Wrap up of the CEPS inaugural Ideas Lab
We are pleased to report that the first CEPS Ideas Lab, April 3-4, exceeded our wildest expectations. The event attracted 537 participants from 36 different countries (including the US, Canada and China) during two days of high-level debate. We extend thanks to all participants for making CEPS Ideas Lab an incredible event, from which many remarkably fruitful and original ideas emerged. The venue itself – The Egg, a funky, slightly edgy and highly versatile space near the Gare du Midi in Brussels – proved a excellent choice. We look forward to welcoming you at another CEPS event in the near future and possibly a 2nd version of the Ideas Lab in another year or two.
See here the pictures of the first Ideas Lab.
Click here to see a Storify of the event.
Two plenary sessions
The CEPS Ideas Lab 2014 kicked off with an opening plenary organised in cooperation with VoteWatch Europe in which the latest projections of the outcome of the European Parliament elections were presented, followed by a discussion of their implications for the shape of EU legislation in the coming term..
The second day of the event was concluded by the closing plenary session in which two distinguished thinkers – Daniel Gros and Pascal Lamy – shared their respective visions for the future of Europe.
Ten parallel labsOver the course of the two days, ten parallel labs were organised on topics corresponding to key dimensions of European integration: Economy, Regulation, Innovation, Finance, Social Europe, Rights, Energy, Climate Change & Food Security, Institutions and Europe’s Position in the World. The participants in each of the 10 labs met in three separate rounds of debate, each lasting for 75-minutes.
A rapporteur was present throughout each of the 30 lab sessions to capture the key ideas and perspectives emerging from the debate, which was chaired by an experienced moderator.
The number of participants in each session was intentionally kept below 35, with a balanced mix of opinion leaders, policy-makers and experts from the private sector. All participants were encouraged to actively contribute to the discussion.
In each session
At the start of each discussion round, a moderator introduced the topic, often couched as a yes-or-no type of policy issue and the floor would then be opened to two discussion leaders –experts or policy-makers selected for their informed yet opposing views on the subject. Each of them had five minutes to explain his/her position and provide supporting arguments. The debate was then extended to other participants in the room and animated by the moderator. To make the discussion rounds as interactive as possible, no power point presentations were allowed.
The face-offs
After the third round of discussions had taken place in the labs, the number of parallel sessions was reduced from ten to five to make room for cross-cutting sessions. The objective of this format was to have a cross-cutting perspective on the challenges for Europe.
In each of the five so-called “face-off” sessions, rapporteurs from the various previous lab rounds challenged a senior figure by putting on the table the policy proposal that had emerged from their discussion.
Gala dinner
Guests at the gala dinner in the evening of Day One of the CEPS Ideas Lab were treated to a thoughtful and entertaining speech by George Soros at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, preceded by a guided tour of the adjacent Magritte Museum.
R&R sessions
During the several breaks in the schedule over the two-day event, participants could drop in on various ‘poster sessions’ given in a lively, interactive manner by researchers involved in state-of-the-art projects.
Presentations
3 April 2014
The Global Economy in 2030: Trends and strategies for Europe, Gilles Koleda, Societé Européenne d'Economie
Europe's Key Societal Challenge: Breaking the cycle of increasing inequalities, Stijn Hoorens, Rand
Empowering Europe's future, Giovanni Grevi, Fride
Composition and drivers of energy prices and costs in energy intensive industries, Vasileios Rizos, CEPS
Upgrading inter-parliamentary cooperation in the EU, Valentin Kreilinger, Jacques Delors Institut
4 April 2014
The Global Economy in 2030: Trends and strategies for Europe, Gilles Koleda, Societé Européenne d'Economie
Europe's Key Societal Challenge: Breaking the cycle of increasing inequalities, Stijn Hoorens, Rand
Empowering Europe's future, Giovanni Grevi, Fride
Composition and drivers of energy prices and costs in energy intensive industries, Vasileios Rizos, CEPS
Upgrading inter-parliamentary cooperation in the EU, Valentin Kreilinger, Jacques Delors Institut