Youth Think Tank: Create and In(ter)novate!

Creative. International. Interdisciplinary. Interactive. Innovation!

From 19 to 21 March 2009 SuFu organised the first ever Pan-European Youth Think Tank: "Create & In(ter)novate!, focussing on transport and energy issues. This Think Tank involved 50 European students and young professionals from 11 countries, with actual issues existing in companies and institutions and creating innovative new ideas to solve these situations.

Youth carries the future and our involvement is indispensable for the success of any public discussion on issues concerning Europe. As we grow up in a European-wide living space, real solutions cannot be found unless the problem is looked at from all sides. This Think Tank just proved it is possible.

Outline

This Think Tank brought together fifty young people from all around Europe (The Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Greece, Rumania, Germany and Russia) in Brussels, to define new, innovative and workable ideas to define an answer to questions in mobility and energy issues, brought up by our industry partners.
The participants worked for one day, in groups of 5 people, to define their creative view on the case. This had to be written down in a paper of max 2 A4's. At the end of the day, these were judged by a jury consisting of representatives of industry and young people working for the EU. The best idea has been awarded a prize of 1000 Euro.

Programme

The Think Tank event had a three days programme:
The first day to prepare for the work ahead: workshops, a visit to the European Renewable Energy House and a lobbying tour: all to give some topical background, encourage working creatively, problem solving and to create team spirit.
The second day was the main Think Tank day. It was dedicated to answering the questions posed:

1. Renewable energy and transport: how to push the car industry to
invest money for the development of a new era of cars fuelled with
renewables?

2. Renewable energy and public admin: how to convince the public
administration, both at governmental and local levels, to invest
public money in green transport and renewable energy, e.g. installing
solar panels on public buildings and using only renewable energy for
buses and metro?

3. Sustainability, energy and consumption: how can emerging and 3rd
world countries increase their living standards without compromising
the earth’s resources?

4. Energy and consumption: How can we save energy in daily life
without decreasing living standard, consumption and harming economy?

The third day was for discovering Brussels.

See the full programme

 

 

More information:

Programme

Rules of the Game

Adioma: winning paper

Press release

The results' booklet