The European Innovation Council (EIC) published the EIC Tech Report 2026 on 30 March 2026. It identifies 25 signals of emerging deep technologies at low to mid maturity levels, that may play a key role in shaping Europe’s future innovation, industrial and market capabilities. They are based on EIC portfolio data from 2021 to 2025, including both funded projects and high-quality non-funded proposals.
The 25 signals highlight technological developments with potential relevance for Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy across three domains aligned with the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP):
- Digital and space technologies, notably advanced semiconductor materials, secure and distributed AI systems, quantum communication infrastructures, or orbital servicing and maintenance systems.
- Clean and resource-efficient technologies, encompassing critical raw material recovery, water treatment and desalination, advanced materials for heat-to-electricity conversion and heat recovery, or energy-active buildings.
- Biotechnologies and health, covering novel food production systems, computational protein design and advanced therapy manufacturing, or next-generation diagnostic and intervention devices.
The report provides a curated snapshot rather than an exhaustive mapping of emerging technologies. These signals are not predictions, rankings or funding priorities, but structured insights that may evolve into more defined technological trajectories through further validation, scaling or convergence.
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