Ian Mundell

Fund backed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia sees supporting academic start-ups as an important first step in bridging the gap between academia and business in central and eastern Europe

New rules for approving microorganism-based plant protection products coming into effect in November don’t go far enough to lift the regulatory drag on innovation. This will hold back efforts to phase out chemical pesticides

Deep tech talent initiative is seeking pledges from companies and other organisations willing and able to help fill gaps in the high technology workforce

Plans to scrap a little-used law that gives Italian academics ownership of intellectual property are on hold, pending a decision from a new government. But the case for reform remains strong.

Six quantum computers are to be built at supercomputer sites around Europe, in a bid to keep the EU at the forefront of this critical technology

Estonia’s e-residency scheme is not just for digital nomads. Start-ups with new technologies are also taking advantage of what it has to offer

Germany’s foremost basic research organisation has switched from sector-specific business incubators to a broader programme that will keep innovators in its institutes, while supporting a broader range of spin out companies

In the name of competition, the European Commission wants to stop the US DNA sequencing company from buying a US leader in applying DNA sequencing to novel cancer diagnostics. The view from the ground in Europe is that it may not matter so much

Setting a separate target for deployment of novel renewable technologies could open up markets for start-ups, but there are also other barriers that need to be lifted

Medical biotech start-ups are thriving in Poland thanks to abundant EU funding, but structural weaknesses are making it difficult for them to grow and mature