BANQUE RAIFFEISEN LUXEMBOURG HOSTS A FORWARD-LOOKING CONFERENCE ON LUXEMBOURG’S DEMOGRAPHIC FUTURE
On 13 November, Banque Raiffeisen inaugurated the first edition of its new annual conference on the theme “Tomorrow Starts Today”. With this event, the Bank launches a yearly platform dedicated to exploring major societal topics that directly concern its members and clients.
This new conference series reflects a fundamental principle: the topic is chosen for the audience, not for the Bank. Each year, Banque Raiffeisen will focus on a theme that affects citizens, families, entrepreneurs and the broader community, reaffirming its cooperative mission to accompany and support society in addressing long-term challenges.
The 2025 edition centred on one of the most consequential issues for Luxembourg’s future: the demographic transition. The Bank invited experts and representatives from different generations to discuss how ageing will shape the country’s economic, social and labour dynamics (projections indicate that Luxembourg could have only one active worker for every two retirees in the future.
In his opening remarks, Laurent Zahles, CEO of Banque Raiffeisen, emphasised the purpose of this new conference series: to create a yearly space for collective reflection on topics that matter for Luxembourg’s future.
He reminded the audience that while discussions in Luxembourg often focus on pension financing, the Bank’s intention for this evening was broader:
“Instead of seeing the economy as a fixed cake to be divided between generations, we want to understand how demographic ageing influences the size of the cake itself—and whether we can make it grow so that every generation receives its fair share.”
The Roundtable: Perspectives Across Generations
The heart of the conference was a rich, cross-generational roundtable.
The four speakers represented a broad spectrum of generations:
- Sophie Mangen – Vice President of ACEL (Association des Cercles d’Étudiants Luxembourgeois), offering the viewpoint of Generation Z and the concerns of young adults entering a rapidly changing world.
- Tom Haas – Director of STATEC (Luxembourg’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), representing the mid-career, economically active generation and bringing key insights into demographic and labour trends.
- Isabelle Schlesser – Director of ADEM (Luxembourg’s National Employment Agency), sharing the perspective of Generation X navigating evolving labour markets and shifting retirement expectations.
- Léa Linster – Entrepreneur and Michelin-starred chef, embodying the Baby Boomer generation and adding a long-term, entrepreneurial outlook.
The debate explored larger systemic questions:
- Can Luxembourg continue relying primarily on immigration to sustain growth?
- Should the country activate alternative levers, such as higher retirement ages or increased automation?
- How can companies and institutions adapt to keep older workers motivated, productive and competent?
The “Silver Economy”
The final part focused on opportunities.
Ageing populations represent powerful consumers whose needs and preferences are evolving. This “silver economy” opens new avenues for: Products and services adapted to seniors, innovation in health, mobility and digital accessibility, new financial solutions and a rethinking of growth models to include longer, healthier, more active lives
As stated at the end of the debate:
“An ageing society doesn’t consume less, it consumes differently.”
