The European Decentralisation Institute is an independent, non-profit think tank dedicated to advancing decentralisation as a strategic foundation for a sovereign digital Europe

-EDI mission statement

How We Turn Ideas into Impact

At the European Decentralisation Institute, our work starts with a simple but vital question:
Where does decentralisation truly make a difference?

We engage directly with senior policymakers, industry leaders, and technical experts to explore what decentralisation means in practice: its potential, its limits, and its strategic value.

From these conversations, we identify focus areas where decentralisation can deliver the greatest societal and economic impact – whether in finance, energy, governance, or emerging technologies. Each quarter, we launch a research project in one of these areas, producing an initial policy (for public bodies) or strategy (for industry) brief. These are not academic exercises but they contain clear, actionable recommendations designed to be implemented.

From Research to Dialogue

Every brief begins with rigorous, interdisciplinary research. We bring together economists, computer scientists, sociologists, philosophers, political scientists, and experienced practitioners from both the public and private sectors. Over a three-month period, this team distils the evidence, debates the trade-offs, and crafts recommendations that bridge vision and feasibility.

Once the draft is ready, we convene an invite-only roundtable. This closed-door session brings senior policymakers, elected officials, industry executives, and domain experts together to engage in a dialogue about our findings. These discussions generate new alliances, public commitments, and practical follow-up actions.

The insights and agreements from the roundtable feed into the final version of the brief, which we then share with relevant decision-makers and stakeholders across Europe.

This process—identification, research, dialogue, refinement—is how we ensure that every brief is not just a document, but a catalyst for change.

Our 2025-2026 research agenda

Call for collaborators

If your organisation or company wants to fund or collaborate on this research -whether as a strategic partner, research partner, or project sponsor– now is the moment to get involved. Together, we can ensure Europe leads in building a sovereign, democratic, and decentralised digital future.

If interested please contact us directly at:

arno.laeven@eudecentralisation.org | alessandro.malventano@eudecentralisation.org