The Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), one of the founding partners of the Brain Capital Alliance hosted the working conference Brain Capital: The Power of Imagination and Creativity at its HQs at Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The conference was organized in collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver and took place on 06 July 2022. The conference was hybrid and several speakers connected to the sessions online.
The conference aimed to showcase the latest findings and activities of the Brain Capital Alliance, a programme focusing on neuroscience-inspired investment and public policy innovation as two of the most powerful levers for economic and social transformation. The Alliance brings together diverse stakeholders from multi-disciplinary fields spanning brain science, economics, business, cultural analytics, creativity science, media and policy.
The event started with welcome addresses by Prof. Rym Ayadi, EMEA President and Founder, and Theo Edmonds, Co-Founder Imaginator Academy; Associate Dean of Transdisciplinary Research & Innovation, University of Colorado Denver.
On Session 1: Brain Capital Alliance and Creativity Dr. Harris Eyre – Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and PRODEO Institute, gave an overview of the Brain Capital Initiative. Prof. Rym Ayadi, EMEA President and Sara Ronco, EMEA Researcher presented the Brain Capital Dashboard.
On the second part of the first session Theo Edmonds – Imaginator Academy; University of Colorado Denver and Seda Röder – Sonophilia Foundation discussed about the scope of creativity.
Session 2 examined Brain Capital, Creativity and Wellbeing. The panel consisted of Carlo Sessa – ISINNOVA, Pier Luigi Sacco – University of Chieti-Pescara, Enrique de Villamore – MedWaves, Raúl Ramos – University of Barcelona. Xavier Gironès – Generalitat de Catalunya and Paula Adam – Generalitat de Catalunya.
Session 3 discussed Brain Capital, Creativity and Private Sector Innovation (Corporations and Entrepreneurship). The panel consisted of Wendy Lea – National Advisory Council Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Bernd Fesel – European Creative Business Network, Michael Freeman – University of California, Entrepreneurship Center UCSF, Alejandro Lopez – Global Brain Health Institute, Maryrose Flanigan – Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities, Benjamin Knapp – Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts & Technology and Tasos Vasiliadis – Institute of Entrepreneurship Development.
The last session was about Brain Capital, Creativity and Public Sector Innovation, with Andrew S. Nevin – PwC Africa, Shekhar Saxena – Harvard School of Public Health, Anna Bobb – Vredeveld Strategies, Serenity Wright – University of Kentucky, Cristina Güell – Fundació Catalònia Sports, Montse Daban – Biocat and Cynthia Echave – Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association EMEA.
Following the last working session, Pawel Sweiboda – EBRAINS presented “Building European Brain Capital: Perspective from Paris and Brussels events”.
Closing the event Theo Edmonds – University of Colorado Denver, highlighted: “All human knowledge begins as Imagination. It is a precursor to creativity and the operating system of humanity. Imagination makes possible all our thinking about the past, present, and future. Imagination is critical for expanding our human experience.”
EMEA President Prof. Rym Ayadi thanked all the participants and underlined that “Brain Capital is a productive and complex capital stock that accumulates over the life cycle”
This was the 3rd and final event for the launch of the Brain Capital Alliance. For more information on the previous two events please click here
Link to Brain Capital Alliance website
BCA Conference – EMEA HQs Barcelona, Session 1
BCA Conference – EMEA HQs Barcelona, Session 2
BCA Conference – EMEA HQs Barcelona, Session 3
BCA Conference – EMEA HQs Barcelona, Session 4
