The EFA25 Labs

In this Lab we seek to deepen the conversation around corporate responsibility in upholding democratic and civic values. With democratic backsliding, autocratic tendencies, and populism on the rise, the business sector plays an increasingly crucial role in fostering open societies, inclusive dialogue, and responsible leadership to safeguard democracy. We focus on companies and corporate leaders that proactively embrace their role as civic actors and are willing to take a stance for democratic principles. The aim is to explore the motivations behind their engagement, the triggers that led them to become vocal, the challenges they face, and the support structures they need to amplify their impact.

The Lab is organised together with THE CIVICS Innovation Hub and Love Politics, and it is funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung.

This Lab is a hands-on space for democracy defenders who recognize we are living through a dangerous, global anti-democratic moment and acknowledge that if we remain stuck in reactive or defensive positions, authoritarian actors will keep playing offense and keep gaining ground. We offer space to reflect, connect, and strengthen our strategies for resilience and resistance. It’s designed to be a place where we share hard-earned lessons, test counter-tactics, and imagine bolder, riskier, more creative ways to flip the script. We’ll work together to understand the increasingly sophisticated and transnational strategies used by authoritarian forces — and, most importantly, to co-create bold, offensive responses.

The Lab is facilitated by D-HUB, and initiated and funded by ERSTE Foundation.

The Lab aims to facilitate the cross-sectoral implementation of the Rearm Europe/Readiness strategy, focusing on institutional reforms, common challenges identified in the White Paper (e.g. military mobility corridors) and best practices (e.g. NORDEFCO mechanism to promote common needs assessment, requirements management and procurement). Particular attention will be paid to the steps needed to remove obstacles, secure funding and ensure coordinated action to achieve sovereignty and protect European citizens and freedom.

This Lab will bring together senior policymakers, economic experts, and institutional leaders from across the CEE region to critically assess three decades of pension reforms, explore their long-term effects, and co-develop solutions that promote both financial sustainability and social security in a rapidly changing demographic and economic landscape. Structured in three focused sessions, the Lab will:

• Build a shared understanding of the challenge
• Exchange experiences and lessons learned
• Develop actionable starting points

Countries in scope: Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Hungary.

The Lab is facilitated by Three Coins and funded by ERSTE Foundation.

The Hackathon concept is designed to foster hands-on collaboration, encouraging the further development of national and international projects in a participatory and interdisciplinary setting. Projects must present a specific growth challenge and will participate in intensive collaboration with national and international experts. They will leverage expertise in finance, economics, education, entrepreneurship, and scaling to develop innovative solutions and strategies. The Hackathon promises not only intellectual stimulation but also rewards. Two outstanding projects will be awarded in the end a substantial prize of 5,000 Euros each.

The Lab is facilitated and funded by the MEGA Education Foundation and LGT Private Banking.

This multi-year Lab, part of the 10×100 initiative at the European Forum Alpbach, builds a Portfolio Alliance to bridge gaps between policy, funding, and implementation. It connects professional organisers from different sectors and governance levels across the full policy cycle to co-develop a coordination approach that accelerates regenerative systems change at scale. The intention: shape strategies, institutional settings and infrastructures for ‘Securing Symbiotic Re-Growth in Europe’ — shifting from control to learning, silos to collaboration, and extraction to city-bioregional regeneration with a planetary scope.

The Lab is facilitated by experts from Politics for Tomorrow, and funded by Mercator Switzerland.

This Lab explores how to unlock the economic and social opportunities of large-scale, place-based transformation in Europe. As programmes like the EU Cities Mission generate accelerated, real-economy demand for green materials, infrastructure, and innovation, a strategic opportunity emerges for European industry — from SMEs to major players — to lead. The Lab brings together city leaders, industry pioneers, financial institutions, innovators, AI experts, small businesses, communities, and policymakers to align urban climate action with industrial decarbonisation. The focus lies on co-creating a demand-driven model of competitiveness and identifying systemic solutions for joint investment and sustainable transformation.

The Lab is guided by the expert team from Climate KIC and funded by Mercator Germany.

Alpbach in Motion (AIM) is a Lab for up to 40 outstanding professionals between the ages of 30 to 40, who are willing to shape and transform Europe. Committed young business leaders, changemakers, policymakers, scientists, artists, activists, and more, commit to a one-of-a-kind leadership experience. By stimulating peer-to-peer learning and out-of-the-box solutions, AIM creates a space for the emergence of reflection and action. In line with the European Forum Alpbach mission to shape a stronger Europe for the good of all, AIM encourages its professionals to facilitate change in their industries, ecosystems and the broader social context.

The coaches of this year's AIM cohort are Xenia Wickett (executive coach and advisor) and Pamela von Sabljar (leadership, personal development, behavioural science). More information can be found here.