EU|BIC Community’s Impact 2023/2024 - the statistical picture of our community
This article is part of a series, you can find other stories about our community’s impact here
A growing innovation community that puts people, regions, and the planet at the heart of its actions.
EU|BICs are an important component of regional innovation ecosystems in all regions where they exist. Their position is leveraged when EU|BICs actively orchestrate the innovation ecosystem or act as developers of the region’s innovation strategy.
EU|BICs are in a privileged position, as actors in their regional entrepreneurship arena federating the wide ecosystem to the benefit of regions and communities.
EU|BICs cover vast sectors and expertise, representing diversified communities and ecosystems. More than 90% of EU|BICs operate as generic or mixed-sector experts. Sustainability (green and eco-innovation), Smart Manufacturing, and Creative and Cultural Industries areas, are the best represented- with almost all EU|BICs being experts in these areas. Additionally, 87% of EU|BICs declare they have expertise in ‘’Sustainability and Circular Economy’’.
Since 2004, more than 400,000 companies – between startups and SMEs – have been supported by the EU|BIC community, creating quality jobs for their region. Just in 2023, EU|BICs helped more than 24,800 companies and entrepreneurs get a head start in pushing their innovation to the market.
EU|BICs are dedicated to nurturing a wide pool of potential entrepreneurs (42%), SMEs (33%), and startups (25%).
Despite the wide pool of clients – on average 280 clients per EU|BIC – startups and scale-ups supported by EU|BICs outperform others in Europe in the first 3-year’s survival rates with 83% vs 58% EU average (source: Eurostat).
The remarkable survival rates of EU|BIC-supported companies underscore the effectiveness and quality of the support provided, highlighting the EU|BICs’ crucial role in fostering resilient and sustainable businesses that significantly outperform their European counterpart hub initiatives.
This support is comes in many forms. 1715 entrepreneurship and business support programmes were run by a EU|BIC across Europe – an average of 20 programmes per EU|BIC in 2023.
Start-up services by EU|BICs
Growth services by EU|BICs
Through their services, EU|BICs incubate and accelerate innovation into new hieghts. FTE (full time equivalent) jobs created is one of the most important indicators we are assessing year by year. Creating jobs in innovative companies means regional development and economic sustainability.
Since year 2004 until today, the EU|BICs have created 338,748 jobs. This is a yearly creation of 21,171 jobs per year.
From its origins until today, business innovation centres endeavour to foster supportive investment opportunities, including, but not limited to, access to private investments, EU and non-EU grants, loans and equity funds, ensuring the continuity of the businesses and innovations that a competitive European economy needs. Acting as central nodes in a network of networks, linking companies to hundreds of investors, EU|BICs rely on various tools and programmes to finance innovations and increase regional investment processes. 65% of EU|BICs go one step further, having affiliated seed funds in their portfolio of entrepreneurship and innovation support services.
In 2023, companies supported by EU|BICs secured over 870 million euros from various sources.
Internationalisation is key for the EU|BIC community. From 2004 to 2023, the proportion of EU|BICs offering internationalisation support services increased from 69% to 90%.
In total, EU|BICs supported 690 client companies in their efforts to internationalise and access foreign markets in 2023. The United States was the main destination, with 104 client companies expanding their services there last year.
EU|BICs also work to attract innovative investment into Europe. They actively support start-ups / companies from foreign countries access the local (European) market. In 2023, EU|BICs facilitated the entry of 343 foreign companies into their local markets.
As we look to the future, the continued success of the EU|BIC community will hinge on their ability to adapt to emerging trends, leverage new technologies, and address the dynamic needs of the entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. By doing so, they will continue to drive forward the European Innovation Agenda and support Europe’s ambition to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The decades-long commitment of EU|BICs to innovation and sustainability makes us look with confidence to their ability to drive impact in fostering a resilient, competitive, and sustainable Europe.
Our mission commitment to quality business support, regional development, and sustainable innovation is enhancing the competitiveness of European enterprises and contributing to the overall cohesion of European regions and the well-being of their societies.
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