🇩🇰 Du finder den danske version af denne artikel her.

The EIC Summit 2025 was held in the heart of Brussels, bringing together Europe’s most innovative thinkers to discuss the continent’s future in technology and development. The key question on the agenda: How can Europe reclaim its leadership in innovation? With a guest list of startups, founders, investors, politicians, and media professionals, the ambition was clear—to turn words into action.

The summit took place in a historic park house by the city’s canals, but the setting stood in stark contrast to the current challenges. While Europe talks about future solutions, the rest of the world is moving forward. The timing could hardly have been more symbolic—just one day after Donald Trump announced new tariffs. The need for European action is urgent.

The opening speech by Ekaterina Zaharieva, the EU’s first Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, set the tone from the start: “We need to step up. We need to shift into a higher gear. Europe should be the best and most innovative.” A clear call to action—talk is no longer enough.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, the EU’s first Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation

One of the standout moments at EIC Summit 2025 was a panel discussion featuring Enrico Letta, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Italian Prime Minister, alongside Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon. The debate was moderated by Anita Krohn, CEO of DSD AS Group and Vice Chair of the EIC Board.

Enrico Letta began with a critical look inward: “Europe consists of 27 countries – some small, others that haven’t realized they are small. Individually, we are nothing when facing global powers like China and the U.S. We should stand more united, yet instead, we create rules for and against each other. Overregulation is holding us back – there are simply too many useless rules.”

Carlos Moedas agreed that bureaucracy is stifling Europe’s ability to innovate: “We love Europe, but we will never be world leaders if we don’t clean this up.” At the same time, he emphasized that Europe remains a safe haven for many and that cities like Lisbon are leading the way with initiatives such as Unicorn Factory Lisboa – a concept that any major European city could learn from.

The panelists all agreed on one thing: Europe has the potential, but action is needed now.

The Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, was invited due to the remarkable success of Unicorn Factory Lisboa. In short, the initiative was launched in 2022 by Lisbon’s city council with the goal of positioning the city as a leading innovation hub in Europe.

The initiative provides a platform of programs and hubs that support startups and scaleups in developing strong business models, optimizing processes, and achieving sustainable growth. With success stories like Rauva, Neuraspace, and Bhout, Unicorn Factory Lisboa has already established itself as a key driver of innovation. Through targeted initiatives, the project has attracted entrepreneurs and investors from around the world, creating a dynamic framework for international scaling.

Former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta

Anita Krohn & Carlos Moedas

Another highlight of the EIC Summit was the presentation of the EU Prize for Women Innovators – an award that honors female pioneers in innovation and entrepreneurship. The prize was presented by EU Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and celebrates women who, through their ideas and leadership, are pushing the boundaries of European innovation.

“Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 European Prize for Women Innovators! For eleven years, we have celebrated exceptional women driving innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. Their bold ideas and leadership are breaking barriers and inspiring future generations of innovators,” Zaharieva said at the award ceremony.

You can see the winners here.

Next week, you can read even more about the EIC Summit on dontt.dk!

Get dontt.dk’s newsletter for free: You can receive our weekly update for free on culture, branding, entrepreneurship & inspiration, with a focus on Copenhagen.