Post by Tobias Bürger

We know that Europe’s next economy is already being built – by young #impact #entrepreneurs. Today, together with the EIB Institute, The Possibilists and WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien), we collaboratively published the Future Economy Report 2026. Many young changemakers are worried about Europe’s economic direction over the next 10 to15 years, especially when it comes to price stability and what AI could mean for jobs. Yet what stands out in the Future Economy Report 2026 is not resignation, but a very hopeful and concrete vision for 2040. So what does that vision look like? We see three pillars: ⏰ Sustainability as a defining principle ➡️ economic activity embedded in society and nature, not operating apart from it. ⏰ New measures of success beyond GDP ➡️ focusing on well-being, biodiversity, social cohesion and planetary health. ⏰ Solidarity & inclusion ➡️ ensuring access to essentials like housing, healthcare, education and nutrition, regardless of income. What’s equally clear: the main constraint is not a lack of ideas. It’s the lack of enabling conditions ☝ The most frequently cited barrier to growth is inadequate funding (55.8%) alongside the strain of building impact-driven ventures while juggling work, study and care responsibilities. Too often, we ask young founders for resilience while failing to make resilience sustainable. There is also a powerful insight on how transformation happens: many changemakers see organisations themselves as vehicles for systemic change with governance, ownership and culture as important levers. More than half (60%) point to shared decision-making, stronger governance and healthier organisational culture as especially effective — and many are already putting this into practice. If Europe wants this future economy to become real, the agenda is straightforward: fewer bureaucratic barriers to social entrepreneurship, more long-term funding and capacity-building, circularity as a core business practice and frameworks that enable democratic governance and alternative ownership models. Many thanks to Esra Karakaya and Matthias Scheffelmeier for moderating and to Johanna Kühner, Jo Swinson and Josh Babarinde OBE MP for the insightful discussion of the results. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/dZViaBnr 👀 What can be done further? At the Youth Alliance at Impact Europe, a community of funders, practitioners and investors committed to tackling youth challenges through collective action, we support solutions to drive youth-led economic growth and help to reduce youth unemployment. And if you’re an impact startup, please dare to try our #IMMPACT Guide, developed by Cornelia Rittmeyer and her team (Please find the link in the comments section).