Europe is in the midst of a global technology race. The development and commercialization of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology and new green energy technologies will be crucial to the future economy, security and welfare.
These so-called deep tech technologies are helping to shape tomorrow's global power balances – and Europe is in risk of falling behind. The innovation conference ASCEND will therefore provide concrete proposals on how more deep tech companies can take root in the European market.
"Europe has the expertise, world-class research environments and exceptional talent. What we need now is a shared European vision and concrete actions that empower talent to succeed as entrepreneurs and to upscale promising startups," says Minister for Education and Research Christina Egelund, and continues:
"I look forward to a solutions-driven dialogue on how we can work together to accelerate deep tech innovation across borders and sectors."
Start-ups that provide deep tech solutions often struggle to establish themselves and scale up, as the technology is complex, risky and requires large investments.
The conference will therefore also strengthen Europe's innovation ecosystems and bind them more closely together. Based on excellent research and a world-class innovation environment, DTU has been named the best technical university in the EU by the EngiRank ranking for the past two years. President of DTU Anders O. Bjarklev expects the conference to help set the direction for Europe's focus on innovation:
"We have the expertise, strong research environments, and talent in Europe. But we need a common European direction and concrete measures that make it easier for talented individuals to succeed as entrepreneurs and scale up promising start-ups. I look forward to a solution-oriented dialogue on how we can work together to accelerate deep tech innovation in Europe across borders and sectors."
This will take place over two days in November, when decision-makers from Europe, investors, start-ups, researchers and industry leaders will gather to translate the ambitions of the EU's new start-up and scale-up strategy into concrete solutions that can strengthen the conditions for establishing and scaling up European deep tech companies.
