Digital-Intelligent Pension Finance Empowering the Silver Economy: Theories, Practices, and Pathways

Abstract

Despite the growing population, the silver economy market continues to increase, and the market still suffers from regional imbalance, supply-demand mismatches, and structural issues in the three-pillar pension system. Based on active aging, financial development, and synergy, this paper develops a “Technological Empowerment - Scenario Integration -- Policy Synergy” framework to analyze the fundamental mechanisms and pathways through which digital-intelligent pension finance can drive silver economy. The results show that Digital intelligence, by three-dimensional interaction of technology-enabled, scenario-enabled and policy-enabled cooperation, enables efficient resource allocation of pension finance and restores service ecosystem. Specifically, digital intelligence utilizes technologies such as big data and blockchain to improve the precision and efficiency of pension finance; scenario integration fosters a "finance+health-wellness" ecosystem; and policy synergy leverages regulatory sandboxes and data sharing to dismantle institutional barriers. Based on these insights, this paper proposes measures including strengthening age-friendly technological innovation, optimizing incentives for the third pension pillar, and establishing cross-sectoral ecosystem alliances. These initiatives aim to facilitate the transition of the silver economy from a "security-oriented" to a "development-oriented" model, providing pathways for aging governance.