Governments have been slow to commit cohesion and other funds to the Step initiative, leaving other EU programmes to make up the budget
Photo credits: European Union
The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (Step) has directed more than €10 billion in EU funds towards digital and deep technology, clean technology and biotechnology in its first year. But EU governments have been slow to get behind the initiative, with only a few committing cohesion and other funds to the cause.
Launched in 2024, Step is designed to coordinate funding across 11 EU programmes managed either by the European Commission or by member states.
In its first year, €4.6 billion was directed towards Step priorities from funds managed by the Commission: Horizon Europe, the Innovation Fund, the European Defence Fund (EDF), the Digital Europe programme and EU4Health. All of this money has come from existing budgets, apart from €1.5 billion that was passed through Step to the EDF and on to the European Defence Industry Programme.
A further €5.9 billion…
Discover the latest in research funding every Tuesday with Funding Newswire. Dive into detailed articles with our monthly or yearly subscriptions or start with a free trial
NOTE: if you're a part of one of our Network member organisations, you get free access by signing up with your institutional email. Verify your eligibility here.
Receive the Funding Newswire [full access requires a subscription] each Tuesday, our Policy Bulletin each Thursday, and news about bridging Europe’s east-west innovation gap twice a month in The Widening. 
A unique international forum for public research organisations and companies to connect their external engagement with strategic interests around their R&D system.