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<\/figure>\n\nFrom research to business: the real European challenge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nIn the debate on innovation, there is often a tendency to compare Europe with the United States or China, highlighting the lower number of unicorns or the limited availability of venture capital. According to Federico Menna, however, the issue needs to be approached from a different perspective. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cEurope does not have a problem with technology. It produces excellent research, patents and innovation of the very highest standard. The real challenge is scalability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The crucial issue, therefore, is not to produce more innovation, but to create the conditions for existing innovation to be transformed into businesses capable of growing rapidly and competing internationally. This is a substantial difference: competitiveness does not depend solely on the quality of research, but on the ability of the entire ecosystem to support a technology through all stages of its development. <\/p>\n\n
From researcher to entrepreneur: the journey \u2018from student to unicorn\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nDuring our conversation, Menna summed up this vision with a phrase that was to become one of the cornerstones of 28Digital\u2019s strategy: \u201cfrom student to unicorn\u201d.<\/p>\n\n
The aim is not simply to support existing start-ups, but to establish a continuous pathway that guides students, researchers and innovators from the inception of an idea through to the creation of global businesses. According to the CEO, three fundamental changes are needed to achieve this goal: <\/p>\n\n
\n- promoting an entrepreneurial culture in universities: too many researchers develop technologies of immense value without possessing the business skills needed to turn them into successful spin-offs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- overcoming fragmentation in the pre-incubation phase: Europe has numerous national and European programmes which, however, often operate in isolation, lacking the coordination and critical mass needed to compete with US and Asian ecosystems;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- access to growth capital: whilst the continent manages to support start-ups through to the early rounds of investment, it still faces significant difficulties when it comes to financing international expansion. It is precisely during this scale-up phase that many European companies are forced to seek investors outside the continent. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Diversity as a competitive advantage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nWhilst talent is the starting point, the connection between different ecosystems is the real driver of competitiveness. For years, Europe\u2019s geopolitical fragmentation has been described as an insurmountable obstacle; Menna, however, offers a radically different perspective: European diversity is not a problem, it is an asset. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe have centres of excellence spread across the continent: universities, research centres, businesses and regions with highly specialised expertise. The challenge is to transform this wealth into an interconnected system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Europe possesses a unique combination of scientific and industrial expertise spread across dozens of regional hubs. To make the most of this, 28Digital actively supports initiatives such as the Regional Innovation Valleys, which were set up specifically to connect local areas, academia and businesses. The aim is not to replicate Silicon Valley, but to create a distributed ecosystem capable of transforming local centres of excellence into a continent-wide innovation network. <\/p>\n\n
Collaborate to compete<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nConnecting ecosystems, however, is not enough: closer cooperation is needed between universities, businesses, investors and institutions. According to Menna, none of these players can tackle global competition on their own. <\/p>\n\n
\u2018Neither the public nor the private sector, on its own, can compete with the level of investment and the speed of implementation we see today in other parts of the world.\u2019<\/p>\n\n
The main obstacle is often the difference in language and incompatible timeframes: institutions think in terms of public policy, businesses respond to market pressures, and investors assess financial returns. To bridge this gap, we need permanent platforms for collaboration, co-investment programmes and models in which all stakeholders share objectives and risks. <\/p>\n\n
When regulation creates new markets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nAnother area of significant divergence concerns the relationship between regulation and innovation. Whilst many start-ups continue to view the European regulatory framework as a hindrance or a cost, Menna sees it as a strategic opportunity. <\/p>\n\n
\u2018Regulation is increasingly shaping the markets of the future.\u2019<\/p>\n\n
In the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainability and digital health, understanding in advance the direction of regulation (such as the Temporary Framework or the various European Acts) means being able to develop products that are already aligned with the future needs of businesses and public administrations. From this perspective, compliance ceases to be a bureaucratic obligation and becomes a factor in competitive differentiation. Europe can thus transform its traditional focus on rules into a market advantage. <\/p>\n\n
From the laboratory to the market: the role of the Co-creation Accelerator<\/strong><\/h2>\n\nWhilst an entrepreneurial culture, the associated ecosystems and structured collaboration form the foundations, one crucial question remains: how do these ideas translate into tangible results?<\/p>\n\n
28Digital\u2019s operational response is none other than the new Co-creation Accelerator 2026\u20132027. The programme intervenes at the most delicate stage in the life of a deep-tech start-up: the transition from technological validation (in the laboratory) to industrial validation (on the market), bridging that critical gap known as the \u2018valley of death\u2019. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve chosen to start with industrial validation because that\u2019s where many promising technologies come to a standstill,\u201d explains Menna. \u201cAll too often, deep-tech start-ups develop solutions that are technically excellent but struggle to demonstrate their value in a real-world context. Without this validation, it\u2019s difficult to attract customers, investors and strategic partners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
The Co-creation Accelerator\u2019s approach breaks with traditional acceleration models: in addition to mentoring and training, the programme aims to put the technology to the test as quickly as possible. Start-ups are paired with partner companies ready to trial the solutions in practice within their own processes, drastically reducing the time to industrial adoption. All of this is supported by a financial contribution of up to 250,000 euros, which allows teams to focus on technological development and their business model. <\/p>\n\n
People before technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
During our conversation, Menna summed up this vision with a phrase that was to become one of the cornerstones of 28Digital\u2019s strategy: \u201cfrom student to unicorn\u201d.<\/p>\n\n
The aim is not simply to support existing start-ups, but to establish a continuous pathway that guides students, researchers and innovators from the inception of an idea through to the creation of global businesses. According to the CEO, three fundamental changes are needed to achieve this goal: <\/p>\n\n
- \n
- promoting an entrepreneurial culture in universities: too many researchers develop technologies of immense value without possessing the business skills needed to turn them into successful spin-offs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- overcoming fragmentation in the pre-incubation phase: Europe has numerous national and European programmes which, however, often operate in isolation, lacking the coordination and critical mass needed to compete with US and Asian ecosystems;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- access to growth capital: whilst the continent manages to support start-ups through to the early rounds of investment, it still faces significant difficulties when it comes to financing international expansion. It is precisely during this scale-up phase that many European companies are forced to seek investors outside the continent. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Diversity as a competitive advantage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Whilst talent is the starting point, the connection between different ecosystems is the real driver of competitiveness. For years, Europe\u2019s geopolitical fragmentation has been described as an insurmountable obstacle; Menna, however, offers a radically different perspective: European diversity is not a problem, it is an asset. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe have centres of excellence spread across the continent: universities, research centres, businesses and regions with highly specialised expertise. The challenge is to transform this wealth into an interconnected system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Europe possesses a unique combination of scientific and industrial expertise spread across dozens of regional hubs. To make the most of this, 28Digital actively supports initiatives such as the Regional Innovation Valleys, which were set up specifically to connect local areas, academia and businesses. The aim is not to replicate Silicon Valley, but to create a distributed ecosystem capable of transforming local centres of excellence into a continent-wide innovation network. <\/p>\n\n
Collaborate to compete<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Connecting ecosystems, however, is not enough: closer cooperation is needed between universities, businesses, investors and institutions. According to Menna, none of these players can tackle global competition on their own. <\/p>\n\n
\u2018Neither the public nor the private sector, on its own, can compete with the level of investment and the speed of implementation we see today in other parts of the world.\u2019<\/p>\n\n
The main obstacle is often the difference in language and incompatible timeframes: institutions think in terms of public policy, businesses respond to market pressures, and investors assess financial returns. To bridge this gap, we need permanent platforms for collaboration, co-investment programmes and models in which all stakeholders share objectives and risks. <\/p>\n\n
When regulation creates new markets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Another area of significant divergence concerns the relationship between regulation and innovation. Whilst many start-ups continue to view the European regulatory framework as a hindrance or a cost, Menna sees it as a strategic opportunity. <\/p>\n\n
\u2018Regulation is increasingly shaping the markets of the future.\u2019<\/p>\n\n
In the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainability and digital health, understanding in advance the direction of regulation (such as the Temporary Framework or the various European Acts) means being able to develop products that are already aligned with the future needs of businesses and public administrations. From this perspective, compliance ceases to be a bureaucratic obligation and becomes a factor in competitive differentiation. Europe can thus transform its traditional focus on rules into a market advantage. <\/p>\n\n
From the laboratory to the market: the role of the Co-creation Accelerator<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Whilst an entrepreneurial culture, the associated ecosystems and structured collaboration form the foundations, one crucial question remains: how do these ideas translate into tangible results?<\/p>\n\n
28Digital\u2019s operational response is none other than the new Co-creation Accelerator 2026\u20132027. The programme intervenes at the most delicate stage in the life of a deep-tech start-up: the transition from technological validation (in the laboratory) to industrial validation (on the market), bridging that critical gap known as the \u2018valley of death\u2019. <\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve chosen to start with industrial validation because that\u2019s where many promising technologies come to a standstill,\u201d explains Menna. \u201cAll too often, deep-tech start-ups develop solutions that are technically excellent but struggle to demonstrate their value in a real-world context. Without this validation, it\u2019s difficult to attract customers, investors and strategic partners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n
The Co-creation Accelerator\u2019s approach breaks with traditional acceleration models: in addition to mentoring and training, the programme aims to put the technology to the test as quickly as possible. Start-ups are paired with partner companies ready to trial the solutions in practice within their own processes, drastically reducing the time to industrial adoption. All of this is supported by a financial contribution of up to 250,000 euros, which allows teams to focus on technological development and their business model. <\/p>\n\n
People before technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n