University spin-offs are not just startups; they are powerful engines driving Europe’s deep tech ecosystem. A newly released report, Spin-offs: Reinforcing a Vector of Value Creation for EU-27, delves into the crucial role these ventures play in translating cutting-edge research into market-ready solutions, fostering regional economic development, and propelling technological innovation. Supported by the European Union, this comprehensive study uncovers key trends, challenges, and actionable strategies to maximize the success of these vital companies.
Author: Takhmina Lolakova
The Connectivity of Startup Ecosystems in Europe
Despite Europe’s thriving startup ecosystems, fragmentation remains a major obstacle to growth. Regulatory hurdles, market segmentation, and uneven resource distribution limit the scalability and investment potential of European startups. However, a glimmer of hope shines through: increased founder mobility and emerging interconnected regions are paving the way for a more unified landscape. As part of the StepUp StartUps project, we’ve delved into this connectivity and produced the report, “Beyond Fragmentation: The Connectivity of Startup Ecosystems in Europe.”
Supporting Policy Transformation in Europe
Funded by the European Commission, DEEP Ecosystems jointly with Innova Next SLU (Barrabés.biz), Leibniz IRS, Startup Europe Regions Network (SERN), and EU Startups would lead the Preparatory Action on “European Start-ups 2.0 – Taking Europe’s start-up economy to the next level through data-driven insights, research and events†now branded as StepUP Startups.
Raising Funds & Diversity
With only roughly 13% of Europe’s founders being female, diversity remains a challenge across the board for ecosystems everywhere. Despite progress in recent years, the financing gender gap remains a significant challenge for female entrepreneurs around the world. Read expert’s opinion to explore the causes and consequences of the gender gap in startup financing, check the effectiveness of existing gender parity instruments, and find out strategies for bridging the gap and creating more opportunities for women-led startups to access the capital they need to grow and thrive.
Tech Saves the World: Instruments to Tackle Societal Problems
Accelerators, fab labs and hackathons – tech tools are increasingly being used by public and aid institutions to develop innovative solutions for social good. However, to create sustainable innovation for development, we need to move beyond hackathons. Explore the existing approaches towards solution of societal problems and their efficiency for creation of scalable innovation that strives toward the sustainable future.
Manufacturers in Europe and Metaverse
Already today, large segments of the population rely on digital connections for work, education, health care, daily commercial and social transactions. Industry experts expect these technologies to quickly expand beyond the gaming industry and deeply affect consumer behavior as well as the way we interact, work, learn, and live. How Europe’s industry can get ready for this new revolution?
World in Crisis: Where Will Venture Capital Go
Geopolitical tensions, the war in Ukraine, inflation, pandemic, and supply chain disruptions are starting to affect the markets. The pandemic led to a large surge of investments in health tech; the chip shortage revives large scale plant developments like Intel’s 1bn EUR investment in Germany and the Ukraine crisis accelerates interest in cybersecurity. Explore how geopolitical tensions and market uncertainties affect venture capital and review challenges for ecosystems to adapt and grasp emerging opportunities.
Emerging CEE Startup Ecosystems
Eastern European countries are overtaking the “old†European economies in the West in terms of innovativeness and digitalization. VC investments cumulatively reached over 4bn EUR in 2021 in CEE states with Estonia leading the whole Europe in terms of VC investments per capita. Yet, we still see that corporate innovation scouts and investors from Western Europe are shying away to fully include CEE into their scouting routine. Explore the opportunities and challenges to the full integration of CEE into Europe’s startup market.
Future of Work: Discovering Top Trends Now
The 2nd edition of the DEEP Startup Ecosystem Conference that took place in Essen, Germany on 18th October 2021 convened ecosystem leaders, entrepreneurs, policy makers and investors from across Europe and beyond with a common goal to foster discussion on the most pressing challenges that startup ecosystems face today. The event hosted a virtual think
Top Five Facts on the Future of Work
The 2nd edition of the DEEP Startup Ecosystem Conference that took place in Essen, Germany on 18th October 2021 convened ecosystem leaders, entrepreneurs, policy makers and investors from across Europe and beyond with a common goal to foster discussion on the most pressing challenges that startup ecosystems face today. The event hosted a virtual think