Prof. Rym Ayadi, EMEA President, and co-founder of the Brain Capital Alliance, delivered the keynote speech “Building the future: Brain and Nature Capital as Pillars of a Well-being Economy” at the WeMind International Forum on 27 November 2024. The event took place at the World Trade Center, Barcelona, and it was organsied by the WeMind Cluster with the support of Diputació de Barcelona, ACCIO and Generalitat de Catalunya.
In her speech Prof. Ayadi underlined: “A well-being economy is not just an aspiration—it is a necessity. By investing in Brain Capital and Nature Capital, we can bridge the gaps of inequality, regenerate our planet, and empower every individual to thrive in harmony with the ecosystems that sustain us.”
Following the keynote, Dr. Joao Garcia, Founder of South Harbour Research & Development and Member of the Executive Board of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association – EMEA participated in the Expert Panel on “New business models” and he noted that “Adopting small, consistent lifestyle changes—such as engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet, and staying mentally and socially active—can significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia.”
The panel included David Igual Molina, Co-founder of Pensium and Igor Dolgushin, CEO, SENSOR23 and it was moderated by Jose Luis Montserrat, Director at Residencial Palau.
Furthermore, EMEA in collaboration with WeMind Cluster, the Brain Capital Alliance, the Brain Economy Hub and the South Harbour Research & Development, organised the panel Discussion: “Towards a Brain Economy in Spain”.
The session was chaired by EMEA President Prof. Rym Ayadi, co-founder of the Brain Capital Alliance and opened with a keynote speech by Michael Morley – Partner in McKinsey & Company’s London office.
The panel included Dr. Harris Eyre – Lead and Senior Fellow, Neuro-Policy, Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy; EMEA Advisor; Executive Director, Brain Capital Alliance, Marta Sánchez Bret – CEO of the WeMind Cluster, Pawel Swieboda – Founder of NeuroCentury; EMEA Advisor; Co-founder, Brain Capital Alliance, Marco Mohwinckel – President of Tech Tour, Executive & Advisor to Biotech, Health Tech and Pharma, and Tiago Fioravanti Zibecchi – EMEA Researcher.
Closing the session Prof. Ayadi underlined: “Investing in brain capital is not just an investment in individual potential but a cornerstone for building a resilient, inclusive, and innovative economy. By integrating brain health, brain skills, science and collaborative ecosystems, Spain can contribute in shaping a future where human well-being and economic prosperity go hand in hand.”
From his side Dr. Harris Eyre highlighted: “The brain economy transformation can offer Spain a new model for competitiveness. Our brains are essential to the modern economy and acknowledge that people’s cognitive, emotional, and social capabilities are crucial drivers of both productivity and well-being. We would welcome collaboration with Spanish stakeholders to determine contextualized approaches to a brain capital dashboard, a brain economy systems change lab, and systemic investing”.
Furthermore, Paweł Świeboda noted: “Given today’s socio-economic pressures and the rapidly changing demographic context, we have no choice but to take bold actions in policy and investment to orchestrate a brain-positive transition. Enabling role of technology is enormous but it has to be channeled to ambitious projects supporting scientific breakthroughs, creating the necessary data platforms and unlocking innovation in digital care.”
Finally, in his intervention EMEA researcher, Tiago Zibecchi highlighted the importance of data, and he presented the Global Brain Capital Dashboard, and the brain system change lab.
