Brussels – From major scientific laboratories to pilot lines for testing new technologies, the European Union aims to accelerate innovation by transforming its research infrastructure into a simpler, faster gateway for start-ups, scale-ups, and businesses. This is the aim of the new Charter of Access for industrial users to research and technology infrastructures adopted by the European Commission, an initiative meant to ease the obstacles that still hold companies back from developing and marketing innovative products,” the European Commission said in a statement.
Today, many businesses, particularly small and medium-sized technology firms, struggle to navigate the opportunities offered by European research infrastructures: from advanced laboratories to large scientific instruments, right through to facilities dedicated to industrial experimentation. The lack of clear information on the available services and how to access them risks slowing the process of taking an idea from the laboratory to the market. The new Charter aims precisely to bridge this gap. Through six voluntary principles for research and technology infrastructures, the European Commission seeks to create “more favourable conditions” that enable companies to test and validate their innovations in state-of-the-art environments.
“Innovative companies in Europe need cutting-edge infrastructures to develop and test ideas and bring their innovations to the market more quickly,” said the European Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation, Ekaterina Zaharieva. According to the Commissioner, the Charter will help to strengthen European infrastructure by creating “better access conditions and tailored services for companies,” thereby accelerating European innovation and competitiveness. With this initiative, Brussels is therefore seeking to “bridge the gap between research and industry,” because, to compete in the global innovation challenge, “it is not enough to have large laboratories; we must also allow businesses to access them,” the statement reads.
The planned measures include greater visibility of available services, simpler contractual procedures, greater transparency regarding the quality of services offered, more secure management of intellectual property, personalised support for businesses, and greater cooperation between infrastructure providers, including through data sharing.
The initiative forms part of the European strategy for start-ups and scale-ups, which aims to make the EU a more attractive place to set up and grow innovative technology companies. The aim is also to reinforce the ‘Choose Europe’ principle, making the continent a competitive destination for developing and bringing the technologies of the future to market.
The new Charter forms part of a broader framework through which the European Union is seeking to strengthen its innovation ecosystem and industrial competitiveness. At the same time, Brussels is working on the future Horizon Europe programme for 2028–2034, which aims to make research a strategic asset for European autonomy by strengthening the link between scientific excellence and industrial applications.
Greater support for deep tech through the European Innovation Council, closer cooperation between research, industry, and the public sector, and stronger integration with the future European Competitiveness Fund are among the programme’s priorities. The aim is to create a faster pathway from scientific discoveries to products on the market by reducing bureaucratic hurdles, simplifying access to funding, and bridging gaps among Member States in research and innovation capabilities.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
