EU introduces voluntary charter to fast-track startup access to research labs

The European Commission adopted a new voluntary charter on Wednesday to help startups and small businesses access the bloc’s cutting-edge research laboratories. The initiative aims to cut the time it takes for smaller firms to turn ideas into market-ready products by connecting them directly with top pilot facilities.

Smaller companies frequently struggle to identify available services or determine the costs of using these advanced infrastructures. While larger corporations possess the resources to navigate complex and opaque agreements, this administrative burden disproportionately harms startups and small to medium-sized enterprises.

To resolve these bottlenecks, the new framework establishes six core principles for research and technology infrastructures. These guidelines mandate increased visibility of services, simplified contracts, transparent quality standards, safe intellectual property management, tailored corporate support, and closer data-sharing cooperation between facilities.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, the European commissioner for startups, research and innovation, emphasized the necessity of this shift. She noted that "innovative companies in Europe need cutting-edge infrastructures to develop and test ideas and bring their innovations to the market more quickly."

Zaharieva also issued a direct call to action for the scientific community. She stated, "I invite research and technology infrastructures to endorse the Charter and champion its principles," with formal adoption available through an online form.

The Commission will support the rollout through webinars, dedicated events, and a shared repository for good practices. This infrastructure is designed to make it "easier and faster" for companies to utilize Europe's "world-class research and innovation facilities."

The charter arrives as the EU intensifies its efforts to boost global competitiveness against major economic rivals like the US and China. By removing friction for smaller innovators, the bloc hopes to stimulate faster commercialization of new technologies and strengthen its domestic market position.

This initiative forms a key component of the wider EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, which targets making the region the premier global destination for technology-driven companies. It also complements existing frameworks, including the broader strategy on research infrastructures and the current European Charter for Access to Research Infrastructures.