The future of rural europe 2026
Programme
9 March: Optional drinks reception
Location: The 1040 – Brasserie and Rooftop Bar, Pl. Jourdan 1, 1040 Etterbeek – Maps (part of Sofitel).
Time: 18:00-19:00 CET
Join us for a welcome drink ahead of the conference to meet some of the speakers and team behind PREMIUM_EU. This reception is informal and a great way to connect with peers. Please note that drinks are at your own expense.
10 March: Conference programme
09:00-10:00
Registration and coffee
10:00 Welcome & opening remarks
- Hanne Roed, the European Committee of the Regions, Renew Europe
- Prof. Leo van Wissen, Project Manager, PREMIUM_EU
- Conference host: Jennifer Baker, EU policy and tech reporter
10:10 Keynote
Death of the countryside? Rural Europe in 2050
- Peter Meister Broekema, Lead Policy Researcher, PREMIUM_EU
More information coming soon
10:30 Research presentations
More than economics: A broader view of regional development
- Korrie Melis, Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Is infrastructure enough? The case of decline in the Faroe Islands
- Timothy Heleniak, Nordregio
More information coming soon
11:00 Live demo
The Resilient Regions Policy Dashboard: a knowledge tool and digital community to tackle demographic decline
- Becky Arnold, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
More information coming soon
11:30
Coffee break
12:00 Panel debate
What makes people stay and what brings them home?
- Hanne Roed, European Committee of the Regions, Denmark
- Ingrid Machold, Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, Rural and Mountain Research, Austria
- Pawel Chmielinski, President of European Rural Development Network & Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
- Octavio Caraballo, Deputy Minister of the Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands
- Moderator: Jennifer Baker, EU policy and tech reporter
Retention and return migration are crucial for resilience. This panel explores why people stay, why they leave, and what convinces them to return, highlighting practical policies that help regions maintain a stable, thriving population.
More information coming soon.
13:00
Lunch break
14:00 Research presentations
Who migrates to Europe? Our diverse demographic future
- Dilek Yildiz, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
New neighbours, new opportunities – How diversity is good for development
- Konrad Pedziwatr, Krakow University of Economics
More information coming soon
14:30 Panel debate
Brain gains: What makes a region truly attractive to migrants today?
- Sandra Jolk, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
- Kaire Luht, Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, Estonia
- Radim Sršeň, European Committee of the Regions, Czech Republic
- Peter Meister Broekema, Lead Policy Researcher, PREMIUM_EU, Hanze University
- Claudius Ströhle, Migration Case Studies, PREMIUM_EU, IIASA
- Tuba Bircan, Head of AIMS Lab: Migration & Society Research Unit
- Moderator: Anne Katrine Ebbesen, Communications Manager of PREMIUM_EU, Nordregio
This panel looks closer at the balancing act behind attraction strategies. The classics are there: jobs, housing, infrastructure. But how do you cultivate a sense of belonging and a high quality of life in smaller towns and remote places? And what can rural regions learn from each other?
More information coming soon.
15:30
Coffee break
16:00 Q&A
What’s next for regional innovation: Lessons from Europe’s research frontline
- Anastasia Panori, MOBI-TWIN project
- Jennifer McGarrigle Carvalho, Re-Place project
- Peter Meister-Broekema, PREMIUM_EU project
- Moderator: Jennifer Baker, EU policy and tech reporter
More information coming soon.
16:40 Closing words
The future of resilient regions in decline
- Tuba Bircan, Head of AIMS Lab: Migration & Society Research Unit
16:50 Wrap-up
- Jennifer Baker, EU policy and tech reporter
- Hanne Roed, the European Committee of the Regions, Renew Europe
17:00
Conference ending