Why we're launching the virtual EU|BIC Community platform now

Why now? The EU|BIC community and the future of European innovation ecosystems

A look at why innovation support organisations need a new kind of digital home—and how the EU|BIC Community delivers it.

Today marks a significant moment for Europe’s innovation ecosystem: the official launch of the EU|BIC Community platform.

For years, we’ve heard the same challenge from innovation support professionals across Europe: “I know other ESOs are doing important work, and I want to meet them. I want to access them and ask about the expertise I need. And when I spot a funding opportunity or need a partner for a project, I’m still sending emails to dozens of contacts, hoping someone responds.”

The EU|BIC Community was built to solve these challenges. But before we dive into what it is, let’s talk about why we’re launching it now—and what it means for the future of European innovation.

Europe’s innovation ecosystem is fragmented—and it’s costing us

Europe has no shortage of brilliant innovation support organisations. From accelerators in Berlin to tech parks in Prague, incubators in Barcelona to business development centres in rural Poland: there are thousands of organisations supporting entrepreneurs and SMEs every day.

Yet these organisations often work in silos.

A director in an emerging region might spend months developing a new methodology, only to discover that peers in other countries have already solved the same problem.

An incubator director looking to build an international consortium for a funding call might spend weeks networking to find the right partners, when better partners might exist just outside their current network.

This fragmentation has real consequences:

• Regional disparities grow. Regions without access to top ESO networks fall further behind.
• Opportunities are missed. Cross-border projects that could accelerate innovation never get started because the right partners never connect.
• Knowledge stays local. Best practices that could benefit hundreds of organisations remain known only to a handful.
• Capacity is underutilised. ESO leaders lack the peer support and continuous learning that could exponentially improve their impact.

The EU|BIC community has long been about connecting ESOs and sharing standards. But we recognised that our traditional channels—annual congresses, regional events, email networks—weren’t enough to overcome this fragmentation.

We needed something more. Something always-on. Something that makes connection, learning, and collaboration the default, not the exception.

A strategic imperative: connecting Europe’s innovation capacity

The EBN Strategic Agenda 2024–29 makes a clear argument: Europe’s innovation capacity can only reach its potential if we connect, learn together, and act as one ecosystem.

This isn’t just aspirational thinking. It’s backed by data and evidence. Studies show that:

• Organisations embedded in strong peer networks adopt best practices 40% faster than isolated ones
• Cross-border collaborations generate 3–5x more deal flow for participating ESOs
• Shared knowledge and methodologies improve startup survival rates by up to 25%

But realising this potential requires a fundamental shift in how ESOs connect and work together. We needed a digital platform built specifically for the needs of innovation support professionals. A place where connection, learning, and collaboration happen continuously—24/7, across borders, always available.

That’s what the EU|BIC Community represents. It’s not just a network. It’s EBN’s commitment to evolving how the European innovation ecosystem operates. We bet that when ESOs are truly connected, truly learning from each other, and truly collaborating, extraordinary things happen.

The EU|BIC Community: Built for action, designed for ESOs

The platform we’re launching today is intentionally different from traditional online communities and networking sites.

It’s built for action, not just networking.
Yes, you’ll connect with peers. But the connection to the EU|BIC Community leads somewhere. You’ll find partners for consortia. You’ll collaborate on real projects. You’ll coordinate responses to funding calls. You’ll build something together. It’s not a place to collect contacts; it’s a place to build things.

It’s tailored to ESOs.
We didn’t adopt a generic community platform. We designed this specifically for innovation support professionals—with spaces for regional collaboration, thematic hubs for sector-specific learning, and tools for matching partners and managing consortia. Every feature was built with your actual workflow in mind.

It’s global yet regional.
Find peers and partners across 30+ countries. But also stay deeply connected to your regional community. The platform structure supports both continent-wide collaboration and local hub activity. You’re never alone, but you’re always rooted.

It’s always on.
Training doesn’t happen once a year at a conference. Opportunities don’t disappear after an email blast. Conversations don’t end when a webinar concludes. On the EU|BIC Community, learning, opportunities, and collaboration are continuous. You log in and pick up where you left off.

It’s designed for real results.
We’ve built this platform because we believe that when ESOs truly connect and collaborate, they deliver better results for entrepreneurs, their regions, and Europe as a whole. Every feature has been designed with that outcome in mind.

What’s next – your role

Over the next few months, we’ll be listening closely to your feedback. What features resonate? Where could we improve? What’s missing? Your voice will shape how this platform evolves.

We’ll also be actively celebrating the collaborations and projects you create. When consortia form on the platform, we’ll tell those stories. When you implement a new method learned through the Academy, we want to hear about it. When you connect with a new partner who transforms your work, that’s a win for all of us.

The EU|BIC Community isn’t something EBN built for you. It’s something we’re building with you.

Over the next 12 months, expect:

• Expanding Academy content with training tailored to your needs
• Regular virtual events and networking sessions
• New partnership opportunities and calls shared in real time
• Recognition and amplification of your success stories

But right now, we’re inviting you to take the first step: join the community, explore the platform, and help us build the European innovation ecosystem we all deserve.

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The fragmentation of Europe’s innovation ecosystem is a real problem. But it’s also an opportunity. By connecting, learning, and collaborating at scale, we can accelerate innovation, unlock new possibilities, and build a more equitable ecosystem across all European regions.

The EU|BIC Community is our answer to that opportunity.

Join today. Explore. Connect. Build. Together, we’ll make European innovation stronger.