📋 Tender Overview
On January 29, the European Commission published its communication "Competitiveness Compass for the EU". The compass is the overall economic policy framework of the new European Commission for the next five years and establishes competitiveness as one of the overarching guiding principles of the EU. The focus is on faster growth in productivity through innovation.
With the Competitiveness Compass, the European Commission announces, with reference to the Draghi Report on the future of EU competitiveness, that it will focus on three areas of action:
strengthening innovation,
more competitiveness through a successful green transformation and
Reduce dependencies and strengthen EU security.
Closing the innovation gap
The Commission wants to create a favourable and uniform framework across the EU for young innovative start-ups that take on industrial leadership roles based on deep tech and promote the spread of these technologies in established companies. One aim is to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in key sectors. In this context, the Commission will set up "AI gigafactories" and launch other initiatives under the motto "Applying AI". The Commission also intends to present action plans on advanced materials, quantum and biotechnologies, robotics and space technologies.
A strategy and legal system specifically tailored to start-ups and scale-ups is intended to remove obstacles that stand in the way of the creation and expansion of innovative companies. In addition, a legal act on the European Research Area ( European Research Area Act ) is planned for 2026.
Further measures
The other two areas of action include a common roadmap for decarbonising industries while increasing competitiveness, as well as diversifying supply chains and expanding trade agreements to reduce dependence on individual third countries.
The Commission's overall aim is to simplify the regulatory environment and speed up procedures, as well as to improve coordination of national and EU policies. This will be complemented by horizontal measures to deepen the internal market, improve financing conditions and combat the shortage of skilled workers, particularly by providing the necessary skills.
