"The last European innovation strategy dates back to 2010; we no longer live on the same planet. However, we need a new innovation agenda aimed at the new generation of innovators. In 2022, we must pay special attention to startups,"
explained Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, during a panel discussion at the Technical University of Munich. The topic of the discussion was "The Future of Europe through the Prism of Education, Research, Innovation and Culture."
"From 2024 onwards, we even expect deeptech startups to be the main drivers of innovation. This new wave of innovation will affect topics such as climate, energy, transport, construction, food, agriculture, and mobility."
In a press conference prior to the panel discussion, the Commissioner explained how the European Union intends to promote such startups more strongly in the future. Central to this are the new European higher education strategy and the planned European Innovation Agenda.
EU Commissioner Gabriel wants to connect local innovation ecosystems
For Gabriel, the focus is on deepening intra-European cooperation and further developing an EU-wide innovation ecosystem:
"We must be aware that the nature and sources of innovation are changing. It's time to adapt our framework and facilitate the work of this new generation of innovators. Ecosystems are important because that's where Europe's strength lies: we have an exceptional number of talented individuals, we have vibrant local innovation ecosystems—but in a local innovation ecosystem, it's easier to find investors and attract talent from another continent than in our region or in Europe. So it's time to connect these local innovation ecosystems, and that's why one of the key flagship initiatives of the Innovation Agenda will be dedicated to this topic."
An assessment by Thomas Hofmann, President of the Technical University of Munich, also shares this view. He also believes that success depends on being able to retain the best talent – something that hasn't always been successful in the past. A pan-European talent market, on the other hand, could prevent the next generation, educated at Europe's outstanding universities, from leaving.
Much praise for TUM
The Commissioner had high praise for TUM during her visit. She was impressed not only by the TUM Incubator, but also by the large number of startups the university has spawned. For her, the Technical University is not only excellently positioned to help shape the next wave of innovation, but also a role model for others, the Commissioner stated. TUM has the necessary strength and resources to become a global leader.
