Innovation Policy Lab 2026 – 6.0  

Future of Cities, Mobility and Tourism 

About the event  

The Innovation Policy Lab (IPL), a joint initiative by the European Liberal Forum (ELF) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Europe (FNF Europe), strives for new and innovative solutions for issues of our time. It is the space to think out of the box and come up with new solutions beyond the usual frameworks. This is an attempt to shape our future beyond the known boundaries. Therefore, ELF and FNF Europe bring together an interdisciplinary array of policy experts, industry leaders, academics, and civil society representatives, to collaboratively construct a roadmap for innovation-driven reforms across multiple sectors. The focus this time will be on the Future of Cities with three key themes diving the session in 3 groups: Future of Cities, Mobility and Tourism. In the respective policy labs, participants will engage in policy labs to explore these topics, share diverse perspectives, and propose innovative solutions. The outcomes of these sessions will be synthesized into actionable recommendations for policymakers. This event is by invitation only and follows Chatham house rules.  

Programme  

Tuesday, 10 November 2026  

Venue: Liberal House, Rue d’Idalie 11-13, 1050 – Brussels, Belgium, 2^nd,3^rd –and 6^th floors 

Arrival of the participants  

12:30 Welcome of the participants and networking with light lunch  

13:00 Opening remarks by ELF, FNF Europe and MEPs  

Venue: FNF Europe office, 2^nd floor, Liberal House  

13:30 Setting the scene and objectives by the rapporteurs of the IPL in plenary 

Antonios Nestoras, Founding Director, European Policy Innovation Council (EPIC) 

Venue: FNF Europe office, 2^Nd floor, Liberal House  

14:00 Policy labs – Parallel breakout sessions #1 

Participants will work in breakout rooms, engaging in deep discussions to address the challenges and opportunities in each sector. Rapporteurs will facilitate the discussion and capture key points.  

Venue: Split between 3 floors per topic.   

15:30 Coffee break  

15:45 Policy labs – Parallel breakout sessions #2 

In the second session, participants will continue the discussions in their breakout rooms, refining their ideas and formulating actionable recommendations for policy advancement.  

Venue: Split between 3 floors per topic.   

17:00 Wrap-up of the day and conclusions 

Venue: FNF Europe office, 2^nd floor, Liberal House  

Departure of the participants  

About the 3 labs:  

Future of cities: we want to look into the future of our cities in 2050, how they will look, feel and function. We need innovative ideas on housing, commuting, water and waste management, energy systems, urban design etc. We will use some of the framings from ELF’s publication Ageless Ambition on the opportunities of the demographic transition.  

Future of tourism: we want to address the issues of over-tourism, not by banning and blaming but by promoting new innovations in tourism – connecting to and discovering rural areas, sustainable tourism, investing in heritage and sustainability etc. 

A more connected Europe -mobility: we need to remain a global competitor while embracing the green transition. The session will focus on proposals to with the vision of making Europe the most connected continent on the planet through high-speed rail network in Europe, better roads, better bike infrastructure and facilities for sustainable vehicles, enhanced connectivity, sustainable aviation etc.