Future Economy Study

Deep insights into how impact entrepreneurs envision our future economy

About this study

Europe is undergoing a transformative period marked by the transition to a greener, more digital economy, backed up by a comprehensive action plan for the social economy from the European Commission. In parallel we are experiencing turbulence and polarisation around issues like security, migration and rising right-wing populism. A just transition to a ‘future economy’ is pivotal for fostering regional cohesion and reducing economic disparities within and across the different countries of Europe.

The Future Economy Study aims to provide a nuanced view of how Europe-based young changemakers envision and contribute to a sustainable and inclusive economic future. It will also serve as the basis for bringing together key ecosystem stakeholders across Europe, and serve as a data-driven impulse to inspire the group towards collective action.

Young people in 2024 are bearing the brunt of these economic inequities. They are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed and three quarters of them are in vulnerable or informal jobs. At the same time, youth is a demographic which is truly holding industry leaders accountable and building critical masses of movements like never before in history. Young changemakers are crucial players in this fast-changing landscape. Their bold, innovative approaches and entrepreneurial spirit drive some of the most disruptive solutions to help us adapt to this economic transition.

Launching in spring 2026

While the final report launches in spring 2026, we’d love to already share some first insights and case studies. We hope you enjoy this “teaser”, and that you stay tuned for the full insights.

Vision Statements

How young impact entrepreneurs envision the future

A digital and green economy

“By 2040, the European economy is more digital, sustainable, and better connected. Green energy and smart technology are part of everyday business, and companies focus on real impact instead of just short-term profit. Young people are more involved in entrepreneurship and investing, supported by open markets and better education. Cooperation between countries and industries makes Europe a strong and innovative place to work and live. Overall, it’s a fairer, more modern, and future-oriented economy.”

People will be motivated by positive impact

“There will be self-owned companies, acknowledging multiple kinds of value, with well informed societies. Individuals are motivated to lead holistic positive impact. They are increasingly more informed about the impacts they lead in their daily life and they are moved to lead positive impact also in their working life, not moved only due to financial capital.”

The economy respects planetary boundaries

“The evaluation of economic efficiency is based on planetary boundaries. Real prices are paid that reflect fair labour and production and are not based on exploitation. Economic activities cause as little damage to the environment as possible. Consumer society has changed significantly and is guided by the concept of circularity, because goods have become more expensive and it is worthwhile to use them for longer.”

Higher standards, for the good of all

“Companies assume responsibility within the framework of regulatory requirements imposed by the EU/individual countries. Minimum standards are significantly higher than they are today. The regulations guarantee fair competitive conditions for companies as well. Sustainability is also worthwhile for companies.”

Businesses as vehicles for society’s needs

“All the large corporations were broken down into smaller worker-owned cooperatives that jointly govern any large infrastractures that tend to create natural monopolies. Businesses are seen as vehicles for meeting society’s needs, not as profit-producing machines for investors. Organizations can access investment capital from ethically-operated banks with zero or minimal interest. People’s ability to fullfil their essential needs (housing, nutrition, healthcare, education…) is not conditioned by their income bracket and the need to constantly increase it. European politicians are less worried about resource security because the economy needs less virgin raw materials every year.”

Vision Statements

How young impact entrepreneurs envision the future

Nature, society and economy as one

“The biggest difference from today is that the economy is no longer seen as separate from society and nature. It is embedded, regenerative, and inclusive, enabling Europeans to thrive together in balance with the Earth.”

Youth at the table

“Young people finally have their seat at the table: in every country, youth panels act as sounding boards, and once a year their presidents gather to shape the bigger picture. At least a quarter of all economic decisions flow from their voices.”

Changemaker writing something on a card during a discussion

Pragmatic Visionaries

“Europe has become a continent of pragmatic visionaries—cities, companies, and citizens working side by side on measurable goals. Decision-making is faster, supported by data and trust between sectors.”

Thriving startups

“I imagine Europe in 2040 as a powerhouse of clean energy and innovation. Cities are dotted with green hubs where hydrogen, solar, and wind technologies meet thriving startups.”

Circularity is standard

“Circularity is standard, right to repair is mainstream and electronics get upgrades, not replacements. Any business that wasn’t able to move into a more planet positive model is bankrupt.”

Case Study 1

Cross-Sectoral Collaboration

Nina Poxleitner

wirkt

Global

Location

Global

Initiative

wirkt

Nina Poxleitner is the co-founder and management partner of wirkt, an impact venture builder based in Vienna. wirkt creates and grows social enterprises that address pressing societal challenges in education, integration, and mental health.

In 2024, the organisation’s six ventures reached more than 1,600 people, demonstrating its growing impact across communities. Nina’s vision is to help make social entrepreneurship a natural and essential way societies solve problems, fostering systems that prioritise meaningful, equitable, and sustainable change.

At wirkt, we think in solutions. We bring together people and sectors that rarely talk to each other and we show how venture building can be done differently, not for money, but for societal good.

Interview

What challenges do you believe we need to address in order to build a fairer, greener, and more inclusive economy?

One challenge is financial stability in the social impact sector. Salaries are often low, and planning security is limited. Governments change priorities and funding cycles end.

Another challenge is recognition, many still don’t understand what social businesses are or why they matter. Our ventures generate measurable savings for the public sector, but these are rarely acknowledged or integrated into funding models.

We try to navigate this by diversifying income sources and building strong partnerships with both the public sector and mission-aligned foundations. But for scaling models that work, it is very hard to secure enough financial resources.

There’s a growing awareness that the old systems no longer work. At the same time, we’re still locked in structures that reward power and privilege. Transformation will only succeed if it includes everyone, especially those who feel they have the most to lose.

Case Study 2

New forms of ownership

Tej Gonza

Institute for Economic Democracy

Slovenia

Location

Slovenia

Initiative

Institute for Economic Democracy

There is a lot of very smart and capable people working towards systemic changes that are aiming to make our economies more inclusive and sustainable. It is important to show how many bright minds and how many good ideas are around Europe.

Interview

When you think about Europe’s future economy, what gives you hope?

I think there is now a broad recognition – even among mainstream institutional actors – that our current economic institutions are socially unsustainable. They fail to provide citizens with either material security or a meaningful voice in decision-making, and instead continue to perpetuate economic and political inequalities.

What challenges do you believe we need to address in order to build a fairer, greener, and more inclusive economy?

My fear is that socialwashing initiatives will abduct the broad realization on how unsustainable our economic system is and how urgently the change is needed, which will take the oxygen from the real alternatives and further strengthen the status quo.

I think decision-makers at EU and national levels are too often satisfied with simple answers to complex questions, and that the increasingly divisive approach to politics is preventing a reflected dialogue about real, structural economic problems that is currently needed.

How does your work contribute to reimagining and reshaping Europe’s future economy?

Our work is changing economic and power patterns by sharing wealth and decision-making to a broader stakeholder group. We think that the question of business ownership in the private economies offers a significant and underexplored approach towards a more inclusive, participatory, and democratic economies. It is a pre-distributive approach (rather than re-distributive approach), where democratic ownership of businesses creates market conditions that yield a more just distribution patterns of income and wealth even before the government steps in with redistributive tax policies.

Case Study 3

Regenerative Farming

Philippe Birker

Co-Founder of Climate Farmers

Global

Location

Global

Initiative

Co-Founder of Climate Farmers

Philippe Birker is the co-founder of Climate Farmers, a European organisation that supports farmers in their transition to regenerative agriculture.

The organisation works to restore soil health, biodiversity, and resilience across the continent by combining on-farm coaching, verification, and education through the Climate Farmers Academy.
Its overarching mission is to make regenerative farming the new normal in Europe.

I’m inspired by the growing number of young people choosing purpose-driven careers and demanding real climate action. Farmers, entrepreneurs, and citizens across Europe are building new systems that prioritise care, collaboration, and regeneration. That collective momentum shows that change is not only possible, it’s already happening.

Interview

How do you think your work contributes to reimagining and/or reshaping Europe’s future economy?

By helping farmers restore ecosystems while remaining economically viable, we’re demonstrating that regeneration can be both a business model and a moral imperative.

Our work connects farmers, food companies, and policymakers around a new form of value creation, one that rewards care for land and community rather than extraction. This shifts Europe’s economy toward resilience, circularity, and long-term wellbeing.

We need to realign incentives so that what’s good for people and planet is also economically rewarded. This means reforming agricultural subsidies, investing in local resilience, and creating training systems that prepare people for regenerative work. Without this systemic alignment, good intentions will keep hitting structural barriers.

Why do you think it’s important for young changemakers like you to share their voice in the Future Economy Study?

Because the future economy will be shaped by those willing to imagine and build it differently. Young changemakers bring lived experience, creativity, and urgency that established institutions often lack.

Our voices ensure that transformation isn’t just discussed, but it’s designed for and with the next generation.

The Objective of this study

This new study aims to provide a nuanced view of how Europe-based young changemakers envision and contribute to a sustainable and inclusive economic future. It will also serve as the basis for bringing together key ecosystem stakeholders across Europe, and serve as a data-driven impulse to inspire the group towards collective action.

The Key Elements

Scientific Study

As part of this initiative we will be running a scientific study, and publish a report on the opinions, ideas and suggestions of young changemaker regarding the future of the economy in Europe.
We aim for the report to become an open source of information for governments, foundations, civil society and anyone willing to work towards a just, green and resilient economy in Europe.

Case Studies

Besides the study and report, we will create in-depth profiles and case studies of young changemakers who are leading innovative projects creating the future economy in Europe.

Collective Action

We aim to gather critical stakeholders for the transition to a future economy, and, based on insights from the study and case studies, we will co-create ideas how to better support young changemakers working towards it.

The Future Economy Council

The Future Economy Council is a group of leaders from across Europe. They provide feedback, input and guidance to the partners of this project. Through their invaluable contribution, we ensure that our work, surveys and activities are rooted in the lived experience of changemakers. The Council Members will be announced publicly in late August.

Johanna Kühner

SuperCoop

Germany

Johanna is an expert on digital cooperatives and co-ownership. She is the founder of a unique supermarket model, SuperCoop, owned by its customers themselves, promoting community engagement and shared ownership.

Tej Gonza

Slovenia

Tej is the Director at the Institute for Economic Democracy, a Research Fellow at Rutgers University, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Ljubljana, where he focuses on economic democracy, employee ownership, and innovative governance practices in academic and practical contexts.

Romain Forestier

France

Romain is an expert in policymaking, deep technology, and strategic foresight, and he currently leads research at JEDI, a collaborative European initiative dedicated to advancing innovative breakthrough technologies across various sectors.

Sabina Ghita

Romania

Sabina is a young economist with a passion for just economic systems. She became intrigued by Romania’s post-communism transformation, exploring its journey towards economic reform and social equity.

Darius Göttert

Young Founders Network, inGemeinschaft

Germany

Darius is a serial founder, co-founding the Young Founders Network, inGemeinschaft, FORA and many more as well as an investor focused on innovative startups, a recognized expert, speaker, and influencer on entrepreneurship and business development.

Simon Gonzalez

Sustein Material

Global

Simon is the founder of Sustein, a waste innovation company, and an expert in Circular Economy and waste management, particularly focusing on sustainable practices within the built environment to minimize waste and promote resource efficiency.

Caroline Schober

Neworn

Austria

Caroline founded Neworn, which helps parents make sustainable choices and offer a platform, where they can sell and buy high-quality children’s clothes and accesoires within a trustworthy community, while rewarding them with exclusive discounts from their local and sustainable partner companies.

Our partners

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Design & code by:

Future Economy Study

About this study

Launching in spring 2026

How young impact entrepreneurs envision the future

A digital and green economy

People will be motivated by positive impact

The economy respects planetary boundaries

Higher standards, for the good of all

Businesses as vehicles for society’s needs

How young impact entrepreneurs envision the future

Nature, society and economy as one

Youth at the table

Pragmatic Visionaries

Thriving startups

Circularity is standard

Cross-Sectoral Collaboration

Location

Initiative

What challenges do you believe we need to address in order to build a fairer, greener, and more inclusive economy?

New forms of ownership

Location

Initiative

When you think about Europe’s future economy, what gives you hope?

What challenges do you believe we need to address in order to build a fairer, greener, and more inclusive economy?

How does your work contribute to reimagining and reshaping Europe’s future economy?

Regenerative Farming

Location

Initiative

How do you think your work contributes to reimagining and/or reshaping Europe’s future economy?

Why do you think it’s important for young changemakers like you to share their voice in the Future Economy Study?

The Objective of this study

The Key Elements

The Future Economy Council

Our partners

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