Advancing the Brain Economy: Global Leaders Convene in Paris

The inaugural Brain Economy Executive Seminar, hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy at the Rice Global Paris Center, brought together 7-10 April 2025 global thought leaders across neuroscience, public policy, finance, and innovation to shape a new paradigm: the brain economy. As a framework that links brain health, education, skills, and cognitive capacity with economic strategy, the brain economy offers a powerful lens to navigate the transitions reshaping our societies - from demographic aging to technological acceleration. NeuroCentury’s Paweł Świeboda was part of the Faculty of the Seminar.

Participants, including senior figures from the European Investment Bank, OECD, Paris Brain Institute, and leading academic and policy institutions, explored how systemic investment in brain capital - our mental, emotional, and cognitive assets - can drive innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth. The seminar highlighted the urgency of shifting from reactive to preventive health approaches, embedding neurotechnology into early diagnostics, and prioritising brain health across the life course. As interest in brain capital rises globally, this seminar laid the foundation for a bold policy and investment agenda centered on the brain as the engine of future-ready societies.