Europe’s Innovation Agenda for Energy Startups and Scaleups in 2026

In this episode of empowering tomorrow, Franz Zöchbauer, Managing
Director, VERBUND X, speaks with Ann-Sofie Ronnlund from the
Cabinet of the EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and
Innovation about Europe’s next innovation chapter. Together, they
explore the growing intersection of energy and technology — from
the rising energy demand of AI to the EU’s efforts to strengthen
Europe’s scale-up ecosystem. Ann-Sofie shares behind-the-scenes
insights into the Scale Up Europe Fund, the upcoming European
Innovation Act, and the vision behind a unified “EU Inc.”
framework. Key topics include: • Why innovation depends on secure
and affordable energy • Europe’s biggest scale-up barriers — and
how to overcome them • How the EU plans to simplify regulation for
startups Whether you are a founder, investor, policymaker, or
energy enthusiast, this episode offers valuable perspectives on
Europe’s path toward a competitive and sustainable innovation
future.