The anti-summer reads: flash news on European and regional innovation

We read the papers, so you can stick to novels this summer. Here are five updates on innovation and regional policy worth knowing before you switch on your out-of-office – from the state of Europe’s innovation to the future of Horizon and regional funds.

Summer holidays have started, Europe is collectively switching off, and even EU policy is slowing down. It’s the perfect moment to catch up on the latest, so you’re not caught by surprise come September — and can save your reading time for interesting stuff.

On the menu today:

• The state of European innovation (like, mathematically)
• The right of Europeans to stay at home (curious, right?)
• Horizon and regional funds: more money for research, less say for regions
• The state of the continent’s deep tech
• The million-euro question: are we really able to turn science into companies.

How’s Europe innovation faring?

First things first, the big picture: the European Commission has just published the European Innovation Scoreboard 2026 and the first ever Startup and Scaleup Scoreboard.

The first is based on 32 indicators, such as the number of doctorate graduates, R&D expenditure, trademark applications, or productivity. The scoreboard shows steady improvement since 2019, with Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands leading the way, and Malta and Italy showing the biggest growth.

When it comes to startups and scaleups – with indicators such as number of startups per inhabitants, participation in European research, and public and private investments – the scoreboard shows a performance increase of 13.5% overall, with 20 out of 27 countries reporting improvement. Top three countries here are Estonia, Sweden, Finland. The fastest growing ones: Hungary, Czechia, and Poland.

In short: getting there.

Can Europeans stay (and innovate) at home?

The EU is preparing a Right to Stay Strategy based on the principle that people should have the opportunity to stay and live in the place they call home – and only move away if they want to, not for lack of opportunities.

Regional development and place-based innovation have a clear role in creating the conditions to allow people to thrive at home. That is also what we are exploring through two Interreg Europe projects co-funded by the EU: Silver Up – where regions are exchanging ideas on how demographic ageing can support more inclusive local development for all – and SKALE2CT – developing tailored business acceleration services for micro, small, and medium enterprises.

Horizon and Regional Funds: what’s next? Negotiations are in full swing for the next EU budget (2028-2034), and this means changes in Horizon Europe and regional funds, too.

The Commission has proposed a €175 billion Horizon Europe programme for 2028–2034 – double the amount of the previous one. Negotiation rounds will continue into the autumn, aligning questions such as budget, involvement of member states, and priorities. If you want a longer read already, here is a high-level overview of different positions at stake.

Things are also changing for Cohesion Policy Funds, the EU’s money for regional development (read: ERDF, ESF+, Interreg, etc…). The Commission wants to hand most decision-making on resource allocation to national governments — so that it would be countries, not regions, defining priorities. What’s more, the delivery of funds would be tied to both specific project milestones and broader reforms at member state level (imagine a member state not hitting a target and, as a consequence, an innocent Interreg project not receiving the next payment). Negotiations are still ongoing and member states are pushing back on this aspect, with room to soften it.  However, experts also estimate that the share of these funds in the overall budget might shrink, to the advantage of other priorities.

More to come on all this as the situation evolves.

How deep is Europe’s deep tech?

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Tech Report 2026 just came out, flagging 25 early-stage technologies worth watching, based on EIC portfolio data 2021-2025. Think tech that could make hacker-proof communication a reality, or that could get life-saving drugs designed in a fraction of the time.

If you are looking for more, you can also check out the winners of our project EPIC-X, 20 inspiring women-led deep tech startups. You will find examples such as AI to help diagnose skin conditions, or satellite data and blockchain to turn marine plastic clean-up into verified, traceable climate impact. Also, don’t miss the project’s final event in September: “Behind Every Start-up Success Story: How Ecosystems Shape Growth, Scale and Impact”. Are you an investor? Then join also the EPIC-X founder showcase right after and meet the women shaping Europe’s innovation landscape. Can’t make it but still want to support women in deep tech? Join the EPIC-X network!

There is more: Women TechEU is looking for women-led deep tech startups (with weekly cut-offs for eligibility), independent evaluators (by July 30), and mentors (by 28 September). Check out the open calls! The project, in which we are proud partners, will support 160 women-led companies with grants and business support services.

Can Europe actually turn science into companies?

Last but definitely not least, the arcane question we can never solve. But the EIC Impact Report 2026 just came back with a cautiously optimistic answer: EIC-backed companies raised €15.5 billion and produced three new unicorns in the past year, while only 1% relocated out of Europe — meaning companies are staying and growing here. And showing the importance of public and ecosystem support. What’s more, every euro the EIC invested leveraged €3.5 more in private capital, and 80% of deals crossed borders. One number worth flagging: only 30% of EIC-supported companies are women-led — proof that programmes like Women TechEU and EPIC-X are closing a gap that’s still very real. In short: still not a done deal, but the “Europe can’t scale” narrative might start looking a bit outdated.