Redefining success: reflections from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026

The Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026 brought people together in Reykjavík to explore how societies can redefine success by placing wellbeing, health, equity and sustainability at the centre of decision-making.

Held at Harpa on 16–17 April, with pre-forum events on 15 April, this year’s Forum gathered political leaders, researchers, youth representatives, civil society voices, practitioners and international experts around the theme “The Power of Wellbeing: Redefining Success.”

The Forum forms part of JA PreventNCD, an EU co-funded initiative working to strengthen prevention strategies and reduce the burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases across Europe. Within JA PreventNCD, the Forum provides a platform for advancing dialogue on the Wellbeing Economy and its relevance to public health, prevention, equity and cross-sector action.

Across the programme, discussions explored what it means to move beyond narrow economic definitions of progress and build systems that support people, communities and the planet to thrive.

The Forum opened with a strong focus on values-based leadership, care and long-term responsibility. Sessions such as “The Courage to Care: Leadership in a Changing World,” “The Way Out is In – Redefining Success,” and “Leadership and Wellbeing in the Age of AI” reflected on the kind of leadership needed in a time of technological change, sustainability challenges and growing pressure on societies.

A central thread throughout the Forum was the need to move Beyond GDP and use wellbeing, equity and sustainability as guiding principles for policy. Participants highlighted that many tools and frameworks already exist, but that the challenge is to bring them into budgets, governance and institutional priorities.

Prevention and the conditions for health were also key themes. Discussions on poverty, housing, health promotion and non-communicable diseases underlined that wellbeing is shaped far beyond the health sector. The launch of the OECD-EU policy brief “Healthier Lives, Stronger Societies” highlighted prevention as essential for both individual wellbeing and long-term societal resilience.

Knut-Inge Klepp, Professor of Nutrition, University of Oslo and Scientific Coordinator of JA PreventNCD, Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Several sessions also explored the connections between human wellbeing, planetary health, climate action and future generations. Speakers stressed that people and planet cannot be treated as separate agendas, and that those most affected by today’s decisions must have a real voice in shaping the future.

Young people contributed across the programme, bringing urgency, honesty and a strong call for accountability. Their contributions reminded participants that prevention and wellbeing are fundamentally about the future.

The Knights of Love Initiative - The Courage to Care

The Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026 showed that redefining success is no longer only a theoretical discussion. It is becoming a practical and urgent task. As part of JA PreventNCD, the Forum contributes to wider European efforts to strengthen prevention, reduce inequalities and promote healthier, fairer and more sustainable societies.

Over the coming weeks, we will continue sharing highlights from the Forum, with more detailed reflections on selected sessions.

Recordings and presentations from the Wellbeing Economy Forum 2026 are available here: https://www.wellbeingeconomyforum.com/media-highlights

We look forward to continuing the conversation at the next Wellbeing Economy Forum in Reykjavík in April 2027.