Europe’s deep-tech ecosystem is expanding rapidly, but how effectively is Europe turning breakthrough research into global companies? In this second episode of Policy in Action, host Seyide Direk speaks with Dr. Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board of the European Innovation Council (EIC), to unpack how Europe supports high-risk, high-impact innovators on the path from laboratory to market leadership.
From blended finance and the Accelerator’s equity strategy to emerging scale-up pathways, we explore how the EIC is reshaping Europe’s innovation landscape at a moment of major institutional change.
🔹 How the EIC’s grant-and-equity model works, and why it stands out globally
🔹 Which innovators and companies are best positioned to benefit from EIC support
🔹 What we can learn from a successful EIC-backed company that scaled internationally
This discussion comes at a highly relevant time. Just days ago, the European Commission adopted the 2026 EIC Work Programme, allocating €1.4 billion to strengthen Europe’s deep-tech capacity. The programme introduces a streamlined Accelerator application process, launches bold Advanced Innovation Challenges inspired by the ARPA approach, and prepares the Scaleup Europe Fund, a new instrument designed to close Europe’s late-stage financing gap and anchor high-growth companies in Europe.
Join us as we continue taking policy beyond the Brussels bubble and into action.