As part of the satellite events of the European Research and Innovation Days 2025, the Commission, together with the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Łukasiewicz Research Network, organized the high-level conference Technology Infrastructures: A Strategic Asset for European Competitiveness, on 6-7 May in Warsaw.
The two-day event brought together hundreds of participants from across Europe, including policymakers, industry leaders, research and technology organisations, academia and startups. With a focus on mobilising investments, improving accessibility and developing robust policy frameworks, the discussions were rich and concrete. They were centred around how Technology Infrastructures can enhance Europe’s industrial competitiveness, resilience and innovation capacity, by providing state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and services to develop, test, upscale, and validate new technologies.
A strong and unified message emerged from the Warsaw event: Technology Infrastructures are essential to bridging the innovation gap, enabling clean and digital technologies, and supporting the competitiveness of European industry.
Participants engaged in strategic policy panels, featuring EU institutions, national ministries, industry leaders, and financial stakeholders; real-world case studies, highlighting successful collaborations between industry and research organisations; and interactive breakout sessions exploring themes, such as funding, governance, accessibility for SMEs and startups, and synergies with Research Infrastructures.
Stakeholders acknowledge the importance of enhancing access for startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), ensuring effective and smart governance of infrastructures, making strategic investments across all regions to strengthen competitiveness, and attracting and retaining talent in Europe, including through the Choose Europe initiative. A shared view among participants stood out, on the need for a holistic approach to strengthening the ecosystem of Research and Technology Infrastructures.
The discussions and findings of the conference will feed into the future European Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures. Interested stakeholders are also encouraged to contribute their views and experiences to the Call for evidence.
Watch the recordings of the event
Background
Technology Infrastructures (TIs) are essential for Europe’s technological sovereignty, industrial competitiveness and innovation ecosystem. They are facilities, equipment, capabilities and resources required to develop, test, upscale and validate technology. They provide state-of-the-art capacities and services to support businesses—large businesses, SMEs and startups—in bringing new technologies to market. By reducing the risks and costs associated with technology development, prototyping, validation and upscaling, TIs accelerate industrial innovation and transformation across sectors. Enhancing accessibility, improving coordination, and mobilising investments in TIs are crucial to ensure that European industries remain at the forefront of technological advancements.