Fichter, K., Neumann, T. (2025). Rethinking Start-up Policy: A Mission-Driven Approach for a Sustainable Europe. Borderstep Position Paper on the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy. Berlin: Borderstep Institut.

The EU Start-up Strategy has the potential to significantly strengthen the European innovation ecosystem and specifically promote green startups. To enable it to achieve its full potential for sustainability and social transformation, the Borderstep Institute recommends a strategic readjustment. In line with the EU sustainability goals, with a clear mission-oriented focus and impact-based management.

Borderstep calls for startup policy with a mission

With its new EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, the European Commission has presented a comprehensive catalog of measures to promote business startups in Europe. The Borderstep Institute expressly welcomes this initiative, but sees a clear need for improvement in terms of its strategic orientation.

Borderstep identifies three key weaknesses in its current statement:

1. Lack of connection to EU sustainability goals.
   The strategy has little connection to existing frameworks such as the European Green Deal or the „Fit for 55“ package. Sustainability is neither established as an overarching goal nor translated into concrete support measures.
2. No mission-oriented focus.
   Unlike other EU programs, the strategy does not clearly focus on future societal missions such as climate neutrality or the circular economy. This means that an important tool for strategic impact measurement and political steering is missing.
3. Insufficient support for start-up ecosystems.
   The measures follow a classic logic along the life cycles of young companies. What is missing is a holistic, networked ecosystem strategy that integrates and specifically strengthens existing structures.

EU Start-up and Scale-up Strategy: Good momentum, but no clear direction for sustainability

The new EU Start-up Strategy is an important step toward strengthening the European innovation area. However, its potential for sustainability remains untapped.

The Borderstep Institute calls for the strategy to be clearly aligned with the EU’s transformation goals, designed with an ecosystemic approach, and implemented in an impact-oriented manner. Only then can it become a driving force for the green economy.

Sustainable start-ups are not a marginal phenomenon. They belong at the heart of European innovation policy.

Click here for the complete position paper.

The authors

Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter

Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter is the founder and director of the Borderstep Institute and professor of innovation management and sustainability at Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg. His research focuses on sustainable entrepreneurship, sustainability innovations, start-up ecosystems, green start-ups, and instruments and metrics for measuring effectiveness and impact.

Dr. Thomas Neumann

Dr. Thomas Neumann is a senior researcher at the Borderstep Institute, where he is responsible for the area of sustainable entrepreneurship. As an expert on green start-ups, he shares his knowledge as a lecturer and consultant for funding and financing programs. He works at the interface between entrepreneurship theory and business practice and conducts research in particular on measuring the impact of sustainable start-ups and on sustainable business models.

Download