Are you working in a local or regional government and looking for new ways to engage young people in democracy? The next Nets4Dem Democracy Lab in Bilbao is your chance to do exactly that.
From 10 to 12 February 2026, the city of Bilbao will host the third edition of the Democracy Lab, organised by Eurocities and Bilbao City Council, with the support of Arantzazulab.
Why a Democracy Lab in Bilbao?
Across Europe, democratic institutions are under pressure from polarisation, disinformation and declining trust. At the same time, many young people say they support democracy in principle but feel disconnected from its institutions in practice.
Bilbao has spent years building a strong culture of collaborative governance and citizen participation, backed by a broader ecosystem of democratic innovation involving actors like Arantzazulab and the Basque Government.
This makes the city an ideal setting for a lab dedicated to:
- Strengthening democratic values among children and young people
- Building democratic culture as a lived practice, not just a set of procedures
- Experimenting with new technologies to involve young people in public decision making
The Bilbao Democracy Lab will give participants first-hand exposure to the city’s participatory structures, youth initiatives and innovative public spaces such as La Perrera, while connecting them with peers and experts from across Europe.
Copyright: City of Bilbao.
What is the Democracy Lab?
Nets4Dem’s Democracy Lab is an intensive three-day space where city teams bring a real democratic challenge and work with peers, facilitators and experts to design concrete, ready-to-implement solutions.
Each Lab:
- Focuses on a specific democratic challenge (in Bilbao: democratic culture and youth participation).
- Combines study visits, expert interventions, and co-creation sessions.
- Matches cities with facilitators, local stakeholders and democracy experts from the Nets4Dem network.
- Produces practical ideas and prototypes that cities can develop further at home.
What will the Bilbao Lab focus on?
Drawing on Bilbao’s experience and the Basque collaborative governance framework, the Lab will explore three main challenge areas:
Strengthening democratic values among young people
How can values like trust, shared responsibility, equality and participation be renewed with and by young people? How can principles of open government and collaborative governance be embedded in how institutions relate to youth?
Building democratic culture in today’s context
What spaces, infrastructures and learning opportunities do children and young people need to experience democracy as a way of life? Which skills and mindsets – such as critical thinking, empathy, resilience and courage – should cities help them develop?
Experimenting with new technologies to involve young people
How can cities use digital tools and AI to reach young people in their own environments and channels, while strengthening – not weakening – democracy? How can institutions adapt language, procedures and participation formats so that young people can genuinely shape decisions?
Throughout the Lab, city teams will frame their challenge, visit local initiatives, generate ideas, and end by pitching concrete concepts to peers and experts for feedback.
Who should take part?
The call is open to:
- Local and regional governments, and
- Organisations or enterprises linked to them that are involved in delivering public services.
This Lab is especially relevant if you:
- Work on youth participation, civic education, public participation, digital democracy or collaborative governance.
- Are looking for new ways to involve young people in decision making, beyond one-off consultations.
- Want to test how digital tools and AI can support meaningful participation rather than just communication.
Get involved – register now!
The Bilbao Democracy Lab is more than a workshop. It is a space for cities to rethink how democracy is lived and learned by younger generations, and to design together practical, transferable solutions that can be scaled across Europe.
If your city is ready to work with peers, experts and local communities to rebuild trust in democracy and empower young people as active citizens, this is your moment.
Register here.
