DEEP is embarking on a 2-year journey towards policy transformation for a fair and future-proof economy 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.
The overall objective of this initiative is to provide a deeper understanding of the functioning of national and local startup and scaleup ecosystems in various vertical and horizontal hubs across the EU27 and EFTA countries. The project will support the following activities:
- Develop a series of data-driven policy reports on key issues and challenges that the EU’s startup ecosystem is facing;
- Outreach to – and engagement with – a wide range of actors in niche verticals and industry groups, in addition to policy makers;
- Organize events (based on widely disseminated insights and reports generated by the Preparatory Action) to: assist the development and the strengthening of the startups and scaleups ecosystem; stimulate the uptake of report recommendations; and, improve links between different actors.
Research & Thematic Reports
During the project lifetime, a total of 12 thematic reports will be produced by DEEP Ecosystems. These reports will relate to the startup ecosystem in Europe, how it is performing and cover relevant policy initiatives targeting or impacting European startups. The reports would be focusing on the following themes:
- Opportunities of the EU’s Digital Markets Act for Startups
- Beyond Fragmentation: The Connectivity of Startup Ecosystems in Europe
- From Campus to Commerce: A Painless Spin-off Journey from Academia in Europe
- Ease of Doing Startups in EU: Review of Policies Affecting Founders
- An Untapped Opportunity for the European Financial Market: Pension Funds and Family Firms
- Driving Talent Mobility as a Competitive Advantage of Europe
- Culture of Emerging Ecosystems: Breeding Europe’s Next Innovation Hub
- Deep Tech Growth Journeys: Born to be Acquired
- Growing New Generation of Entrepreneurs
- Startup Villages and Smart Ecosystem Strategies
- Exit Markets: How can Europe Create an IPO Environment of Global Importance
- Impact Assessment of the Digital Markets Act on Startups
Events Timeline
- Our first launch event will take place on 16th April 2024 in Brussels that would target officials in the European Commission and European Parliament as well as the wider Brussels EU policy and EU Affairs community.
- The project would organize one high-level workshop with policy makers from EU Member States in November 2024.
- Another flagship moment for the project would be an ambitious “summit” event that brings together between 150 and 250 participants in person from across the ecosystem. The summit would be organized in June 2025.
- At last, this initiative aims to held six policy workshop events around key themes and challenges that could be addressed by smart policy initiatives at EU, national or regional levels. Policy workshops would run in the following order: 16th May 2024 (online), July 2024, September 2024, January 2025, March 2025, and August 2025.
StepUp Startups is a manifestation of our commitment to contributing to Europe’s startup economy, providing data-driven insights, and fostering innovation and growth within the ecosystem. We are excited about the potential to redefine the startup landscape in Europe and look forward to the impactful journey ahead.
We invite you to be part of critical discussions that will influence the future landscape of EU innovation, contributing to the development of supportive policies and initiatives for startups and innovators across Europe. DEEP is a collective of ecosystem leaders who on a daily basis inspire us to reach new insights in trends and policy requirements. Join our network and benefit from regular data collabs to exchange on the insights, make friends with big players and to share your own views.
The project is funded by the tender of the European Commission on “European Start-ups 2.0 – Taking Europe’s start-up economy to the next level through data-driven insights, research and events” with number CNECT/2022/OP/0133. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, European Commission or the Council of Europe. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.