Barcelona · Ownership Economy · September 17

Ownership Economy Barcelona at Norrsken

Part of the three day ECOSYSTEM SUMMIT, the Ownership Economy will bring together a one-day gathering on shared governance, steward ownership, federated infrastructure, cooperative finance, digital commons, employee ownership, health, housing, and new institutional models.

📍 Norrsken Barcelona 🗓 September 17 ⏰ 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
What this day is for

A practical map of the ownership economy in Europe

This day is designed to connect founders, researchers, operators, policymakers, capital allocators, and civic builders working on new ownership and governance models. The emphasis is on concrete institutional design: who owns, who governs, who benefits, and what structures actually scale.

How the venue works

One main stage, focused breakouts, dedicated networking lounge

Townhall carries the plenary sessions for the full room. Earthshot, Marenostrum, and Speakeasy are used for smaller breakouts and curated side conversations. Red Room is held back as the networking lounge for the morning and afternoon breaks and stays available for quieter meetings through the day.

Room layout

Norrsken setup

Townhall is the main stage. Breakouts are designed to be intentionally smaller. Sign-up or guided distribution is recommended for the smaller rooms.

Main stage

Townhall

Capacity: 150

All-attendee plenaries, opening, synthesis, and closing.

Breakout

Earthshot

Capacity: 50

Mid-size breakout conversations and operator-led sessions.

Breakout

Marenostrum

Capacity: 35

Specialized panels and practitioner sessions.

Networking

Red Room

Capacity: 35

Dedicated networking lounge for both formal breaks and informal meetings.

Small group

Speakeasy

Capacity: 15

Invite-only roundtables, office hours, and high-signal small group sessions.

Agenda at a glance

The day begins with shared context in Townhall, then opens into concurrent afternoon tracks. Red Room is reserved for networking breaks.

9:00 - 9:30Arrival

Registration, coffee, and curated introductions

Red Room · networking lounge

Arrival window with coffee, guest check-in, and early introductions across founders, researchers, investors, and institutional builders.

9:30 - 9:45Main stage

Opening: why ownership, why Barcelona, why now

Townhall · full room

An opening frame for the day: ownership as infrastructure, not branding, and governance as the missing layer in too many economic systems.

9:45 - 10:30Main stage

Purpose after exit: steward ownership, mission locks, and democratic governance

Townhall · full room

How founders preserve mission, redesign control, and build governance structures that survive beyond a conventional exit.

10:30 - 11:00Break

Morning networking break

Red Room · networking lounge

Thirty minutes reserved for introductions, speaker follow-up, and small-group meetings.

11:00 - 11:45Main stage

From Catena-X to Manufacturing-X: federated data spaces as industrial coordination

Townhall · full room

A look at industrial data spaces, consortium governance, and the shared standards reshaping coordination in manufacturing.

11:45 - 12:30Main stage

Federating health without platform capture

Townhall · full room

Patient-held records, interoperable health data, care commons, and governance models that keep health systems open and trustworthy.

12:30 - 1:40Midday

Lunch and curated table conversations

Red Room · open networking Earthshot · hosted lunch tables Marenostrum · hosted lunch tables Speakeasy · invite-only meetings

A longer lunch break with optional hosted tables for sector-specific conversations and targeted introductions.

1:40 - 2:25Concurrent block A

Choose one of four afternoon sessions

Townhall · Money as shared infrastructure Earthshot · Who owns the energy transition? Marenostrum · Housing commons and collective ownership Speakeasy · Invite-only research roundtable

The afternoon opens into concurrent sessions so participants can go deeper by topic. Townhall carries the broadest cross-sector panel, while the smaller rooms host more specialized discussions.

2:35 - 3:20Concurrent block B

Second breakout block

Townhall · Beyond platforms Earthshot · Industrial democracy at scale Marenostrum · Founder governance clinic Speakeasy · Invite-only capital and policy salon

A second round of sessions focused on digital infrastructure, employee ownership, and smaller working conversations on governance design and capital strategy.

3:20 - 3:50Break

Afternoon networking break

Red Room · networking lounge

Another dedicated half hour for follow-up conversations before the room regathers for synthesis.

3:50 - 4:35Main stage

Cross-sector synthesis: patterns that travel

Townhall · full room

A synthesis conversation on what the panels reveal across finance, health, manufacturing, digital infrastructure, housing, and energy.

4:35 - 5:20Main stage

Barcelona working session: what should get built next?

Townhall · full room

An action-oriented close focused on pilots, follow-up working groups, and the practical collaborations that should come out of the day.

5:20 - 5:30Closing

Closing remarks

Townhall · full room

A short closing to capture themes, thank participants, and point people toward follow-up conversations.

5:30 - 6:00Reception

Drinks and departures

Red Room · networking lounge

A final half hour for conversations that need to continue, with room for intros, next steps, and planned follow-up.

Session descriptions

The conversations on the day

Descriptions below are speaker-free so you can publish the agenda now and layer names in later.

Townhall · Main stage

Purpose after exit: steward ownership, mission locks, and democratic governance

A panel on how founders and institutions preserve mission, redesign control, and separate economic upside from decision rights without freezing the company in place.

Townhall · Main stage

From Catena-X to Manufacturing-X: federated data spaces as industrial coordination

A conversation about interoperable data spaces, industrial standards, consortium governance, and the new shared infrastructure emerging in manufacturing.

Townhall · Main stage

Federating health without platform capture

A session on care commons, patient-held records, public-interest data infrastructure, and governance approaches that let health systems share data without ceding control to a few dominant platforms.

Townhall · Concurrent anchor

Money as shared infrastructure

How mutual credit, cooperative finance, ethical banking, and new payment rails can be governed as shared systems rather than extractive intermediaries.

Earthshot · Breakout

Who owns the energy transition?

A focused discussion on citizen utilities, community-owned generation, cooperative energy models, and the local institutions needed for a fairer transition.

Marenostrum · Breakout

Housing commons, collective ownership, and urban commoning

An urban ownership session on community land models, cooperative housing, non-speculative structures, and how cities can protect long-term access.

Townhall · Concurrent anchor

Beyond platforms: federation, digital commons, and cooperative digital infrastructure

A panel on federated systems, shared protocols, member-owned platforms, and other alternatives to centralized platform capture.

Earthshot · Breakout

Industrial democracy at scale

A discussion of employee-owned firms, trusts, worker voice, and the capital and governance structures that support long-term resilience.

Marenostrum · Working session

Founder governance clinic

A smaller, more tactical session for founders and operators wrestling with mission locks, voting structures, financing constraints, and transition pathways.

Speakeasy · Invite only

Research, policy, and capital side sessions

Short-format off-stage conversations for researchers, funders, and policy builders who want deeper discussion in a smaller room.

Practical notes

How to use the day well

  • Townhall sessions are designed for the full attendee group and set the common frame for the day.
  • Afternoon breakouts are intentionally smaller. Publish them as RSVP or first-come sessions so the room capacities stay comfortable.
  • Use Red Room as the official networking lounge so participants always know where to go for intros and follow-up conversations.
  • Speakeasy works best for invite-only meetings, speaker prep, or small high-value roundtables rather than a fully public session.
Who this is for

Builders across sectors

  • Founders and operators redesigning ownership, governance, or institutional structure
  • Researchers and academics working on commoning, ownership, and long-term firm design
  • Investors and foundations exploring non-extractive, mission-preserving capital structures
  • Public and civic leaders interested in shared prosperity, participation, and local resilience
What people leave with

Signals, contacts, and next steps

  • A sharper view of which governance and ownership patterns travel across sectors
  • New relationships across finance, health, energy, housing, manufacturing, and digital systems
  • Practical ideas for pilots, collaborations, policy, and capital follow-up
  • A working picture of what Barcelona could become as a hub for this conversation

Join the Barcelona gathering

This is a curated day for people actively building new ownership and governance models. The room is intentionally capped and designed for real conversations rather than a passive audience experience.