Alpbach IDEAS

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30 Sep, 2024

EFA365
EFA24

Do you have an idea in mind that will help shape a better Europe? Or do you want to join other bright minds in their aspirations and co-create solutions to pressing challenges? Join Alpbach IDEAS at the European Forum Alpbach!

Alpbach IDEAS is a yearlong journey initiated by the European Forum Alpbach that aims to tackle pressing challenges on a community, societal and global level within the four thematic tracks of the EFA. In its core the program provides aspiring changemakers and innovators within the Forum Alpbach Network (FAN) and others with a space to experiment, learn and co-create ideas for a more democratic and sustainable Europe while applying systemic perspectives and transformative approaches.

For that matter, Alpbach IDEAS supports its participants through collaborative workshops, ideation tools and methods, access to the EFA network as well as mentorship throughout the year. The aim is to generate visible value along EFA’s four thematic tracks (Climate, Finance and Economy, Security, Democracy and the Rule of Law) and to stir positive long-term effects when the IDEAS become tangible projects.

The one-year cycle of Alpbach IDEAS will be kicked-off at this year’s European Forum Alpbach event with three dynamic IDEAS Camps, where participants will learn how to articulate their visions and aspirations, delve into different approaches to problem-solving, and get the opportunity to put the learned frameworks into practice.

Why join Alpbach IDEAS?

You were always passionate about solving a particular challenge in order to foster sustainable change? You just don’t know where to start? Or you always wanted to create sustainable impact, but are lacking an idea? Alpbach IDEAS is your opportunity to build or join a team of talents from around the globe and to start working on a more sustainable and democratic Europe. Alpbach IDEAS will support you with collaborative workshops, access to ideation tools and methods, access to the EFA network as well as mentorship.

Who can join Alpbach IDEAS?

Participation in the Alpbach IDEAS programme is open to every participant of the EFA24 annual event, including scholarship holders and participants of the Lab Days module. There is no age limit. Whether working independently, collaboratively, or originating the idea during the EFA event, Alpbach IDEAS is open to diverse ways of participation. We strongly believe that the participants will benefit from collaborating with stakeholders of different disciplines and backgrounds for their IDEA realisation.

Which IDEAS qualify?

Participants do not need to have a pre-defined IDEA to join the program, but rather a genuine passion and ambition to help solving some of the most pressing challenges of our time. We welcome a broad range of IDEAS that generate meaningful impact within the framework of any of the four EFA thematic tracks (Climate, Finance and Economy, Security, Democracy and the Rule of Law). IDEAS can be of entrepreneurial nature but can equally encompass non-profit initiatives or other endeavours. We focus on IDEAS in their very early stages.

What happens after the EFA24 event?

All Alpbach IDEAS Teams that were formed during the IDEAS Camps at the EFA24 annual event will be invited to hand in a structured version of their IDEA together with a short video reel that will be published on EFA’s social media channels. A jury will then carefully assess the IDEAS, which are also subject to public voting. Those IDEAS and the teams that are awarded the highest points will be invited to join the Alpbach IDEAS bootcamps from November 2024 to April 2025 and receive mentoring throughout the process.

Last year's IDEAS

Palumba EU

Palumba was the first pan-European voting application designed by and for young voters.

Palumba EU matched over 170,000 young first-time voters with their most compatible European Parliament group and local candidate lists; that's over 5,000,000 swipes on key European issues, accessible in over 20 languages translated by native speakers, even in regional dialects.

Team Members: Pol Villaverde, Miriam Egger, Thomas Garnier, Lavinia Corduneanu, Florentina Penescu, Florian Reinders, Michael Kudler, Pol Turu, Daniela Negruti, Csenge Pap, Francesc Almendros, Pierre-Louis Giscard d'Estaing

For almost a year, 150+ young talented volunteers from all EU member states worked on creating Palumba from scratch: a non-partisan / open-source / non-profit app with the ambitious goal of massively reducing the abstention of first-time voters in the 2024 European Elections, by helping them understand which candidates best support their priorities in a gamified manner.

Unlocking ​Opportunities

The Alpbach IDEAS project "Unlocking Opportunities" aims to increase participation in career development among youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. By creating an opportunities-sharing platform, the project helps bridge the gap in motivation, access, and self-agency, ensuring that career development resources are available to all, regardless of background.

In addition to creating an opportunities-sharing platform, the team is developing an automated matchmaking bot to enhance the connections between students and mentors. With support from the Aalto University Sustainability Booster Grant, they will launch a test bot in Finland. As they continue to work on this project, they are seeking additional grants and scholarships to expand their efforts.

Team Members: Antonio Naranjo​, Daria Chekalskaia, Cruz Glynka

Beyond Concrete

Beyond Concrete is an alternative building materials project to help architects and builders with easy access to information about sustainable materials for greener buildings. It is inspired by the 'leporello' format, showing stamps of the materials on the outside and information about each material on the inside.

Team Members: Racha Doughman

Your EFA contact

Please email Nadine Beisteiner at ideas@alpbach.org.

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