STEP Program Mobilized over €15 Billion in Its First Year

The Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) celebrated its first year in action for the development and manufacturing of critical technologies in Europe. Over the past year, STEP has pooled the investment firepower of 11 EU programs, mobilizing over €15 billion to support Europe's competitiveness in three strategic sectors: digital technologies and deep-tech innovation, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnologies.

So far, €9.1 billion of EU funds have been mobilized towards STEP across five programs directly managed by the European Commission: Digital Europe, the European Defence Fund, the EU4Health program, Horizon Europe, and the Innovation Fund. An additional €6.1 billion of EU funds are being mobilized towards STEP thanks to the reprogramming of cohesion policy funds by 11 EU member states.

The STEP Taskforce regularly engages with project promoters, managing authorities, and relevant associations to improve the set-up and understand their investment needs. Building on STEP's success, EC President Ursula von der Leyen suggested, in her letter to EU Leaders ahead of the special European Council, that STEP could be further leveraged by enlarging its scope to all technologies relevant to the defense sector.

The STEP Portal currently showcases the first 142 high-potential projects that have been awarded the STEP Seal by the EC. The project promoters are informed about funding opportunities as well as advisory services while their projects are made visible to private and public investors, including implementing partners like the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group or National Promotional Banks.

STEP's positive momentum is expected to strengthen in 2025 with the support of member states for the success of innovative projects and the reduction of dependencies on strategic technologies. Member states are encouraged to leverage STEP opportunities under NextGenerationEU/ Recovery and Resilience Fund. They can reallocate resources to STEP-labeled projects and transfer up to 6% of their RRF envelope to their national compartment in InvestEU to fund these projects.