The Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA), The Brain Capital Alliance, and The Brain Economy Hub, in collaboration with the Spanish Brain Council, WeMind Cluster, and NeuroCentury, hosted the webinar “Spanish Brain Plan – Paving the Way for the Brain Economy” on 30 October 2025, 15:00–16:45 CET.

Held under the auspices of the World Economic Forum’s Brain Economy Action Forum, this event will explore how Spain’s Plan Español del Cerebro 2025–2035, launched in May 2025, can serve as a blueprint for integrating brain health and brain capital into economic and social development strategies.

The World Health Organization has raised the alarm: more than one billion people worldwide are living with brain disease conditions, ranking them among the leading causes of disability. Spain faces a particularly steep challenge, with almost 43% of its population affected by neurological or psychiatric conditions.

By combining global urgency with national innovation, Spain’s Brain Plan presents a unique opportunity to shape the emerging Brain Economy—a paradigm recognizing brain health, cognitive skills, and innovation as the foundations of future prosperity.

As a Founding Pathfinder in the World Economic Forum’s Brain Economy Action Forum, EMEA helps shape global strategy and integrate brain capital into economic policy frameworks. This role enables EMEA to translate global thinking into local and regional practice, bridging the gap between international agendas and their implementation across Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean.

The webinar brought together international and national thought leaders to frame Spain’s Brain Plan as a response to the global mental health emergency, link brain health and cognitive innovation to economic resilience, develop pathways for implementation including governance, financing, and innovation, and showcase Spain’s role as a regional leader and model for other Mediterranean and African countries.

Agenda

Moderator and opening remarks: Prof. Rym Ayadi, President and Founder, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA); Co-founder of the Brain Capital Alliance and the Brain Economy Hub

Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Harris Eyre, Lead and Senior Fellow, Neuro-Policy, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Executive Director of the Brain Capital Alliance and the Brain Economy Hub; EMEA Advisor

Dr. Mara Dierssen Sotos, President, Spanish Brain Council

Panelists:

Marta Sanchez Bret, Director, WeMind Cluster

Dr. Rafael de la Torre Fornell, Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group (FINS), Hospital del Mar Research Institute

Líria Fuentes, Fundraising Director, Pasqual Maragall Foundation

David Gow, CEO, Center for Houston’s Future

Simon Fischer-Baum, Associate Professor, Psychological Sciences, Rice University

Pawel Swieboda, Founder, NeuroCentury; EMEA Advisor; Co-founder, Brain Capital Alliance