EIC calls for accelerating deployment of deep tech to face energy challenges

The European Innovation Council (EIC European innovation council ) Board has called for transforming the European energy system by accelerating the deployment of deep tech.

On 24/06/2026, the EIC Board published a statement saying that the current energy challenge presented an opportunity to accelerate innovation and create the conditions for new industrial capabilities to emerge.

The Board stated that Europe already had a strong foundation to build on with nearly 100 companies across the EIC portfolio developing technologies across 12 areas of the energy value chain: energy generation, storage, hydrogen, renewable fuels, electricity transmission, advanced materials and supply chain resilience. It said that this pipeline of promising European deep-tech innovations could deliver both short-term relief, medium-term transition and long-term resilience.

The Board therefore called for:

• Funding continuity across the innovation journey;
• Simplified regulatory frameworks to facilitate and incentivise the large-scale deployment of breakthrough energy technologies;
• Accelerated planning and permitting processes at national and regional levels;
• Industrial and public demand mobilisation to create demand for competitive European solutions;
• Investor dialogue to bring together startups and SMEs Small and medium-sized enterprises , public, private and institutional investors, and key EU innovation stakeholders to facilitate timely and patient (where necessary), investments.