CESAER urges EU Inc. to recognise differences in research-based startups

The Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research (CESAER) has called on the EU institutions to recognise the different conditions for companies emerging from publicly funded research and university innovation ecosystems.

In a letter addressed to the EU institutions published on 18/05/2026, CESAER said: "Science-based startups, university spinouts and deep tech ventures... often differ from generic startups: they may require longer development cycles, proof-of-concept and piloting support, access to research and technology infrastructures, strong links with universities and industry, complex intellectual property (IP) arrangements and patient capital before reaching market maturity."

CESAER said EU Inc. could help address some of these barriers, provided it is designed and implemented in a way that aligns with how research-based innovation actually develops.

CESAER also called for the new framework to respect the autonomy of universities and national intellectual-property models. It asked the EU Inc. to facilitate the use and commercialisation of IP…