Why connected startup ecosystems matter for Europe’s future

 

“Build together. Grow together. Strengthen Europe together.”, this was the theme of this year’s INiTS Sommerfest, held in the historic Arkadenhof of the University of Vienna.

As our biggest event of the year, the Sommerfest is always an opportunity to celebrate. But this year’s theme also reflected something much bigger: the need to strengthen the connections that allow innovation to grow not only in Vienna or Austria, but across Europe.

 

 

 

 

Europe has innovation worth building on

 

Europe has strong universities, excellent research institutions, highly qualified talent and a growing community of ambitious founders. It is particularly strong in areas where scientific expertise and technological innovation come together (from life sciences and climate technologies to artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing).

The latest figures underline this potential. European startups attracted about €55,9 Mrd in venture capital in 2025. European deep-tech startups alone raised €17,8 Mrd. This is approximately 32 percent of all European startup investment that year.

These figures are encouraging. They show that investors recognize the potential of technologies emerging from European research, engineering and entrepreneurship.

However, investment figures alone do not tell the whole story.

Europe’s central challenge is not a lack of ideas. It is ensuring that promising ideas can move from research to application, from an initial market to international growth, and from a strong startup to a globally competitive company.

The European Commission therefore identifies a thriving startup and scaleup ecosystem as an important driver of productivity, high-quality jobs, talent and investment. At the same time, its Startup and Scaleup Strategy points to persistent barriers, including fragmented regulatory frameworks, limited access to later-stage finance, difficulties in accessing talent and infrastructure, and uneven conditions for entering markets across the EU.

 

A single market that does not always feel like one

 

For startups, expanding into another European country can still mean entering a substantially different market.

National regulations, administrative requirements, procurement processes, financing structures and business cultures vary. A solution that works in Austria cannot automatically be introduced in France, Sweden or the Netherlands using exactly the same approach.

This is particularly challenging for deep-tech startups. They often require specialized infrastructure, regulatory expertise, patient capital, research partnerships and industrial pilot customers long before they can scale commercially.

Strong startup ecosystems cannot remove all these structural barriers. They cannot replace regulatory reform or solve Europe’s scaleup financing gap on their own. But they can help founders navigate complexity, find the right partners and gain access to knowledge and resources that would otherwise be difficult to reach.

That’s why cross-border networks are so valuable.

 

Networks turn individual strengths into shared opportunities

 

A strong ecosystem is more than a collection of startups, investors and support organizations. Its value lies in the quality of the connections between them.

Trusted networks can help startups:

• understand the realities of a new market before investing significant time and capital;
• connect with local mentors, investors, research institutions and potential customers;
• access specialized infrastructure and expertise;
• identify suitable partners for pilot projects and market entry;
• learn from founders and ecosystem organizations in other countries;
• gain visibility beyond their domestic market.

For incubators and innovation hubs, European cooperation also creates opportunities to exchange methods, share experience and develop joint approaches to recurring challenges. What works well in one ecosystem can inform and strengthen another.

The purpose is not networking for networking’s sake. The purpose is to make Europe’s distributed strengths more accessible and to help good ideas reach the people, markets and resources they need.

 

Let’s contribute to a more connected Europe

 

INiTS is involved in several European and national networks that address different parts of this challenge.

 

Rise Europe: connecting leading startup ecosystems

 

Rise Europe brings together startup ecosystem builders from 14 European countries. The network was formed at its first summit in May 2023 to strengthen cooperation between leading entrepreneurship hubs and help European startups scale across borders.

INiTS has been part of the alliance since that first summit and is currently the only Austrian institution listed among its members.

Through Rise Europe, startup and entrepreneurship hubs combine their experience, networks and local market knowledge. This cooperation creates stronger links between European startup regions and supports the shared ambition of helping more European technology companies grow into sustainable global players.

 

EuroIncNet: supporting international market entry

 

INiTS is also a partner of EuroIncNet, a European soft-landing network established in 2015.

Its focus is practical: helping technology startups explore and enter other European markets. Through trusted local incubators and accelerators, startups can gain access to market knowledge, experienced mentors, industrial partners and potential investors.

This kind of support matters because successful market entry requires local understanding, relevant contacts and a realistic assessment of whether and how a business model can be transferred.

 

AI Factory Austria: linking infrastructure, expertise and application

 

As a consortium partner of AI Factory Austria, INiTS is also involved in a nationwide initiative that forms part of the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking.

AI Factory Austria combines AI-optimized computing infrastructure with expertise, support services and a physical innovation hub. It is designed to support businesses, startups, public institutions and applied research organizations along their AI journey (from identifying relevant use cases to practical implementation).

The initiative illustrates why ecosystems matter: advanced infrastructure alone is not enough. Its value increases when it is connected with scientific expertise, entrepreneurial talent, real-world applications and organizations capable of translating technology into viable solutions.

 

From individual ideas to European impact

 

Europe’s startup ecosystem does not need to become more uniform. Its diversity is one of its strengths. Different regions contribute different research capabilities, industries, talent pools and areas of expertise.

The real opportunity lies in connecting these strengths more effectively.

When knowledge moves more easily between research and industry, when startups can access partners across borders, and when infrastructure, capital and market opportunities become easier to reach, individual ideas have a better chance of growing into meaningful impact.

That is what this year’s INiTS Sommerfest stood for.

Not only celebrating entrepreneurship in Austria, but celebrating the relationships that allow innovation to travel further.

Thank you to all our partners, friends and supporters who joined us in the Arkadenhof of the University of Vienna.

We truly enjoyed celebrating with you.