Strengthening Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem: Insights from the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy

Rémi Mayet, Policy Advisor at the European Commission, DG Energy, introduced the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy [1]aimed at making Europe the best place to launch and grow technology-driven innovative companies, at the ESEIA General Assembly meeting, on 20 November 2025.

According to the European Commission, startups and scaleups are key drivers of innovation, creating breakthrough products and solutions that support productivity, investment, and quality jobs. The EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy aims to make Europe a strong environment for launching and growing innovative companies and helps innovators, founders and investors “Choose Europe” by improving conditions throughout their development

The initiative is closely linked to EU efforts to boost competitiveness, taking into account strategic policy directions such as the Letta Report on the Single Market and the Draghi Report on European competitiveness

Key Pillars: Regulation, Finance, Market Uptake and Talent

The Strategy proposes a comprehensive set of legislative, policy and financial measures at EU and Member State level to strengthen conditions for startups and scaleups “throughout their development”

It addresses barriers by:

  • Fostering innovation-friendly regulation and improving the Single Market environment
  • Improving access to finance, including for capital-intensive deep-tech companies
  • Accelerating market uptake and expansion across borders
  • Attracting and retaining talent with skills and mobility initiatives
  • Improving access to infrastructure, networks and services including research infrastructures and startup hubs

These efforts are linked to broader EU flagship actions under the Competitiveness Compass[2], such as initiatives on investment, the Single Market, and skills.  

A significant component of the Strategy is the Scaleup Europe Fund[3], developed jointly with top-tier private investors to support promising European companies in strategic deep-tech areas.

According to the European Commission:

  • The Fund will be market-based, privately managed and co-financed
  • It will lead major European investment rounds
  • A management company will be selected through a public call
  • First investments are expected to begin in spring 2026

Why This Matters for ESEIA

The EC highlights that research and innovation play a central role in European competitiveness and in shaping key EU strategic priorities. This connection is especially relevant to ESEIA’s mission, as many innovations emerging across the alliance relate to clean energy, circular systems, advanced materials, and climate-neutral industry, areas where the Commission recognizes strong potential for new markets.

[1] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/jobs-and-economy/eu-startup-and-scaleup-strategy_en

[2] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en

[3] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2529

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