EIT Urban Mobility has taken an active role in shaping the future of Europe’s innovation landscape by contributing to two major European Commission consultations – the European Innovation Act and the 28th Regime – aimed at strengthening Europe’s innovation capacity and creating a more harmonised framework for startups and scaleups across the EU.
Both initiatives are key steps in implementing the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, which EIT Urban Mobility actively supports on the ground through its investment, acceleration, and city demonstration programmes. As Europe’s most active investor in mobility startups, EIT Urban Mobility works with over 250 cities, companies, and research institutions to turn innovation into tangible impact.
Bringing startups’ voices to EU policymaking
The contributions build on first-hand input from EIT Urban Mobility-supported and portfolio startups, which shared their experience navigating Europe’s fragmented regulatory and financial landscape. Startups consistently identified barriers such as duplicative national rules, complex intellectual-property (IP) valuation, and risk-averse procurement systems that hinder scaling across borders.
By integrating their feedback into the recommendations to the EU, EIT Urban Mobility ensures that the perspectives of innovators operating at the local level directly inform future EU frameworks for testing, investment, and talent attraction.
Key recommendations to the EU for a stronger innovation ecosystem
In its feedback on the European Innovation Act, EIT Urban Mobility calls for:
- Smarter regulation through innovation stress tests and EU-wide definitions of “startup” and “scaleup”;
- Simplified access to finance, including recognition of IP assets as collateral and better coordination among EIC, EIT and InvestEU instruments;
- Innovation-friendly procurement, encouraging cities to buy based on performance and impact rather than cost alone;
- Improved access to infrastructures and streamlined rules for using publicly funded research results;
- Talent and skills measures, such as a startup-friendly EU framework for employee stock options and a fast-track visa scheme for founders.
In its response to the 28th Regime consultation, EIT Urban Mobility supports the creation of an optional EU-wide company form to reduce legal fragmentation, administrative costs, and delays for startups expanding across borders – a crucial enabler for scaling innovative mobility solutions across Europe.
Driving implementation through ecosystem programmes
EIT Urban Mobility’s City RAPTOR pilots, investments, and SME Market Expansion initiatives already tackle many of the issues highlighted in these EU consultations. They provide practical models for cross-border sandboxes, innovation procurement, and market entry support – helping Europe’s innovators move from lab to market faster and more efficiently.
“Our role is to translate European innovation ambitions into real-world impact,” said Bernadette Bergsma, Director of Communications and EU Affairs at EIT Urban Mobility. “By engaging directly with startups and cities, we make sure that the upcoming European Innovation Act and 28th Regime work for those who are actually driving change on the ground.”
What’s next for Europe’s innovation future
The European Commission is expected to release its proposals for both the European Innovation Act and the 28th Regime in 2026. These frameworks could redefine how Europe nurtures, funds, and scales its startups.
EIT Urban Mobility will continue engaging with EU institutions, cities, and innovators to ensure mobility startups remain at the centre of this transformation — connecting policy to practice and strengthening Europe’s capacity to innovate, scale, and lead the mobility transition.
