EIC Forum Releases Position Paper on the Upcoming European Innovation Act

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Forum has adopted its “Position Paper and Wishlist for the European Innovation Act”, offering a substantial contribution to the European Commission’s preparations for this upcoming flagship initiative under the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.

The European Innovation Act, expected to be proposed in 2026, aims to strengthen the conditions for bringing innovative ideas to market across Europe. The initiative will seek to address persistent challenges in the commercialisation of research results, foster closer collaboration between industry and academia, and enhance innovative companies’ access to procurement opportunities and research infrastructures.

Prepared by the EIC Forum, comprising representatives of national innovation authorities from EU Member States and Associated Countries, the position paper distils national perspectives and Forum discussions into ten priority measures alongside cross-cutting recommendations. Together, these proposals outline legally actionable steps to make the EU Single Market more innovation-friendly, coherent, and inclusive, while respecting the diversity of national innovation ecosystems.

Among the key recommendations are:

• a stronger emphasis on innovation-friendly law-making and regulatory simplification;
• the creation of an optional EU-wide company regime for startups and scaleups (the proposed “28th Regime”);
• a more integrated approach to capital markets and innovation-focused investment instruments;
• a horizontal EU framework for regulatory sandboxes; and
• an enhanced coordinating role for the EIC Forum as a hub for policy alignment and mutual learning during the implementation of the Innovation Act.