The European Parliament this week approved the new Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), the EU’s plan to mobilise investments in the digital, deep tech, cleantech and biotech sectors, as part of wider agreement on the mid-term revision of EU’s long-term budget (MFF).
It follows an agreement on the MFF budget between the European Council and Parliament earlier this month.
STEP was originally intended to be a €10 billion package but with budgets across the bloc stretched, especially in light of a €50 billion package to support Ukraine, it was trimmed down to just €1.5 billion, all of which will be channelled through the European Defence Fund (EDF)