Sep 17, 2025
As the global population aged 65 and older is projected to double to 1.7 billion by the early 2050s, Horizon explores the role that advances in wearable technology will play in shaping the future of healthy ageing, and the key challenges that must be addressed to unlock its full potential.
Introduction: Global Population Ageing
Although it’s currently the high-income countries typically of Europe and Asia, Japan in particular, that capture the attention, especially when considering super-aged societies where 20% of the population are 65 years old or over, the success story of ageing is now a global trend. Virtually every nation is experiencing a demographic shift, with a rising number and proportion of older adults. By 2030, current growth models predict that 1 in 6 people will be over 60, and by 2050, two-thirds of the global elderly population will reside in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).
This shift presents significant healthcare challenges, including increased prevalence of chronic conditions such as diabetes, dementia, and age-related frailties like immobility and falls.
Promoting healthy ageing is essential for societies to thrive, and wearable health devices can offer transformative potential in maintaining wellbeing, independence, and dignity among older adults.
Evolution of Wearable Devices: Fitness Trackers to Healthcare Solutions
Wearable technology has evolved rapidly - from basic fitness trackers to sophisticated medical-grade wearables (HWDs) with complex, integrated sensors capable of continuously monitoring vital physiological signs such as oxygen saturation and glucose levels. Innovations in nanotechnology, and new materials coupled with the augmentation of AI and machine learning are opening up new frontiers for wearables, especially in healthcare applications.
Future Opportunities and Drivers in Wearable Tech
Soft Electronics: Smart Fabrics and E-Textiles - the emergence of 4th-generation e-textiles and ultra-smart fabrics is revolutionising the possibilities of wearable technology, especially when it comes to elderly care wearables. These soft electronics enable real-time health monitoring in a non-intrusive, comfortable format, making them ideal for assisted living environments.
Government Initiatives and Strategic Health Plans - governments in various countries are embracing wearable health technology through population-wide strategic initiatives. Examples include Singapore’s Health Insights (hiSG) study and strategic roadmaps such as the UK’s Fit for the Future – 10 Year Health Plan for England (2025), which prioritises wearables as a transformative technology in the shift from analogue to digital and reactive to preventive healthcare.
Key Challenges for Wearable Technology
Despite the transformative potential, formidable challenges and barriers remain:
1. Regulatory Complexity
The line between medical devices and consumer wellness wearables is increasingly blurred, and with it the subsequent regulatory testing and certification regime that must be applied. This applies not just to hardware, but also software, with software as a medical device (SaMD) / or Medical Device Software (MDSW) considerations having to be factored into the regulatory evaluation in some markets.
The commercial considerations are obvious - market approval is easier and less expensive to obtain for a wellness device, but the validity of the claimed practical applications has not always been accomplished (especially with earlier generation products), whereas regulating consumer wearables as medical devices could impose unsustainable costs and time to market, stifling innovation and forming a barrier to entry for startups and SMEs.
2. Data Privacy and Ethical Concerns
Wearables continuously collect and transmit sensitive health data, which raises public concerns about privacy, data ownership, and security. Investigations by organisations like Privacy International validate these concerns, and highlight the need for robust regulations and transparent data practices to build public trust in wearables.
3. Inclusive Design and Data Representation
Despite wearable technologies far reaching applications in aged societies, older adults are often underrepresented in wearable tech studies, which typically rely on data from younger, tech-savvy users to form the core data pool of manufacturers ‘real world’ research. Underrepresentation of a specific demographic can then be further complicated with underrepresented data - i.e. data loss from suboptimal adherence caused by cognitive decline, especially in cases with dementia studies. At a product design level, further consideration needs to be given to useability – especially when considering the possibilities of visual impairment and reduced dexterity amongst older users. For smart garments, comfort and lifestyle alignment are crucial, requiring a collaborative design approach versus methods used in more transient fashion.
4. Accessibility, Connectivity, and Interoperability
To promote health equity, future generations of wearables must be affordable and adaptable across diverse demographics and socio-economic groups, especially in LMICs. Reliable data connectivity, especially for real-time monitoring, remains a challenge in some rural and undeserved areas, and interoperability and standardisation across healthcare platforms is essential for creating a cohesive digital health ecosystem.
5. Battery Life and Energy Efficiency
Extending battery life without compromising device performance or ergonomics remains a persistent challenge for wearable technology. Advances in energy harvesting (EH) techniques, and flexible Lithium-Ion batteries (LIBs), coupled with more power efficient sensors will be essential, especially for wearables deployed in long-term healthcare applications.
Conclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Wearable Tech for Healthy Ageing
Wearable technology is poised to play a pivotal role in healthy ageing, but realising its full potential requires a multi-fronted approach. Innovations in materials and sensors will only deliver benefits at scale if they are matched with trustworthy and reliable regulatory frameworks, inclusive design, and affordable access. Only then can wearable tech truly support ageing populations and reduce health disparities, especially in LMICs, while fostering dignity, independence, and wellbeing.