Supporting Firm Growth in Europe: Evidence and Policy Options for the EU Start-up and Scale-up Agenda

As the EU sharpens its Start-up and Scale-up Strategy and debates concrete policy measures, such as a potential “28th regime”, the question of how to strengthen firm growth and entrepreneurial dynamism in Europe has taken on renewed urgency. While Europe has made progress in fostering start-ups, persistent challenges remain in scaling, market fragmentation and access to capital. 

Against this backdrop, this Lunch Debate explores recent empirical evidence on firm dynamics in major European economies, linking it to ongoing policy discussions at the EU level. New research at ZEW analyses trends in the quantity and quality of entrepreneurship in Germany, France and the UK – with a particular focus on high-growth firms and scale-ups – and outlines their implications for effective policy design.

Building on these insights, the debate will address key questions: What are the main barriers to firm growth and scaling in Europe? How do start-up ecosystems differ across major economies like Germany, France and the UK, and what lessons can be drawn from these differences? Which policy levers are most impactful – from capital markets and venture financing to regulation, competition and the functioning of the single market? And where should Europe prioritise reforms to sustainably strengthen its global competitiveness? 

By connecting data-driven analysis with policy perspectives and the experience of the start-up ecosystem, the discussion aims to identify concrete priorities for advancing Europe’s Start-up and Scale-up Agenda.