Uniting leaders across sectors to build a thriving brain economy for the future.
About the Summit
Join us for the G7 Canada Brain Economy Summit, a global initiative focused on how brain capital—our collective brain health and brain skills—can drive economic growth, resilience, and innovation.
Timed to coincide with Canada’s G7 Presidency and the G7 Leaders’ Summit in June 2025, the summit includes G7-aligned virtual roundtables and a public event in Calgary, bringing together senior leaders from government, business, research, and civil society to shape a shared vision for inclusive, brain-centered progress.
Why This Matters
Brain-related disorders cost the global economy $8.5 trillion in lost productivity each year and rising, while demand for cognitive, emotional, and social skills is accelerating across every sector, driven by workforce shifts and technological change.
With brain health named a global priority for the first time at the 2025 World Economic Forum, there is now a meaningful opening to shape how countries respond.
This summit leverages brain health’s new standing as a global economic priority to guide national and international action.
Our roundtable events will connect brain capital to real-world sector goals and generate policy and investment recommendations to inform strategy, guide resource allocation, and support cross-sector coordination in building the brain economy. Insights from these discussion will anchor the Brain Economy Declaration, inform the G7 communiqué, and shape agendas for UNGA 80, the G20 Summit, and DAC Brain House@Davos2026.
Download the Concept Note submitted to Canada’s G7 Sherpa team
Read our Editorial published by the Canadian Science Policy Centre
Summit Strategy and Structure
Building a thriving brain economy requires leadership from across society—business, civil society, labour, science, think tanks, women’s organizations, and youth.
To foster cross-sector action, the summit is structured around the G7 engagement group framework, connecting key sectoral priorities to the future of brain health, brain skills, and economic prosperity.
The summit will feature policy reflections, TED-style story sessions highlighting real-world perspectives, and an innovation showcase to spotlight emerging solutions shaping the brain economy.
Download the 2-page Summit Prospectus
View the Draft Program
G7 Engagement Groups & Brain Economy Focus
Summit discussions are aligned with G7 engagement group lenses:
- Business 7 (B7)
Official G7 role: Brings together business leaders to provide recommendations on trade, investment, and the business environment.
Brain economy lens: How brain health, cognitive skills, and innovation relate to business growth, workforce productivity, and the future of work - Civil Society 7 (C7)
Official G7 role: Amplifies the voices of civil society on global issues like sustainability, humanitarian action, and development.
Brain economy lens: How nonprofits, health charities, and advocacy groups promote brain health through community programs, public engagement, and policy influence - Labour 7 (L7)
Official G7 role: Ensures workers’ and unions’ concerns are reflected in G7 social and economic policy.
Brain economy lens: How worker protections, mental health programs, and job design can support sustainable, brain-friendly employment - Science 7 (S7)
Official G7 role: Engages national science academies to offer expert, evidence-based input on global challenges.
Brain economy lens: How brain research—across discovery, clinical, public health, and community-led approaches—drives innovation and long-term resilience - Think 7 (T7)
Official G7 role: Convenes think tanks and policy experts to shape evidence-informed recommendations for G7 leaders.
Brain economy lens: How economic modeling, strategic foresight, and governance expertise can integrate brain health into broader economic strategy - Women 7 (W7)
Official G7 role: Advocates for gender equality in economic and political decision-making.
Brain economy lens: How gender shapes brain health outcomes, caregiving, workforce participation, and access to opportunity - Youth 7 (Y7)
Official G7 role: Ensures young people’s needs and priorities are reflected in G7 decisions.
Brain economy lens: How youth brain health and brain skill development—through education, mental health, and employment strategies—support a resilient future workforce
Registration
Please complete the registration form to indicate your interest in participating in one or both parts of the summit. Space is limited, and selected participants will be contacted with confirmation details.
To be considered, please RSVP by Monday, May 19, 2025 at bit.ly/G7BrainRSVP.
Sponsorship Opportunities
We are engaging a small group of strategic sponsors to inform and advance this effort. Please see our summary of sponsorship benefits for your consideration.
Additional Resources
Recent articles shaping the global brain economy:
- Brain Health Emerges As Top Priority At Davos – Forbes [Read article]
- Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them – World Economic Forum [Read article]
- Thriving workplaces: How employers can improve productivity and change lives – McKinsey Health Institute [Read article]
- The Brain Economy: Shaping the Future of Work and Innovation — Business Collaborative for Brain Health [Read article]
- How the brain economy can unlock new approaches to AI – European Policy Centre [Read article]
Key international initiatives building momentum toward the Summit:
- 2025 – Brain Capital: The New Competitive Advantage in a Shifting Economy (Houston, USA) – A two-day roundtable bringing together business leaders, investors, neuroscientists, and policymakers to discuss emerging research, policy directions, and strategies to embed brain capital into long-term economic planning in Texas, the U.S., and globally.
- 2025 – Brain House at the World Economic Forum (Davos, Switzerland) – Global leaders across sectors gathered in recognition of brain health as a strategic priority for economic resilience, innovation, and population well-being to advance its integration into global policy and investment agendas.
- 2025 – International G7 Canada Brain Health Workshop (London, Canada) – An international gathering of 70+ neuroscience, public health, and policy experts to define brain health and develop a G7-level framework for global action.
- 2024 – G7 Health Ministers’ Side Event: Prioritizing Brain Health – A Global Imperative for Public Health (Ancona, Italy) – Highlighted the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in brain health, public awareness and communication on brain capital, and strategic integration of brain health into national economic agendas.
- 2024 – The Yaoundé Declaration on Brain Economy, Brain Health & Brain Capital (Yaoundé, Cameroon) – Issued following a high-level international convening and endorsed by the President of Cameroon, Chair of UNGA79, the declaration called for urgent global investment and inclusive leadership in brain health.
- 2022-2024 – Brain Health and Research Events at the Science Summit @ UNGA (New York, USA) – A series of high-level international sessions advanced brain health and research in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and expanded global dialogue on brain capital, equity, and international collaboration.
Thank you to our sponsors.
