Portugal hosted a discussion on the future of European startups and unicorns - Main contents

Press release

EU Next Generation Innovators Summit took place this Monday at Startup Portugal HQ

The future of startups in the European Union (EU) and the insights of unicorn founders was the hot topic of the EU Next Generation Innovators Summit (ENGIS) 2021. This was the closing event of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union’s agenda for entrepreneurship.

After the Digital Day initiative on March 19th, in which the new strategy for entrepreneurship in Europe, the Startup Nations Standard, as well as the European agency to monitor its implementation, the Europe Startup Nations Alliance, and Leading the Digital Decade were introduced, Portugal hosted a key discussion about startup structures, tech ecosystems and public policy for entrepreneurship.

The event took place in an virtual conference format, assessing the current status of entrepreneurship in the EU with participation from Portuguese Ministry of State for the Economy and Digital Transition Pedro Siza Vieira and European Commissioner for Innovation Mariya Gabriel i, as well as other high-level representatives from France, and Slovenia, and a group of European Unicorn Founders, reporting from inside the trenches of the most successful tech companies in Europe The EU has been focused on developing the tech ecosystem in the Union as a way to make Europe a leading continent for startups and innovation and compete head on with the North American and Asian markets. To achieve it, Member States signed the Startup Nations Standard, an index for entrepreneurial excellence and a set of public policy recommendations to accelerate economic growth.

This morning’s event was one of discussion and assessment, joining the efforts of national startup ecosystem initiatives from various Member States, and unicorn founders to leave clear recommendations for policy makers and important stakeholders on how to make a better and more competitive European ecosystem. The event also hosted the Portuguese Secretary of State for Digital Transition André de Aragão Azevedo, Slovenian State Secretary at Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Simon Zajc, and French Secretary of State for the Digital Transition, Cédric O.

“The entrepreneurial ecosystem is a clear drive force for economic growth and key for the economic recovery of the European market. As such, Portugal waged on the development of an agenda for better conditions for entrepreneurs to act in the European community and promote a convergence with other leading regions during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union,” stated the Minister Pedro Siza Vieira. For the Portuguese Minister, “the Startup Nations Standard declaration, by introducing fundamental subjects such as access to talent, finance and other public policy to drive Europe and make it a more unified market, is a significant step towards the goal of startup growth and development in the Union”.

Commissioner Gabriel states: “With these reports from the EU Unicorns Group and the Innovation Ecosystems Leaders Group, and the broad consensus seen today at the Europe Next Generation Summit the agenda starts to become more clear on how to build a pan-European Innovation Ecosystem that leaves no one behind and with a focus on deep tech startups. I am very grateful for the availability of this community of innovators, to help us move the needle for all of Europe.”