17-11-2026
Ecosystems - Brussels buzzword or Europe’s best bet to scale?
REGISTER HERE
Europe does not lack ideas, entrepreneurs or world-class research. Its challenge is turning innovation into successful companies that can scale, create industrial jobs and compete globally. As highlighted in the Draghi report, Europe's innovation gap is increasingly a competitiveness issue, while global competitors have developed powerful industrial and innovation ecosystems capable of moving rapidly from technological breakthroughs to commercial deployment.
This challenge is particularly visible in mobility. As Europe seeks to decarbonise transport while protecting its industrial base, competition from China and the US is intensifying across electric vehicles, batteries and clean technologies. The risk is not simply losing market share, but seeing investment, technology and industrial jobs increasingly created outside Europe.
So what can innovation ecosystems actually deliver?
The concept is frequently invoked in Brussels, but its practical value is not always well understood. At their best, innovation ecosystems connect startups with investors, customers, established industry, researchers and public authorities. They can help companies access finance, test new technologies in real-world environments, attract talent and bring innovative solutions to market.
Urban mobility provides an interesting case study. EIT Urban Mobility brings together these different actors, combining investment and acceleration with real-world pilots in European cities and access to potential customers and investors.
This Rapporteur Policy Debate will explore how innovation ecosystems operate in practice, assess their contribution to European competitiveness and examine what more is needed to help promising startups scale into successful European businesses.
Questions to be addressed:
- What exactly is an innovation ecosystem, how does it work in practice, and what evidence is there of its contribution to European competitiveness?
- The Draghi report highlighted Europe's difficulties in translating innovation into commercial success. Can stronger ecosystems help bridge the gap between promising startups and companies operating at scale?
- As global competition intensifies, particularly from China, how can Europe ensure that innovation in mobility generates investment, industrial capacity and high-value jobs within Europe?
- What lessons can be drawn from the experience of EIT Urban Mobility, and how can policymakers, industry and investors work together to strengthen innovation ecosystems and help European startups scale?
REGISTER HERE
Sponsored by:
Location
Hybrid
Rapporteur - International Press Centre
1 Bd Charlemagne // 2nd floor
Panellists
Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS ;
Marc Rozendal, CEO, EIT Urban Mobility
More panellists to be announced soon.
Schedule
17:00 - 17:30 Registration
17:30 - 17:40 Keynote intervention
17:40 - 18:40 Discussion and Q&A
18:40 - 18:45 Closing statements
Contact
Laurine Augere
Laurine.Augere@rapporteur.com