. Major Alibaba applications, including Taobao, Youku, Xianyu, and Ele.me, have successively launched “Senior Mode.” Building on earlier initiatives such as family accounts and family-oriented versions introduced years ago, Taobao unveiled a “Scan Medicine Bottles to Purchase Medication” feature on October 14, coinciding with the Double Ninth Festival. This feature is designed to address the specific online medication purchasing needs of older adults and systematically remove barriers they may encounter.

On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, Alibaba also launched its “Elderly-Friendly Ride-Hailing” initiative. Over the next five years, Amap, Alibaba’s mobility app, will build 10,000 “Heartwarming Stations” in more than 300 cities across China to facilitate ride-hailing for older adults. Additionally, during this five-year period, Amap will provide over 10 million annual subsidies for elderly medical travel, reducing or waiving ride-hailing fees for seniors seeking medical care.

Previously, Ele.me piloted convenient medicine delivery with medical insurance payment in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province. It has cumulatively onboarded hundreds of stores, providing convenient online medical insurance purchasing services for chronic and acute medications commonly used by the elderly.