The World Economic Forum (WEF)’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland has long been a leading gathering where global leaders in business, policymaking and activism converge to address critical international challenges. This year’s meeting, held from January 20 to 24, 2025, focused on the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age”, with priorities including rebuilding trust, reimagining growth, and safeguarding the planet.
Across the globe, society is facing brain challenges like never before — improving the health and wellbeing of citizens has become the top priority for many governments and brain health plays a pivotal role in the lives of our populations. 2025 builds on the growing momentum for brain health at the global level. For the first time at the World Economic Forum, brain health and the brain economy emerged as critical priorities for discussion and attention, included also within a dedicated session on the official convention programme on the brain economy, addressing not only the challenges presented by the burden of brain disorders but also exploring how to unlock the immense economic potential behind brain health and thriving workforces.
The European Brain Council (EBC) was thrilled to have taken part in various sessions on brain health in Davos and help propel this momentum. The Brain House and the Social Innovation House served as platforms outside the convention centre where stakeholders from various fields met to discuss the critical importance of brain health and how innovation in brain capital can help address global challenges.
- Build an inclusive and resilient global coalition prepared to lead transformative change.
- Understand the connections between the brain, climate change, population aging, AI and global issues reshaping our world.
- Share urgent, actionable solutions to today’s global crises while driving productivity and boosting GDP.
- Mobilize resources and innovation at scale to meet the magnitude of our shared challenges.
‘Setting a Yearlong Course of Action: Starting a Global Brain Health Movement’
EBC was pleased to take part in the closing session at the Brain House on the Global Brain Health Movement. The session focused on fostering partnerships and building momentum through key global platforms like the G7, G20, and the World Health Assembly. Claudio Bassetti, EBC Vice-President, discussed actionable steps to elevate brain health on the global agenda together with moderator George Vradenburg, Chairman and Board of Directors of Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, Cara Altimus, Managing Director, SPARC, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy, Lucy Perez, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and Christa Studzinski, Director of Business Development and Partnerships at the Ontario Brain Institute.
The Social Innovation House acts as a catalyst for global transformation. Here, groundbreaking solutions reach scale, visionary leaders find their community, world-changing ideas come to life and the House acts to bridge grassroots wisdom with global leadership. With over 5,000 members and more than 100 collaborations across 144 countries, the House creates a space in Davos where social innovators connect, collaborate, and drive transformational change. From education to climate action, from mental health to gender equality, their work advances the Sustainable Development Goals while pioneering new solutions beyond them. This year the House hosted a full day dedicated to mental health, with EBC as an official partner, including sessions around innovation, men’s mental health, meditation, psychedelics, youth, AI and leadership in the space.
‘Brain Capital & Human Flourishing: Connecting Brain Health, Purpose, and Economic Prosperity’
Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, moderated a session on Mental Health Day at the Social Innovation House around brain health and economic prosperity. This timely session delved into the significant connection between brain health, purposeful living, and their collective impact on economic and human prosperity. The concept of ‘Brain Capital’ was raised, which emphasizes the value of mental health, cognitive performance, and emotional resilience in driving societal and economic growth. Attendees learned how prioritizing brain health not only enhances individual well-being and purpose but also fosters innovation, productivity, and equity. Speakers discussed actionable strategies for building brain capital, supporting human flourishing, and creating a more prosperous and purposeful future for all. Experts in this panel include Harris Eyre, Co-Lead at the Brain Capital Alliance, Geoff Moore, Founder and CEO of Impactᴬᴺᴰ and Tadeusz Hawrot, Founder and Executive Director of Psychedelic Access and Research European Alliance (PAREA) Science.
During the discussion, EBC was able to highlight the launch of the ‘Value of Social Production in Norway’ report that day, a collaborative effort between EBC, The Mental Wealth Initiative (MWI), the Norwegian Brain Council, the European Policy Centre, the World Bank, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association. This report presents a pioneering approach to measuring national prosperity by integrating the concept of Mental Wealth, explicitly valuing social production alongside traditional economic output.
In conclusion, the message from Davos is clear: by investing in brain health we can foster a more productive, creative, and resilient society capable of navigating the turbulent years ahead. As we face a poly-crisis of climate extremes, public health threats, and global instability, it’s clear that our current socio-economic paradigm is inadequate to address these challenges. This paradigm shift towards prioritizing brain health may well be the key to sustaining human development, well-being, and our collective ability to overcome the complex global challenges we face. An editorial on the Brain Economy, co-authored by EBC, provides more insights into the brain economy and how this model could be transformative to societies worldwide.
Energised by the insightful discussions in Davos, EBC returns with renewed commitment to advancing the global brain health movement, inspired by the collaborative efforts to prioritize brain health on the international economic and policy agenda.
Impactful quotes collected at the Brain House
“Our healthcare costs amount to $2 billion. Every quarter, our CFO asks, ‘What are we doing about this?’ That’s why we prioritize brain health—it directly impacts our bottom line.”
“Surveys have shown people care more about their brain health than physical health. We’re starting to see the first preliminary shoots of lifelong human flourishing.”
“…prioritizing brain health for ourselves, for our families and our communities across the life course, we can build a healthier, more resilient society for generations to come.”
“We all have family members who have brain health issues, or we have brain health issues. As Bill Clinton said when he ran for president, ‘it’s the economy, stupid.’ In this case, it’s the brain, stupid.”
“Public private partnerships are the key to aligning on our collective aspiration and driving systems change.”
“Collaborative innovation is the theme this year and coming together physically and virtually under this common umbrella is critical. This allows us to do the work together to catalyze funding and find solutions.”