A major new study has revealed that Europe’s university spinout companies have grown into a technology ecosystem worth hundreds of billions of euros – with photonics playing a vital enabling role across many of its most strategic sectors.
Called “European Spinouts Report 2025”, the analysis shows that photonics and quantum science sit at the heart of a €370 billion network of research spinouts spanning industries from robotics and advanced AI to climate technologies and semiconductor manufacturing.
The study, which was produced by innovation intelligence platform Dealroom.co, tracked 17,000 European university spinouts since 1990, including 7,300 deep-tech and life sciences companies, to reveal how laboratory research is translating into venture-backed firms and high-value jobs across the continent.