Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I share three key insights.

• First, as highlighted in the Draghi report, there is an innovation gap between Europe and the US, especially in technology. We must boost innovation.
• Second, Europe creates more startups than the US, but only 8% of global scale-ups are based here. We need to better transition ideas to market.
• Third, 30% of European unicorns have relocated outside the EU, often due to a lack of a suitable ecosystem. We must improve regulation and funding.

With this strategy, Commissioner Zaharieva and I aim to tackle these challenges.

The strategy has two goals:

• Stimulate innovation so Europe becomes the center of new discoveries.
• Ensure companies grow within Europe and not move to other continents.

The strategy offers:

• Better access to funding through public-private partnerships.
• Regulatory reforms to encourage innovation.

With this approach, we aim to facilitate the emergence of future European champions.

Now, I hand over to my colleague, Commissioner Zaharieva, for further details on the strategy.

Thank you.

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Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, the College takes an important step to make Europe the best place for innovation.

We are making startups and scaleups a top priority.

Our innovators do not just build companies; they create jobs and solutions that improve lives.

We have 35,000 early-stage startups. What we need is a plan to maximize this potential.

The strategy follows the company lifecycle, focusing on:

1. Innovation-friendly regulation;
2. Better finance;
3. Fast market uptake and expansion;
4. Support for the best talent;
5. Access to infrastructure, networks, and services.

Thank you.