Allied For Startups

Introducing our brand-new logo! 🥳 After an incredible decade, it is time for a fresh start. Our new identity captures the essence of AFS today, representing our energy, our vibrant community, and our dedication to empowering the #innovation ecosystem. The next stages of our rebranding journey are just around the corner, and we can’t wait for you to experience the full transformation! We’re ready for what’s next. Are you? 🔥

🎉 We’re happy to welcome Vasco Pereira da Silva as the new Head of Policy at Allied for Startups! With a PhD in Public Policy, and a remarkable track record in legal and European affairs, Vasco is here to guide our activities with strong policy leadership. His career featured key roles in government offices - including working in the Cabinet of Prime Minister António Costa during the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU. More recently, he was a Counsellor and a member of the coordination team at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU. We’re thrilled to work with Vasco to amplify our impact and empower innovators in Europe and across the globe. Welcome onboard, Vasco! 🚀

Today, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the #CompetitivenessCompass - a policy roadmap for boosting #innovation, simplifying regulation, and reigniting the European economy in the next 5 years. While we are optimistic about the Compass, we believe that more should be done to place #startups at its core. Therefore, we call on the EU and Member States to: ➡️ Be bold: shift from regulation to innovation leadership.  ➡️ Act fast: secure an interinstitutional agreement to speed up the main initiatives proposed in the Compass. ➡️ Deregulate: pause or remove outdated legislation that are creating obstacles. ➡️ Coordinate: align EU institutions, Member States, industry, and society. ➡️ Think ahead: invest in foresight and build capacity to tackle emerging issues. The Competitiveness Compass points Europe in the right direction, and we are ready to work with the Commission to achieve its goals. Now, let’s turn this vision into reality - stay tuned for more! 🚀 Read our full position below ⬇️ #Startups #Scaleups #EURegulation #Competitiveness Danske Iværksættere - Danish Entrepreneurs, Dutch Startup Association, Roma Startup, France Digitale, Startup Poland, The S9+ Coalition, SISP - Swedish Incubators & Science Parks, Scale-Ups.eu, Estonian Founders Society, Startup Portugal, Adigital, Tech Barcelona, Asociación Española de Startups (Spanish Startups Association), AustrianStartups, BESCO - The Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association, InnovUp, SAPIE - Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy, Italian Tech Alliance, Startup Greece, Latitude59, Startup Hungary

“Today, the European Single Market still has too many national barriers. Sometimes companies are dealing with 27 national legislations. We will offer instead to innovative companies to operate all across our Union under one single set of rules. We call it the 28th regime. [...] This will help bring down the most common barriers to scaling up all across Europe.” These are the words of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, delivered at last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos. We’re incredibly proud to see the impact of The EU Inc Petition, driven by the efforts of Allied for Startups and the passionate #startup associations within our network. 💪 Let’s keep pushing forward! 🙌 Andreas Klinger, Simon Schaefer, Csongor Biás, Tímea Bárocz, Startup Hungary

Allied For Startups, alongside seven other industry organisations, has recently released a joint statement raising concerns about the EU’s approach to #AI regulation. Rushed decision-making, extra AI-related legislation, unclear rules for high-risk applications, and insufficient #investment in innovative technologies - as highlighted in the Draghi report - are putting Europe’s #competitiveness at risk. In our joint statement, we urge the EU AI Office and Commission to: ➡️ Minimise the regulatory burden by avoiding additional legislative measures beyond the #AIAct; ➡️ Ensure a thoughtful process for secondary legislation, allowing time for expert input and ensuring clarity over complexity. A clear, innovation-friendly regulatory environment is the key to securing Europe’s role as an AI leader. Read the full statement  ⬇️ Business Software Alliance, CCIA Europe, DOT Europe , Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Orgalim, SAPIE - Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy, Związek Przedsiębiorców i Pracodawców / Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers #ArtificialIntelligence #GPAI #GPAICodeOfPractice #EUAIAct

While #artificialintelligence continues to revolutionise industries, it also brings new challenges on the front of #data protection. To address this, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has just released an opinion on data processing for the training of #AI models, aiming to balance #innovation with #privacy. In our very last article of 2024, we dive into the EDPB opinion, exploring its impact on businesses and how it could influence the future of AI development in Europe. So, before you fully switch to holiday mode, be sure to read the full article! 👇 Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyful festive season! 🎄✨ #DataProtection #DataSecurity #EUPolicy #TechPolicy #DataPolicy

🇵🇱 🇩🇰 🇨🇾 As Poland, Denmark, and Cyprus prepare to take on the Trio Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we're calling for a new approach to how the EU champions #startups, #scaleups, and #innovation. At last week’s event, co-hosted by Allied For Startups and The S9+ Coalition, we presented the Trio Paper - our collaborative effort with Danske Iværksættere - Danish Entrepreneurs, Startup Poland, and Startup Cyprus. The paper outlines strategic recommendations to simplify regulations, bridge funding gaps, and empower startups to scale across borders. In essence, it’s a roadmap for creating a competitive, innovation-friendly Europe. Key recommendations include: 👉 Streamlining reporting requirements to ease the burden on startups, 👉 Completing the #CapitalMarketsUnion to unlock #investment, 👉 Stronger support for #AI startups and a balanced approach to #digital innovation, 👉 Enhancing transatlantic relations and attracting global talent, 👉 Tackling market fragmentation by introducing the #28regime, enabling seamless cross-border scaling. With the right focus, the Trio Presidency has a unique opportunity to improve Europe’s innovation landscape and secure its leadership in global technology. Discover the Trio Paper and discover our recommendations below. 👇 #Competitiveness #EUCompetitiveness #Tech #Technology #Entrepreneurship

Earlier this month, our Policy Manager - Maxime Ricard, had the opportunity to speak at an online webinar hosted by the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE). The session delved into the critical intersection of #cloud #cybersecurity, #digitalsovereignty, and EU #competitiveness. During the discussion, Maxime pointed out the following: ➡️ How restrictive EU cloud policies, such as the EUCS, risk stifling #startups’ scalability and global competitiveness, emphasising the need for a harmonised EU framework that balances cybersecurity with market access. ➡️ The economic risks of measures like data localisation and exclusive certifications that could widen the ICT and cloud investment gap between the EU and the US. A big thank you to the ECIPE team for organising such a timely and impactful webinar, and in particular to Dr Matthias Bauer for moderating the discussion so brilliantly! Additionally, a huge shoutout to the other speakers, Marcus Corry, Director, Technology & Operations, AFME (Association for Financial Markets in Europe) and Damien Rilliard, Senior Director, EMEA Sovereignty Lead, Oracle, for their thoughtful contributions and insights. Missed the webinar? Read the full summary of the session. 👇 https://lnkd.in/exi2BZXV

Yesterday, we hosted a roundtable discussion titled “Too fair or too far? The age of the Digital Fairness Act”, during which we explored the consequences of the Commission’s upcoming policy file. The legislation aims to address gaps in the EU’s tech policy framework, focusing on areas like #targetedadvertising, #addictivedesign practices, and #darkpatterns. Throughout the roundtable, we worked to find a balance between consumer protection and ensuring that regulations don’t hinder #innovation and growth - particularly for #startups and smaller businesses. A big thank you to our incredible speakers for sharing their insights: 🗣️ Alexandre de Streel - Academic Director, Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE); Professor, Université de Namur 🗣️ Inés T. - Digital Public Policy Manager and Sustainability Regulatory Lead, IAB Europe 🗣️ Peter Kofler - Chairman, Danske Iværksættere - Danish Entrepreneurs 🗣️ Daniel Dalton - Senior Advisor, Allied for Startups (moderator) Looking ahead, clear and simplified regulations tailored to the needs of smaller businesses are essential. Encouraging open dialogue among regulators, consumers, and businesses remains key to incorporating diverse perspectives.

🚀 The Innovation Games: Catching Europe’s Startup Momentum 🚀 Yesterday, we wrapped up the year with our final event, co-organised with The S9+ Coalition representing #startup organisations from Europe’s most digitally advanced countries, and kindly hosted by MEP Morten Løkkegaard. With the EU entering a new parliamentary mandate and the upcoming Polish, Danish, and Cypriot presidencies of the Council of the EU, the timing couldn’t be more critical. Together with an inspiring mix of policymakers, startup leaders, and key #innovation ecosystem stakeholders, we explored the challenges facing Europe’s startups - regulatory fragmentation, funding gaps, and global #competitiveness - while discussing bold, actionable solutions to empower the next wave of European innovators. A big thank you to our incredible speakers for sharing their insights: MEP Morten Løkkegaard, MEP Niels Flemming Hansen, MEP Urmas Paet, MEP Anouk van Brug, MEP Paulo Cunha, Hedi Mardisoo (Cachet, Estonian Founders Society), Michiel Scheffer 🟥 (European Innovation Council), András G. Inotai (European Commission) and Christian Walther Øyrabø (ooono A/S), as well as the great moderators: Lucien Burm (Dutch Startup Association) and Serena Borbotti-Frison (Allied for Startups). Moreover, a huge shoutout to Simone Skovshoved, Simon Andersen and Peter Kofler (Danske Iværksættere - Danish Entrepreneurs), Hendrik-Jan Overmeer (Dutch Startup Association), João Silva (Startup Portugal), Miguel Ferrer Jiménez (Adigital, #EsTech), Leen Anthuenis (Scale-Ups.eu) and the rest of the The S9+ Coalition, namely the Suomen startup-yhteisö, Startup Poland, and SISP - Swedish Incubators & Science Parks, for co-organising this fantastic event! Let’s seize the momentum and ensure startups are truly at the heart of European innovation in this mandate!