Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, attended her first European Innovation Council (EIC) Forum Plenary where she met the representatives of national authorities from 23 Member States, 5 Associated Countries and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Board.
Commissioner Zaharieva and the participants to the Forum have discussed the contribution of the Forum to the Call for Evidence for the forthcoming EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. The EIC Forum calls on the Commission to bring about a systemic transformation of the EU’s competitiveness logic and to prioritise startups and scaleups. It also recommends enshrining a single market approach in all policy initiatives; making regulation and financing smart; simplifying all public sector interventions; and implementing tailored support schemes.
Commissioner Zaharieva welcomed the contribution of the Forum and stressed the need for a rapid response to a busy agenda, with a particular emphasis on enhancing competitiveness. It is essential to improve the coordination of policies, initiatives, and strategies. She also asked the representatives to share their input also with national startup communities and governments, as especially the latter will have a key role to play in implementing many of the initiatives that will be included in the Strategy.
