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Europe doesn’t just need to catch up — it needs to leap forward.
That’s the core message of our EIC Board contribution to the upcoming EU Startup & Scaleup Strategy, and I’m proud to have been part of the team that developed it.
In the current moment of global competition, we don’t need tweaks.
We need transformation.
Our proposal is built on 4 guiding principles:
1. Movement over measures
2. Leapfrog over lag
3. Smarter over bigger
4. Trust over technocracy
This strategy is not about redistributing funding — it’s about building an ecosystem where startups can raise capital, scale faster, access new markets, and grow with purpose.
EIC is ready to act. That’s why we’ve proposed 5 fast-track pilots — concrete mechanisms to turn vision into execution.
From market-driven instruments to reform of institutional incentives — the time to build is now.
Grateful to my colleagues on the EIC Board — and especially to Kat Borlongan, Michiel Scheffer, Bart BECKS and to those who helped shape this bold and necessary direction for Europe’s innovation future.