UNLEASH Europe: Reimagining the Built Environment
Halfway to 2030, UNLEASH returns to where it all began to ignite bold, cross-European action for a just and green built environment.
In June 2026, 200 young changemakers from across Europe will gather in Copenhagen for UNLEASH Europe, a week-long Innovation Lab hosted in collaboration with BLOXHUB, the Nordic hub for sustainable urbanization. From June 27 to July 4, they will co-create solutions addressing one of the most critical infrastructures for Europe’s future: the built environment where people live, connect, and shape their collective livelihoods.
Europe’s Just Green Transition
The built environment is one of the most influential and complex arenas for sustainable development. From housing and mobility to energy and infrastructure, it is where climate goals, economic growth, and social equity intersect. Yet, across Europe, progress has been slowed by fragmentation, outdated systems, and the lack of radical collaboration.
UNLEASH Europe aims to strengthen collaboration from Qaqortoq in Greenland to Sevilla in Spain, from Brașov in Romania to Galway in Ireland, bringing together the continent’s youth to co-create inclusive, climate-resilient, and circular solutions for the future of our cities and communities.
“Eight years ago, we launched UNLEASH in Denmark to support the new generation of changemakers to reimagine the world’s biggest challenges,” said Professor Flemming Besenbacher, Chairperson of UNLEASH. “Now, as we reach the midway point to 2030, it feels both urgent and hopeful to come back to where the movement began, this time to focus on the spaces and systems that shape how we live, build, and thrive together in Europe.”
Through the UNLEASH Innovation Methodology, participants will work in interdisciplinary teams to explore how to spread and scale circular practices in the construction industry, make possible equitable access to sustainable housing and infrastructure through a just green transition, strengthen civic engagement in shaping cities as spaces for innovation and belonging, and build resilience in communities navigating rapidly changing environments in the Arctic and other remote regions.
A Nordic Hub Meets a Global Movement
As Europe faces a decade defined by transformation, UNLEASH Europe is more than an innovation program. It’s a call to action. It’s an invitation to co-create cities that are not only green and circular, but deeply human, built on connection, equity, and shared purpose.
BLOXHUB’s expertise will play an essential role in bringing the themes of UNLEASH Europe to life. The Innovation Lab will take place in their hub, and their community will act as experts supporting teams in co-creating desirable urban futures.
“Europe’s cities are where innovation happens,” said Ditte Lysgaard Vind, BLOXHUB’s Chief Science & Innovation Officer and UNLEASH Board Member. “ Bringing together Europe’s talent across borders is how we build the capacity for a just green transition, and that is why we are strategically strengthening our focus on Europe and are glad to collaborate with UNLEASH from BLOXHUB”
The week-long program will culminate in a Solutions Festival, where participants will pitch 35–40 innovative ideas to partners and thought leaders from across Europe. After the Innovation Lab, teams will continue to receive mentorship and support through the UNLEASH Innovation Hub, connecting them to a global network of over 9,000 alumni driving impact in more than 180 countries.
Join the movement
Applications to join UNLEASH Europe as a Talent will open in the first quarter of 2026, inviting passionate European youth – from designers and entrepreneurs to policy thinkers and activists – to be part of a generation shaping how Europe builds its sustainable future.
UNLEASH Europe is possible thanks to the financial and technical support of Rambøll Foundation, Realdania, and Nordic Arctic Programme (NAP). The Rambøll Foundation and Rambøll Group bring deep technical expertise, co-shaping thematic tracks, mentoring teams, and engaging employees as participants. Realdania provides strategic guidance and ensures that the Innovation Lab builds on Denmark’s leading practices in sustainable urban development, helping the ideas developed feed into Denmark’s just green transition and inform broader European efforts. The Nordic Council of Ministers (via NAP) supports the dedicated Arctic thematic track, providing regional knowledge, networks, and insights into climate adaptation, circularity, and community resilience in the Nordic-Arctic region.
Contact
For more information, please reach out to europe@UNLEASH.org
About UNLEASH
UNLEASH is a global initiative transforming how youth build a sustainable future. In a world of rising complexity, we equip young changemakers with the tools, confidence, and community to tackle pressing challenges with empathy, creativity, and resilience. Since 2017, we’ve brought together 9,000 youth from 180 countries, sparking over 1,200 social and environmental solutions through Innovation Labs, local Hacks, and our Innovation Hub.
Our programs reimagine traditional pathways by integrating inclusion, lived experience, and collaborative problem-solving, ensuring that impact begins with access and opportunity for all. Youth gain essential skills to navigate uncertainty, leverage systems, and scale locally grounded ideas. From last-mile communities to global networks, we create safe spaces where failing becomes part of innovation, and diversity drives better outcomes. At UNLEASH, we’re regenerating hope at scale and building the foundation for a just, sustainable, and inclusive world.
About BLOXHUB
BLOXHUB is a Nordic innovation hub for sustainable urban development, bringing together companies, organizations, and research institutions to promote sustainable urban growth.
The organization serves as a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration and has a global network of partners within construction, architecture, technology, and urban planning.
Through local and global partnership programs and activities, BLOXHUB helps its members connect with relevant partners, share knowledge, and create new business opportunities.
BLOXHUB was founded in 2016 and is based in the BLOX building in Copenhagen. It was established by the philanthropic foundation Realdania, the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, and the City of Copenhagen.