The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy (AHCD) continued its collaboration with the global innovation initiative UNLEASH this summer by contributing to UNLEASH Europe 2026 in Copenhagen.
Representing the Centre, Research Fellow Laura Bullon-Cassis participated as an Innovation Lab Judge, providing expert feedback to interdisciplinary teams developing solutions to complex societal challenges. She worked primarily with teams participating in two thematic tracks: The Just Green Transition, which explored how to make sustainable cities more livable, affordable, and accessible, and Rapidly Changing Environments, which focused on enabling adaptation in Arctic and remote regions.
UNLEASH Europe brought together 200 young changemakers from across Europe to explore how innovation can contribute to a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient built environment. Working in interdisciplinary teams, participants applied the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology, a user centred design process that guides teams from problem framing and systems analysis through ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation. Throughout the week, experts challenged teams to refine their ideas before they presented practical solutions addressing themes including circular construction, climate adaptation, thriving cities, and a just green transition.
The collaboration builds on AHCD's partnership with UNLEASH, which began during Geneva Democracy Week 2025 with the jointly organised workshop Towards an Inclusive Green Transition. Bringing together students, youth advocates, local officials, and community leaders, the workshop explored how young people can help shape a more equitable and sustainable transition for Geneva.
The Copenhagen programme also contributes to the Centre's project Youth Climate Activism and Local Institutions: Reframing Democratic Spaces at a Time of Polarisation, which examines the relationship between youth climate activism and democratic institutions across Europe. By bringing together young changemakers alongside experts from academia, the public sector, civil society, and industry, UNLEASH Europe provided an opportunity to engage with many of the questions at the heart of the project, including how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen participation, support the just transition, and create new spaces for dialogue between young people and institutions.
For AHCD, engaging with initiatives such as UNLEASH helps connect research on youth participation, climate governance, and democratic institutions with practitioners developing real world solutions.