Debate on longevity and the future of work at the Palace of the Commonwealth
On 18 February 2026, the Palace of the Commonwealth in Warsaw hosted a meeting entitled “Longevity Nation”, devoted to longevity and the future of work. The event provided a forum for discussion on Poland’s readiness for the realities of a 100-year life, at a time when we are living longer and the structure of the labour market is changing rapidly.
The event was opened by Dr Tomasz Makowski, Director of the National Library of Poland, after which Deputy Minister Aleksandra Gajewska addressed the shifting paradigm of the labour market from the perspective of state and public institutions.
Special guest at the conference was Michael Clinton, one of the most influential global voices in the longevity debate – a bestselling author, long-standing leader in international media and adviser to the boards of major companies. In his address, he emphasised the need to reshape the narrative around age in the media and highlighted the growing importance of building strong intergenerational teams. This shift, in which age is no longer viewed solely as a biological category but increasingly as a strategic asset for individuals, organisations and entire economies, was presented as a global phenomenon exerting an ever greater influence on the twenty-first-century labour market.
The debate brought together leaders from business, public administration and opinion-forming circles, including Cezary Stypułkowski, Joanna Makowiecka-Gatza, Jakub Swadźba, Wiktoria Nowak and Maria Deskur, President of the Board of the Universal Reading Foundation (FPC). Maria Deskur noted that intellectual development and reading form an integral part of a strategy for a long and active life – a view supported by research from Yale University showing a strong correlation between reading and longevity.
The symbolic significance of the venue – the Palace of the Commonwealth – underscored the enduring role of cultural and knowledge institutions as vital spaces for dialogue about the future of the state, the world of work and the pursuit of a long and purposeful life.
