European Partnerships & Policy

EU's Digital Markets Act

The landscape in the EU – especially for start-ups with data in their DNA – is about to undergo a radical, unprecedented shift.

The Digital Markets Act opens up the potential for a new data driven economy, incentivising users with new service offerings - thus creating many new opportunities for the Irish tech sector ( start-ups, scaling companies and future innovators alike).

Today we are sharing with you the presentation delivered by Eoghan O'Neill at our Digital Markets Act briefing in Dublin on December 13th, 2023, during which Eoghan made sense of the key the points of the Act and much more.

Read the Presentation

Working with the Europe Start-up Nations Alliance (ESNA)

ESNA is a new EU agency, which was set up to help members to become “start-up nations”. Its key work includes sharing best practices, providing technical support to members trying to implement clear change, and monitoring their overall progress and initiatives. Scale Ireland was delighted to attend the first meeting (Nov, 2023) of the Advisory Board of ESNA in Lisbon, of which our CEO, Martina Fitzgerald is a member, The key issues discussed included:

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Increasing funding and enhancing competitiveness

Supporting university spin-outs

Tackling bureaucracy

Supporting greater diversity

Start-up Nations Standard

The European Start-up Nations Standard outlines the key national and EU legislative changes policies and processes to a more start-up friendly environment. The main principles of the Start-up Nations Standard are here.

Scale Ireland's International Partners

Scale Ireland collaborates with international organisations working together to promote and advocate on behalf of start-up and scale-up companies.

Scale Ireland is an active member of Allied for Startups, the worldwide network of more than 45 representative organisations which are located across four continents.

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Scale Ireland is also a member of the European Startup Network, which represents 24 national start-up organisations across the EU.

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Scale Ireland and our closest European neighbor - France

Scale Ireland has a relationship with our closest European neighbor and start-up ally, France. Scale Ireland is a founding signatory of President Macron’s Scale-up Europe, which was launched in June 2021 in Paris. The Scale-Up Europe initiative brings together more than 200 members of the European tech ecosystem to support scale-ups. Scale Ireland has a strong relationship with our French counterparts, France Digitale.

Scale Ireland also participated in a roundtable discussion at Dogpatch Labs (Nov. 2023) during the state visit of the Prime Minister of France, Élisabeth Borne. Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Minister for Digital Transition & Telecommunications, & Minister Simon Coveney led the conversation on closer Irish-French collaboration to enhance the European Tech Ecosystem.

Scale Ireland - The European Single Market Forum

Scale Ireland was delighted to take part in the European Single Market Forum (SIMFO) which took place in Lisbon in June 2021. It is an annual initiative where citizens, businesses and EU policy-makers assess the implementation of the single market. It allows stakeholders and the public to discuss their policy recommendations for the future.

Our CEO, Martina Fitzgerald, highlighted the importance and potential of the start-up sector in Ireland and across Europe in terms of employment, innovation and exports, and also in relation to the acceleration of the Green and Digital Agendas.

EU Startup Summit with Commissioner Mariya Gabriel

EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel will today (10th May) meet with leading independent start-up ecosystem leaders from across the 27 member states, who will officially unveil their “Action Plan to Make Europe the new Global Powerhouse for Start-ups". The initiative, supported by 27 national EU start-up organisations, aims to increase the number of unicorns (privately owned companies valued at over $1 billion) tenfold in Europe over the next ten years.

Today’s ceremony will see start-up leaders formally deliver their Action Plan to Commissioner Gabriel, who has responsibility for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth in the EU. The initiative also represents a strengthening of relations between the start-up sector and the European Commission.