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Towards a resilient future of Europe

Outcomes of the first year of the FutuRes project

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FutuRes connects - showing Pearl Dykstra and Arnstein Aassve

We celebrate one year of the EU-funded project "FutuRes - Towards a Resilient Future of Europe"! Population Europe is delighted to be part of this innovative research team which is directed by Prof. Arnstein Aassve of Bocconi University in Milan, one of Europe’s leading experts on crisis resilience. FutuRes brings together a transdisciplinary group of experts to identify policies for the resilience of Europe’s ageing population. It is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme.

In its first year, FutuRes created the "Policy Lab" as a platform where stakeholders meet and discuss modes of crisis resilient policy making. Several hundred stakeholders have already attended Policy Lab events (with distinguished speakers such as MEPs Beatrice Covassi, Damian Boeselager and Brando Benifei, and policy experts Massimiliano Mascherini, Pearl Dykstra, Jutta Allmendinger and Fabiana Scapolo).

At the same time, FutuRes researchers pursued their lines of research. How did recent shocks like the economic recession, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine, impact fertility? How will migration and technological change likely affect the labour markets? In order to answer these questions, the research teams worked on their definition of resilience in policy, on the theoretical foundation for their economic models and set the groundwork for updating population projections. Visit the FutuRes website to see the latest scientific publications along with policy recommendations.

Finally, in order to engage a broad public with its research topics, FutuRes published a series of "Myth Busts" which contrast common misconceptions with scientific evidence

In 2024, FutuRes will:

  • Continue to improve population projections in Europe for the coming decades
  • Engage more diverse stakeholders in the PolicyLab
  • Host a series of scenario-building workshops: With cross-sectoral groups, FutuRes will discuss questions such as: Which social investments will improve people’s resilience throughout their lives? How can government institutions adapt and adjust better to future crises? How can an older population of Europe thrive even in future crises? The scenarios, informed by the experts practical knowledge, will feed back into the project's final results.

We would like to thank all who have contributed to the project's research, the science communication, and the Policy Lab events...

  • at the Dondena Center at Bocconi University: Arnstein Aassve, Elena Bastianelli, Nicolò Cavalli, Letizia Mencarini, David Stuckler, Aleksandra Torbica and Noemi Colombo
  • at AGE Platform Europe: Ilenia Gheno and Apolline Parel
  • at Warsaw School of Economics: Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak and Iga Magda
  • at the Centre for Population Change at University of Southampton: Jakub Bijak and Emily Barker,
  • at Technical University Vienna: Alexia Fürnkranz-Prskawetz and Miguel Sánchez-Romero
  • at The Family Federation of Finland: Anna Rotkirch
  • at VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH: Marc Bovenschulte, Christian Wehrmann, Dr. Marlène de Saussure, Mona Hille
  • at Population Europe: Kate Dearden, Peter Weissenburger, Edel Andreas, Daniela Vono de Vilhena.

Finally, thank you for your advice and guidance to: Anne-Sophie Parent, Martin Hyde, Melinda Mills, Pearl Dykstra, Liat Ayalon, Axel Börsch-Supan and Elsa Fornero.

To the next two years of cross-sectoral knowledge exchange!

See all our current projects at Population Europe.