On Wednesday, the 26th of November, we found ourselves in the heart of London, surrounded by some of the most innovative minds tackling our planet’s biggest challenges.
3-Space 2025 was a truly cross-industry gathering, co-hosted by Rothschild & Co Wealth Management UK, UpLink of the World Economic Forum, and ImpactVC of Better Society Capital. It united over 250 founders, investors, experts, corporates and policymakers to align shared priorities and scale innovative solutions—right when Europe is navigating profound transformation across geopolitics, climate change and economic uncertainty.
Across the day, there were 19 sessions across four thematic tracks, where live insights were captured to build collective intelligence, and hands-on demos from gaming-for-good to applied AI—topped off with a data-driven art and music experience that brought the data to life and the room to a hush.
Europe’s push for global impact is exciting—and complicated. Geopolitical uncertainty, inconsistent market access, and the need for better market-making and cross-border collaboration create headwinds, even as initiatives like European Innovation Council (EIC) funding are helping teams build resilience. What came through at 3-Space was simple and practical: collective action, clarity of direction, and stronger collaboration are the levers that unlock scale and staying power.
But here’s the thing – we discovered that nature-based solutions and digital innovation aren’t as far apart as you might think. In fact, they’re perfectly positioned to dance together in addressing everything from mental health crises to climate change.
Why We Were There (And Why It Matters)
When we first received the invitation to participate in the 3Space WEF Uplink conference as Uplink WEF Top Innovators, we’ll admit we did a little happy dance. This isn’t just any gathering – it’s where breakthrough innovations meet real-world implementation, where ideas transform into actions that can genuinely shift how we approach global challenges. And, with Europe’s transformation accelerating, the 3-Space collaborative framework and its transformation maps created room for systemic conversations—how finance, policy, tech and nature-based providers can pull together rather than in parallel. We joined discussions on nature-based innovation and systemic change, sharing how Forest Bathing+ can support mental health, climate resilience and social prescribing at scale. Events like this help align wellness, climate and health solutions with wider European goals, turning promising pilots into practical, collaborative programmes. They also help Europe refine its innovation identity and create more predictable pathways for purpose-driven solutions to move across borders—highly relevant for scaling forest bathing and wider nature-based and wellness approaches.
The conference focused on scalable solutions that can create meaningful impact, and forest bathing? Well, it’s having quite the moment in that space. We’re talking about a practice that costs virtually nothing to implement, requires no special equipment, and can be adapted to urban parks, corporate wellness programmes, healthcare settings, and community initiatives worldwide.
The Big Themes That Got Us Excited
Mental Health Innovation Takes Centre Stage
One of the most compelling discussions centred around mental health innovation – and honestly, we were thrilled to see how naturally forest bathing fits into this conversation. The statistics are sobering: mental health challenges are affecting people at unprecedented rates, healthcare systems are strained, and traditional therapies, while valuable, can’t meet the growing demand on their own.
What’s fascinating is how the conference delegates were genuinely curious about evidence-based nature interventions. We shared findings from recent studies showing that just 20 minutes of time in nature can significantly reduce stress levels (as long as you do not use your phone) – it’s like taking a proper chill pill! And there is more to that, as we know that quality mindful time in nature can not only impact how we feel, but also cause positive physiological changes in how our nervous and even immune systems operate (you can read more about the research into health and wellbeing benefits of forest bathing on our website).
Sustainability Meets Wellbeing
Perhaps the most exciting theme was the intersection of environmental sustainability and human wellbeing. Too often, we treat these as separate challenges, but the conference highlighted how interconnected they truly are. Healthy ecosystems support healthy humans, and healthy humans are more likely to protect healthy ecosystems.
We had some brilliant conversations about how forest bathing creates what researchers call “nature connectedness” – essentially, when people feel deeply connected to nature, they’re more likely to engage in environmentally protective behaviours. It’s not just about feeling better; it’s about creating a generation of people who genuinely care about preserving our green spaces.
Unexpected Possible Collaborations and Lightbulb Moments
Healthcare Integration That Actually Makes Sense
We connected with healthcare innovators and experts who are exploring “social prescribing” – essentially, doctors prescribing activities and community connections rather than just medications. Forest bathing fits beautifully into this model because it’s accessible, cost-effective, and has genuine therapeutic benefits without side effects.
After our initial pilot, forest bathing is now available as part of Green Social Prescription in Surrey, and we hope to scale up our project to other counties across the UK. As part of our discussions during the conference, we were talking about ways that can help us achieve this goal, and possible challenges that we might have in the process. During one of the conversations, we were talking about how to help make forest bathing a more sustainable solution – rather than people joining a one-off session (or, often a series of 6-8 sessions, as we did as part of our Green Social Prescribing pilot) when they feel unwell, what could be the solutions to make nature connection part of our culture and wellness mentality? This is one of the questions we are still working on and see as part of our PR and media outreach work at TFBI, although we believe there is a need to explore more solutions in the future.
What This Means for the Future of Wellness
The conversations we had last Wednesday painted a picture of a wellness landscape that’s evolving rapidly. People are hungry for authentic, evidence-based practices that don’t require expensive equipment or extensive training. They want solutions that work for their actual lives – busy schedules, urban environments, limited budgets.
Forest bathing ticks all these boxes, but what excited us most was the recognition that nature connection isn’t just personal wellness; it’s collective healing. When we help individuals develop deeper relationships with nature, we’re also building communities that value and protect green spaces.
Looking Forward: The Ripple Effect
Events like the 3Space WEF Uplink conference matter because they create ripple effects. We left the conference feeling energised and optimistic. Not because forest bathing is the answer to everything – we’re not that naive – but because there’s genuine recognition that nature-based solutions deserve a seat at the innovation table. The cross-industry, collaborative framework emerging from 3-Space gives nature-based providers like TFBI a meaningful role in shaping Europe’s future—linking community wellbeing, climate action and health-system outcomes in one practical storyline.
The questions we’re sitting with now are delicious ones: How do we maintain the integrity and gentleness of forest bathing while scaling it to reach more people? How do we train facilitators without losing the deep, intuitive wisdom that makes this practice so powerful? How do we measure success in ways that honour both scientific rigour and the ineffable magic of human-nature connection?
What aspects of nature connection resonate most with you? Have you experienced the kind of innovative wellness approaches we discussed, or do you see opportunities in your community for nature-based solutions? We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences – after all, the best innovations often start with conversations between curious people who care about making things better.
The forest is calling, and apparently, the innovation world is finally ready to listen.