Welcome Remarks By SUSS President, Professor Tan Tai Yong, at the Geronpreneurship Innovation Festival (GIF) 2026
Date: 26 Aug 2026
Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies,
Mrs Mildred Tan, SUSS Chairman,
Mr Chia Chor Meng, President of The Ngee Ann Kongsi,
Professor Justine Schneider, Emerita Professor of Mental Health and Social Care at the University of Nottingham,
Professor Katsuya Iijima, Director in Institute of Gerontology (IOG), the University of Tokyo,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. Good morning, and a warm welcome to the SUSS Geronpreneurship Innovation Festival 2026, or G-I-F in short.
Purpose in an Age of Longer Lives
2. Today, I would like us to consider an important question: How can we live well in an age of longer lives?
3. Too often, we define ageing well by how long we live, or how healthy we remain. These are important. But they are only part of the picture. Equally important is whether people continue to find purpose, maintain their independence, and contribute meaningfully to society.
4. As Singapore becomes a super-aged society, we must broaden our understanding of what it means to age well. That is why the theme of this year's festival, “The Power of Purpose in Ageing: Our Future Chapter”, is especially timely.
5. I believe one of the defining questions for our generation today is whether these additional years are filled with opportunities to continue learning, contributing, and finding purpose.
6. Meeting these aspirations requires more than healthcare alone. It requires us to rethink how we design products, services, and communities.
7. For SUSS, we address this through geronpreneurship, bringing together education, research, and partnerships to develop practical solutions for an ageing society.
8. At the heart of our approach is a simple principle: innovation must begin with people and societal needs.
GOOD Incubator Announcement
9. Over the past decade, SUSS has built expertise in gerontology, preparing our learners to understand ageing across health, social support, community development, policy, and technology.
10. But expertise alone does not create impact. Ideas need support, partnerships, and pathways to scale.
11. Over the years, we have seen promising ideas emerge from our students, researchers, and community partners. We have also learnt that turning these ideas into real-world impact requires an ecosystem that brings together technology, enterprise, philanthropy, and community organisations.
12. That is why I am pleased to announce the launch of the GOOD Incubator, SUSS’ new platform for purpose-driven innovation.
13. It will provide founders with access to expertise, networks, and opportunities needed to develop and scale their solutions.
14. The GOOD Incubator comprises four complementary pillars:
a. GOODTech supports founders in harnessing emerging technologies, including AI, through partners such as Alibaba Cloud;
b. GOODBiz strengthens social enterprises through collaborations such as our partnership with raiSE Singapore to pilot solutions with Social Service Agencies;
c. GOODCause supports mission-driven organisations seeking to deepen their social impact;
d. While GOODBridge helps promising ventures build regional partnerships.
15. Together, these pillars reflect our belief that innovation creates the greatest value when different capabilities and partners collaborate in service of society.
16. GIF has long brought together innovators, researchers, businesses, community organisations, policymakers, and older adults to explore new possibilities for an ageing society.
17. The launch of the GOOD Incubator marks the next chapter of that journey. Beyond sparking conversations and partnerships, we can now help promising ideas develop into solutions that improve lives and create lasting social impact.
SUSS Students in Action
18. While the GOOD Incubator is a new platform, the spirit behind it is not new. Across SUSS, we have long encouraged our students to identify real societal needs and turn ideas into action.
19. One such person is Mr Jerome Yuen. While pursuing his Master of Gerontology at SUSS, he established Care Catalyst Collective through the SUSS Venture Builder Programme to strengthen and scale therapy services in Singapore.
20. We see the same spirit in Ms Tan Xuan Ting, a full-time Bachelor of Science in Marketing student with a Minor in Entrepreneurship, who developed NurseLink, a home-care platform connecting families with licensed nurses.
21. Though at different stages of life and career, both recognised a real need and chose to act on it. Their ventures demonstrate how innovation, grounded in real community needs, can improve lives across different stages of ageing and care.
Gratitude to SUSS’ Partners
22. These efforts are only made possible with the support of our partners who share our belief in people, ideas, and social good.
23. Together, we have built a pipeline of purpose-driven innovators. In the past five years, with the support of Ngee Ann Kongsi Social Impact Hub, SUSS has nurtured over 300 changemakers, supported the launch of close to 300 impact ventures, and provided more than S$2.5 million in funding through initiatives such as Venture Builder and the NAK–SUSS Impact Grant.
24. When universities, philanthropic partners, and ecosystem partners invest in people, we are building a society where innovation serves human needs and enterprise is grounded in purpose.
25. GIF brings this shared vision to life by turning connections into collaboration and ideas into action.
26. It is now with this collective sense of purpose that we begin today’s event.
27. On behalf of SUSS, I would like to thank Minister Ong Ye Kung for joining us today. I would also like to express my appreciation to Ngee Ann Kongsi, and to all our partners, speakers, exhibitors, and participants for your continued support.
28. I hope today’s conversations will further our shared commitment to build a society where longer lives are matched by deeper purpose, stronger connections, and more opportunities to keep learning, contributing, and flourishing.
29. Today, let us shape a future in which purpose has no age limits. Thank you.