This four­day event (from 15 to 18 April) will bring together young talent under the slogan "We bring talent together, we create future" to launch the message of Europe as a space for Innovation. It takes over from the 2009 European Creativity and Innovation European Year.

Spain's Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, and the Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, have launched the Campus Party Europa, which will be held from 14 to 18 April in Madrid, as one of the events being held during the Spanish Presidency of the EU.

Under the slogan “Uniting talent, creating the future”, 800 young people from the EU will gather at the Caja Mágica venue in Madrid to take part in forums, workshops and presentations of projects focused on three areas of knowledge: science, digital creativity and innovation.

A committee of experts from each of these disciplines will select the 800 participants, who have until 14 March to submit their projects in a three-minute video on the Campus Party website.

The director of Futura Network, which is organising the event, said 70% of the participants will be selected on the basis of their science, digital creativity or innovation projects, while the remaining 30% will win their place at Campus Party Europa through the quality of their innovative proposals for combating poverty. Campus Party takes over from the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 (EYCI), and contributes to 2010 European Year for fighting against Poverty and Social Exclusion.

During the launch event, the Minister of Science and Innovation, Cristina Garmendia, stressed that the mission of science in the EU must be to build a Europe that is "more integrated, competitive, cohesive and supportive", something that can be achieved through openness in knowledge and innovation. “The Internet is a good example of this open knowledge”, added the minister, who expressed her belief that Campus Party will become “a cutting edge showcase bringing together the greatest concentration of digital talent in Europe”.

Campus Party Europa will be held at Caja Mágica, an iconic Madrid venue in the Manzanares Park. The multipurpose complex has a floor area of 83,500 square metres and occupies a 17-hectare site, which also contains a “residents' town” for any Campus Party attendees who do not want to leave the venue.