"Companies founded in Europe must grow in Europe. With the launch of the EU Strategy for Start-ups and Scale-ups, we are unlocking growth engines for Europe's most innovative and promising companies," explains Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné. (Photo: © liewei12/123RF.com)
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June 1, 2025
The EU Commission has presented a strategy for young and growing businesses. From the perspective of the skilled trades sector, the strategy falls short and fails to recognize existing skilled trades businesses as drivers of innovation.
The European Commission aims to make Europe a more attractive location for startups and technology-oriented growth companies. To this end, the European Commission has launched a package of measures. With this strategy, it aims to support startups and scale-ups throughout their entire life cycle.
"Companies founded in Europe must grow in Europe. With the launch of the EU strategy for start-ups and scale-ups, we are unlocking growth engines for Europe's most innovative and promising companies," said Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné.
Despite good approaches, too many companies still struggle to bring their ideas from the lab to market or to grow within the EU. Séjourné: "We're reducing bureaucracy, facilitating their access to finance, and improving their opportunities to do business in the single market."
The strategy contains measures in five areas:
Craft policy
Craft policy
Operations management
The Commission intends to propose a single legal framework for innovative companies. The goal is to simplify regulations and reduce the costs for failing businesses. The Commission's plans concern insolvency, labor, and tax law. Furthermore, public administration services are to be made available digitally.
With an "Initiative for a Savings and Investment Union," the Commission aims to open up more financing opportunities within the EU. A fund will also be established to close the financing gaps. This will be complemented by a voluntary European Innovation Investment Pact. The goal: to encourage large investors to invest in EU funds, venture capital funds, and unlisted scale-ups.
In addition, the networking between companies and universities is to be improved. This includes a concept for licensing and revenue sharing. To retain and attract top talent, the Commission is launching the "Blue Carpet" initiative. This focuses on continuing education and cross-border employment. Fast-track procedures for start-ups from non-EU countries are also to be introduced.
The German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) generally welcomes the plans to facilitate the establishment and expansion of new businesses and companies. However, the commission overlooks the innovative potential of the skilled trades. "The commission's narrow definition of innovation, with its focus on high technology and young, growing companies, falls short," said Holger Schwannecke.
The ZDH Secretary General emphasizes the great innovative power, especially in the skilled trades and SMEs: "Skilled trades are a key driver of innovation in Europe, and these innovations are by no means confined to start-ups and scale-ups. Many existing small and medium-sized enterprises are also developing new solutions, implementing modern technologies, and making a decisive contribution to technology transfer in the regions."
Their performance also deserves support, especially in the case of start-ups and business successions. "The Commission should therefore support closer cooperation between research, industry, start-ups, and the skilled trades with concrete measures. It is worrying if funds earmarked for SMEs are increasingly diverted to start-ups and scale-ups."
In the negotiations on the new multiannual financial framework and the Competitiveness Fund, balanced support is needed for both established small and medium-sized craft businesses and newly founded companies. Schwannecke: "The goal must be to strengthen Europe's entire innovation landscape and promote innovations of all kinds."
In the planned EU Innovation Act, skilled crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises must be defined as innovative companies from the outset. "The performance of existing small and medium-sized enterprises must not be taken for granted. Instead, they must be exempted from additional burdens."
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