The European Commission has launched a bold new initiative, the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, titled “Choose Europe to Start and Scale”, aimed at transforming Europe into a global hub for innovative, high-growth companies. This Strategy is central to the EU’s ambition to foster a more competitive, technology-driven economy and supports startups and scaleups throughout their lifecycle, from early-stage innovation to global expansion.

Structured around five key pillars — regulatory simplification, improved access to financing, market uptake, talent attraction, and infrastructure access — the Strategy directly tackles the fragmentation and funding gaps that have long hindered Europe’s tech and industrial growth.

Why This Matters for Nuclear

This initiative is particularly relevant to the nuclear sector, where startups and scaleups are emerging as crucial players in areas such as advanced reactors, digitalisation, fuel innovation, and waste management. By easing regulatory burdens, expanding funding opportunities, and connecting ecosystems (e.g. through the “Lab to Unicorn” initiative), the Strategy aligns strongly with the needs of nuclear startups working at the cutting edge of science and technology.

For SNETP, the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform, this Strategy is a concrete step toward its long-standing goal of accelerating innovation and scaleup in nuclear technologies. As an association actively promoting startups in the energy sector, SNETP can leverage this framework to:

  • Support its startup members in accessing EU-level funding like the Scaleup Europe Fund.

  • Advocate for inclusion of nuclear innovation in programs like the European Innovation Council and regulatory sandboxes.

  • Enhance collaboration between research, industry, and academia, in line with the Strategy’s blueprint for IP commercialisation.

SNETP’s ongoing efforts to position nuclear startups as key actors in Europe’s clean and resilient energy future are strongly reinforced by this new EU-wide push.

Read more about the Strategy here.