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When European ministers gathered in Hanover in 1985 to sign the declaration that would give birth to the Eureka network, few could have imagined how profoundly it would shape Europe’s innovation landscape. Born from a shared vision to strengthen Europe’s technological competitiveness through cooperation, Eureka became the first truly intergovernmental network dedicated to applied research and industrial innovation.
Nearly 40 years later, Eureka’s collaboration with the European Union remains one of the most enduring and productive partnerships in the global research and development ecosystem. Together, they have built bridges between national research priorities and global ambitions, translating science into impact and ideas into markets.
Jean-David Malo has a longstanding relationship with Eureka, having contributed in several capacities over the years. He served as the European Commission’s High-Level Representative to Eureka (2017-2021 and since April 2025) and, at the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, oversaw the implementation of the Innovative SMEs Partnership. Throughout these roles, he worked to strengthen cooperation within the network, streamline governance and ensure alignment between Eureka’s activities and broader European policy objectives.
“It is a great pleasure to contribute to the 40th anniversary of Eureka – a network that the European Commission is proud to be a founding member of. Over the years, I have witnessed many milestones and transformations. From its early beginnings to becoming a dynamic network of 47 countries, Eureka’s evolution has been remarkable. Today, I can confidently say that its contribution to the global research and innovation landscape is significant and has helped implement European Union innovation policy by fostering collaboration, scaling technologies, and supporting innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises.”
The European Union and Eureka share a common goal: enabling innovation through collaboration. While the European Union operates through centralised frameworks such as Horizon Europe and its predecessors, Eureka functions as a decentralised, intergovernmental network, facilitating flexible, bottom-up cooperation between companies, universities and research institutes.
Malo: “Eureka’s decentralised model is one of its key assets and greatest strengths. It provides flexibility and responsiveness, whilst allowing national and regional innovation systems to retain ownership and address their specific priorities. This structure supports shared objectives in competitiveness, technological sovereignty and industrial resilience. At the same time, a collaborative alignment with the European Union’s strategic priorities strengthens mutual goals and enables the Eureka network to make relevant contributions.”
From the Hanover Declaration onwards, the relationship between the two has evolved through successive frameworks and initiatives, merging the strengths of national, regional and European efforts. This collaboration has ensured that Europe’s innovation policy remains deeply inclusive, embracing both large, structured research consortia and smaller, fast-moving innovators.
Perhaps the most emblematic result of this partnership is Eurostars. Its mission was simple yet ambitious: to support research-performing small- and medium-sized enterprises in developing market-oriented innovations through international cooperation.
Malo: “Launched in 2008 with support from the European Union research framework programme, Eurostars exemplifies successful collaboration between countries, national and regional authorities, and the European Commission. Its founding principles focused on supporting research- and development-performing small- and medium-sized enterprises with international ambitions, accelerating innovation and opening new markets. Since then, Eurostars has helped thousands of small- and medium-sized enterprises and became the flagship of the Innovative SMEs Partnership co-funded by Eureka ministries and funding agencies and the Commission.”
The first phase, Eurostars-1 (2008–2013), proved that demand for small- and medium-sized enterprise focused international collaboration was immense. The second phase, Eurostars 2 (2014–2020), strengthened evaluation processes, increased funding and widened participation. The current Eurostars 3 (2021–2027), co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, continues this legacy with an expanded focus on sustainability, digital transformation and global collaboration.
To date, Eurostars has supported over 5,000 research and development projects across multiple sectors, from health and clean tech to artificial intelligence and advanced materials. Beyond numbers, it has catalysed new partnerships, created jobs and positioned small- and medium-sized enterprises as key drivers of Europe’s innovation future.
In 2008, the Eurostars founding principle was to place innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises at the heart of Europe’s research and development strategy.
As Europe’s innovation landscape evolved, so too did the need for complementary support structures. Several initiatives have since emerged, each building on the foundations laid by Eurostars whilst addressing new challenges and opportunities.
Launched as a European Union pilot in 2019 and later integrated into the Eureka portfolio of programmes, Innowwide helps European small and medium-sized enterprises and startups explore international markets. It funds feasibility studies that connect European innovators with partners in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, fostering cross-border collaboration and scaling innovations beyond Europe’s borders.
Malo: “I strongly believe that Eurostars and Innowwide are important tools for supporting innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises throughout their lifecycle. By providing essential funding from both European Union and national sources, they contribute to helping innovative small- and medium-sized enterprises develop their innovation, strengthen their growth and conquer international markets, hence contributing to Europe’s innovation leadership.”
Innowwide represents Europe’s global mindset.
While Innowwide supports international expansion, the Investment Readiness programme helps startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises bridge the gap between innovation and investment. By offering coaching, mentoring and investor networking, it prepares deep-tech ventures for larger-scale funding, often serving as a stepping stone to the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator.
The Fast Track to the EIC Accelerator is another milestone in EU-Eureka cooperation. It enables high-performing Eurostars and Innowwide participants to apply directly to the EIC Accelerator’s Step two, skipping the initial screening. This fast-track pathway rewards excellence and ensures that Europe’s most promising innovators receive continued support as they scale up.
One of Eureka’s defining characteristics is its decentralised governance. Each country or region funds its own participants, tailoring support to national and regional priorities while adhering to shared European goals. This flexibility has made Eureka particularly effective in engaging diverse ecosystems and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises with varying needs.
Through initiatives such as Eurostars and Innowwide, the European Commission works in partnership with Eureka to align shared objectives with broader policy priorities – such as the Green Deal, digital transition, and resilience – while maintaining the diversity that drives innovation.
Malo: “Success is measured by tangible impact on small- and medium-sized enterprise growth and innovation capacity, the creation of sustainable cross-border collaborations and contributions to Europe’s strategic goals, such as competitiveness and technological sovereignty. Ultimately, it’s about enabling innovation ecosystems where companies can thrive and scale globally.”
Still, challenges remain. Europe’s innovation landscape must continue to adapt to global competition, fragmented market and the need for faster technology adoption. Administrative complexity and varying funding capacities can sometimes slow progress.
Malo: “Europe’s innovation ecosystem continues to face structural challenges, including fragmented regulations, insufficient support for growth and later stages, especially for deep-tech startups; uneven access to world-class research infrastructure, and persistent barriers that prevent innovative companies from scaling across the Single Market.” Building on key reports led by high-level personalities (Draghi, Letta and Heitor), the Commission has already started to pave the way with ambitious strategies (such as the EU Startup and ScaleUp Strategy and the Research and Technology Infrastructures Strategy) and a powerful proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework, as far as the Framework Programme for research and innovation (Horizon Europe 2028-2034 and the new European Competitiveness Fund are concerned.
Moreover, in the coming months, the European Commission will address a number of these issues through targeted legislative proposals and complementary initiatives. These efforts will aim to strengthen the framework conditions for Europe’s innovative companies, including startups and scaleups, and ensure wider uptake and diffusion of innovation across the Single Market. In particular, they will set out common principles for regulatory sandboxes, improve access for innovative companies to European research and technology infrastructures, increase public and private investment in innovation procurement, simplify access to research results to support further commercialisation, etc….”
As the EU and Eureka network look towards the future, their partnership continues to evolve in response to emerging global challenges – from climate change and energy transition to artificial intelligence and biotechnology. Both are exploring new ways of funding and cross-border, mission-oriented projects that link national priorities to EU-wide objectives while fostering partnerships beyond Europe.
Malo: “The collaboration between Eureka and the European Commission is, and should certainly remain, based on mutual learning and adaptation. Coordinating co-funded activities across multiple countries could be challenging, yet this collaboration’s uniqueness lies in the shared commitment to adjust, learn and continuously improve. Looking ahead, there is an opportunity for Eureka and the EU to deepen cooperation by positioning Eureka calls to better support research and innovation priorities, in partnership with stakeholders in and beyond Europe. Whether advancing the green and digital transitions, fostering deep-tech or strengthening technological sovereignty, the Eureka network’s flexible funding model is well placed to deliver on EU objectives. We look forward to continuing our discussions on these opportunities in the context of the current review of Horizon Europe Partnerships.”
Four decades after the Hanover Declaration, the collaboration between the EU and Eureka stands as a model of how public policy and partnership can drive progress. What began as a vision to strengthen industrial research and development has become a cornerstone of Europe’s innovation identity, one that continues to inspire cooperation, creativity and shared success.
Malo on how networks like Eureka align with the broader EU innovation strategy: Eureka is already well aligned with the EU’s broader innovation strategy – from the Competitiveness Compass to the Startups and Scaleups Strategy. Eureka plays an important role in this context: its flexible funding programmes enable innovative SMEs and consortia to collaborate internationally and contribute to European Union priorities. In addition, the programmes under the Innovative SMEs Partnership – Eurostars and Innowwide – together with the Investment Readiness Programme and the Fast Track to the EIC, support SMEs at different stages of their journey, from early market exploration to investor engagement. Together, they create a continuous innovation pathway that helps SMEs expand internationally, connect with partners and attract investment, complementing EU initiatives such as the European Innovation Council.
Malo on the future for EU research collaboration networks: The future of EU research collaboration networks will be shaped by the need for greater integration, agility and impact. As global competition intensifies, Europe must strengthen links between national research systems, industry and innovation actors. Multilateral, rules-based collaboration networks will play a decisive role in connecting these ecosystems, accelerating the development and uptake of breakthrough technologies and ensuring that excellent research translates into concrete solutions for citizens and businesses. They will also be essential in addressing the EU’s strategic priorities – from technological sovereignty and industrial resilience to the green and digital transitions. By fostering openness, co-creation and shared investment, these networks can help Europe build a truly interconnected innovation landscape that is both competitive and inclusive.
Jean-David Malo is the Acting Director for the European Research Area and Innovation at Directorate-General Research and Innovation and the former Director of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. With a distinguished career in European research and innovation policy – including leadership of the European Innovation Council, the Risk Sharing Finance Facility, the InnovFin schemes and the VentureEU initiative – he continues to champion efforts to enhance Europe’s innovation landscape and drive impactful advancements across the continent
This article was published as part of our book marking the 40th anniversary of Eureka Network.