As part of the COMPASS: COMpetitiveness Policy for Accelerating Sustainable Solutions project, GEYC organised a Civic Incubator Lab in Bucharest, Romania, bringing together 44 young participants to explore some of the key challenges shaping Europe’s economic and strategic future.
The Lab was delivered through two in-person sessions, held on 28 May and 21 August 2026, and engaged students, young professionals, representatives of youth organisations, civil society actors and participants with limited previous exposure to formal policy discussions.
Making complex policy topics accessible
The Civic Incubator Labs form the educational and deliberative core of COMPASS. Their role is to help young people better understand European competitiveness while creating space for dialogue, exchange and collective reflection.
In Bucharest, the discussions focused on two interconnected thematic areas: Tech & AI and Defence. Participants explored questions related to European technological capacity, AI and future careers, technological sovereignty, responsible use of emerging technologies, defence fragmentation, strategic autonomy and European cooperation.
Rather than approaching these topics only through presentations, the Lab combined expert contributions, dedicated knowledge-building sessions and a participatory World Café methodology. This structure allowed participants to first develop a common understanding of key concepts and then discuss challenges, opportunities and different perspectives in smaller rotating groups.
The Civic Incubator Labs form the educational and deliberative core of COMPASS. Their role is to help young people better understand European competitiveness while creating space for dialogue, exchange and collective reflection.
In Bucharest, the discussions focused on two interconnected thematic areas: Tech & AI and Defence. Participants explored questions related to European technological capacity, AI and future careers, technological sovereignty, responsible use of emerging technologies, defence fragmentation, strategic autonomy and European cooperation.
Rather than approaching these topics only through presentations, the Lab combined expert contributions, dedicated knowledge-building sessions and a participatory World Café methodology. This structure allowed participants to first develop a common understanding of key concepts and then discuss challenges, opportunities and different perspectives in smaller rotating groups.
From local dialogue to the European level
Across the two sessions, participants reflected on issues ranging from Europe’s ability to scale innovative technology companies and retain talent to the need for future skills, human oversight in the use of AI, stronger European technological capacity and more effective cooperation in defence.
The conversations also showed the importance of balancing different objectives. Participants discussed how Europe can strengthen its own capabilities while remaining internationally connected, how innovation can coexist with safeguards and fundamental rights, and how greater cooperation can be pursued while respecting different national priorities.
The Bucharest Lab is one step in a wider COMPASS participation process. Insights gathered locally will contribute to the project’s Competitiveness Dialogues, where young people will engage with policymakers and institutional representatives, and later feed into the Brussels Forum and the development of a Youth Strategy Paper on EU Competitiveness.
Through this process, COMPASS aims to make complex European policy debates more accessible to young people and create meaningful opportunities for them to contribute their perspectives to discussions about Europe’s future.
Read the full report
The complete COMPASS Civic Incubator Lab Report presents the methodology, discussion outcomes and key takeaways from the Bucharest sessions in more detail.
You can access it HERE
See how the latest lab activity went below: