Strengthening European start ups through interconnected and inclusive innovation ecosystems (INNOVATE-EU)
The European Union is facing several societal challenges such as the sustainable green and digital transition that require innovative and disruptive solutions to be overcome and maintain the EUs competitiveness and strategic autonomy. A key driver for the development of these solution are Start-ups and Scale-ups especially in the deep tech sector, however, the EU is lagging behind innovation leaders such as the US in terms of Start-up ecosystems and investments in Deep Tech. Improving the EUs innovation performance is therefore a top priority and has resulted in the development of the “New European Innovation Agenda”.
To tackle these challenges, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum with the project INNOVATE-EU will strengthen and connect five local innovation ecosystems: the innovation leader region Baden-Württemberg (BW) in Germany, the moderate innovator regions of Lithuania and Aragon in Spain and the emerging innovator regions of Latvia and Northeast Romania. Its goal is to address the innovation gap between these regions, connect them to an EU-wide network of innovation ecosystems, and strengthen their deep tech Start-ups and Scale-ups by building on three (fundamental) pillars:
- a detailed analysis of the target groups and needs of the local innovation ecosystems followed by knowledge exchange and a detailed action plan to address the disparities
- the formation of the interconnected and inclusive INNOVATE-EU innovation support community and its connection to European communities
- direct support and trainings for promising deep tech Start-ups and Scale-ups providing them with the necessary knowledge, tools, and contacts for successfully upscaling their business models and bringing their products to market
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is the coordinator of INNOVATE-EU and responsible for:
- Networking and connecting European innovation ecosystems across different projects
- Management and coordination of all INNOVATE-EU activities
- Project monitoring and communication of results
Further information:
- Project title: Strengthening European Start Ups through interconnected and inclusive Innovation Ecosystems (INNOVATE-EU)
- Funding : European Commission, Horizon Europe – European Innovation Ecosystems
- Project funding for all partners: 1.46 Mio €
- Participating countries: Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Spain
- Project duration: 01/2025 – 12/2027
Contact us!

- Phone: +49 721 935191 40
- Email: nadja.schlichenmaier@steinbeis-europa.de
Contact us!

- Phone: +49 721 935191 40
- Email: nadja.schlichenmaier@steinbeis-europa.de