What happens when science meets purpose in the pursuit of longevity? In this in-depth interview, Gunter Festel explains why prevention, education and equitable innovation are the real frontiers of health. From AI-driven diagnostics to personalised prevention, from inclusive ecosystems to investment logic, he maps out a future where living longer starts with changing how we think, invest, and care.
You’ve travelled to nearly 100 countries. Which journey had the most profound impact on your health and business philosophy?
„One of the most formative journeys was my time in developing countries, particularly in regions of Africa and Asia where access to basic healthcare and clean water is often severely limited. These experiences have radically changed my understanding of health – it’s not just about treatment, but about preventative solutions that focus on sustainability and community.”
These experiences, he adds, have also shaped his business philosophy – highlighting the importance of developing innovations that are accessible to all, not just the wealthy.
Health and wealth, in his view, are inextricably linked, and investing in sustainable, scalable solutions is crucial for the future.
„Access to health innovations and life-prolonging technologies is extremely unevenly distributed. While highly developed therapies are being advanced in industrialised countries, many developing regions still lack access to basic care.”
Yet Festel sees opportunity in this imbalance. „With the right approach, emerging markets could leapfrog traditional care pathways – using mobile health, telemedicine, and locally developed solutions.” Entrepreneurs, he believes, have a vital role to play: not only in transferring technology, but in strengthening regional ecosystems. „The question of who benefits from the extension of healthy life,” he notes, „will help determine how fair and stable our future will be.”
Prof. Dr. Gunter Festel
Festel envisions the next decade as a turning point for personalised medicine, driven by advances in genomics and CRISPR technology.
The integration of AI and big data into the biotech industry, he believes, will revolutionise early diagnostics and predictive healthcare – while advances in regenerative medicine, from stem cells to tissue engineering, will bring new possibilities for healing and replacing damaged organs.
Festel identifies continuous monitoring – through wearables, sensors and real-time AI analysis – as a vastly underestimated frontier in health tech. While still perceived as lifestyle tools, he believes these technologies will soon underpin a new era of personalised, predictive medicine capable of preventing disease before it starts.
„Investors and innovators can support this development by investing in technologies that make preventive healthcare solutions scalable and accessible.”
“At the same time, they should partner with healthcare organisations and political actors to create an inclusive ecosystem that makes prevention the norm.”
Image source: frank60
As an investor in the space of longevity, Festel himself pays close attention to three core indicators: the scientific foundation and potential of a technology and its measurable impact on health or lifespan; the expertise, vision and interdisciplinary strength of the founding team; and the market potential and scalability of the solution – particularly how accessible and sustainable it can be made for diverse population groups.
Festel predicts that the convergence of AI, big data and genomics will create a connected longevity ecosystem, shifting healthcare from treatment to proactive, personalised life extension.
„In this emerging system, I see my role as a bridge builder – between science and society, industry and politics, developed and emerging markets. My goal is to help ensure that longevity is not only technologically possible, but also globally accessible and equitable.”
This bridging role materialises in the Swiss Institute of Longevity, which Festel founded to serve as a hub for cutting-edge health innovation. Its mission is to redefine longevity not merely as a medical pursuit, but as a new quality of life – one that is healthy, active and self-determined into old age. Positioned at the intersection of research, technology and interdisciplinary dialogue, the institute seeks not only to foster innovation, but to set global standards and inspire a shift from disease-centred care toward a holistic vision of vitality and human potential. As Festel puts it, „Switzerland is becoming a pioneer of a global movement that is rethinking ageing.”
Image source: Gorodenkoff
As someone who writes for both scientific journals and industry platforms, how do you see the role of science communication in shaping public understanding and acceptance of longevity technologies?
„Science communication plays a central role in how longevity technologies and new developments are perceived – as hope, hype, or threat.”
“Well communicated content creates trust, explains complex issues in an understandable way and invites people to think about them. It sheds light on ethical issues in a differentiated way, reduces misunderstandings and promotes acceptance in the long term. It democratises access to knowledge and creates the basis for longevity to become a reality not only technologically, but also socially.”
Alongside communication, Festel sees education as a foundational pillar of longevity – both in his thinking and in practice. As the founder of the Umbrella Kids Foundation, he supports access to education for underprivileged youth, and views learning as essential at every level of the longevity equation.
„On an individual level education supports personal behaviour. People who understand nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mental health make better choices. Moreover, lifelong learning is protective against cognitive decline. “
“On a societal level education helps to build longevity Ecosystems.“
“Societies that invest in education tend to build public health systems focused on prevention, not just treatment. An educated population drives productivity and stability, creating the surplus needed to fund long-term research and healthcare systems that can support an aging population.”
Prof. Dr. Gunter Festel
Beyond his titles, ventures and global influence, who is Gunter Festel?
With two PhDs, lectures at leading universities and a career spanning science and entrepreneurship, Festel’s achievements speak for themselves – but success, for him, is defined less by accolades and more by impact. „Success,” he says, „is when my work contributes to improving people’s lives – through innovation, through knowledge, and through a vision that promotes both personal growth and the good of the community.”
He thrives in environments where creativity and freedom coexist – whether in a lab, a lecture hall, or simply amidst the panoramic stillness of the Buergenstock Mountain. His days, for example, begin with a 200-metre climb through the alpine forest to his home. For Festel, it’s these small, intentional rituals – movement, presence, good food, less sugar, quiet moments, and coffee – that keep him sharp, steady, and well. This balance between ambition and simple, grounded living is what sustains him – and shapes his view of longevity.
„The natural environment,” Festel reflects, „reinforces my understanding that longevity can be achieved not only through technology, but also through harmony with nature and a conscious lifestyle.”
This article contains product placement.
Author: Révész Bogi
(Featured image: Prof. Dr. Gunter Festel)
