EIC Tech Report 2024 puts 34 early stage technologies on a watch list for Europe’s competitiveness
- ›The European Innovation Council published its 2024 Tech Report identifying 34 emerging technologies with potential to shape future European competitiveness.
- ›The watch list spans green tech, healthcare, digital and industrial technologies, and space including plant based biomanufacturing, targeted protein degradation, miniaturised quantum systems and very low Earth orbit satellites.
- ›Selection combined EIC internal data analytics with expert qualitative reviews and focused on early research at Technology Readiness Levels 1 to 4.
- ›The report is meant to inform policymakers, investors and innovators but the flagged technologies are early signals not guarantees of commercial success.
- ›Realising the potential of these technologies will require coordinated funding, industrial capacity, regulation, skills and supply chain development across Europe.
EIC Tech Report 2024: a watch list for Europe’s future technologies
On 18 December 2024 the European Innovation Council published its 2024 Tech Report, a data driven compendium that highlights 34 emerging technologies the agency judges could influence European competitiveness in the years ahead. The list spans climate oriented solutions, health technologies, digital and industrial advances, and space capabilities. The EIC frames the document as an early warning and a conversation starter for policy makers, investors and research communities.
Why the report matters to Europe
The EIC positions the report as part of a suite of EU efforts to strengthen Europe’s innovation ecosystem and to nurture future champions. That objective responds to repeated assessments from high level analyses, including reports by Mario Draghi and Manuel Heitor, which argue that Europe must accelerate development of strategic technologies to preserve competitiveness and technological sovereignty. The EIC report aims to translate early technical signals into guidance for decision makers and investors, while encouraging researchers and entrepreneurs to consider pathways to scale.
How the watch list was produced
The report combines quantitative analytics from EIC internal datasets with qualitative reviews led by EIC Programme Managers and external experts. It examined proposals and signals at early Technology Readiness Levels, from fundamental research through proof of concept. The emphasis on low TRLs underlines that the report highlights nascent ideas and novel scientific trajectories rather than commercially mature products.
Notable technologies the report highlights
The EIC singled out technologies across sectors. The public summary names plant based biomanufacturing, targeted protein degradation in drug development, miniaturised quantum systems and technology for very low Earth orbit satellites as representative examples. Below we unpack those items and explain why they are strategically relevant while cautioning about remaining commercial and technical hurdles.
| Technology | Short description | Potential EU impact |
| Plant based biomanufacturing | Using plants or plant cells to produce materials, chemicals or biologics | Lower carbon footprint manufacturing for chemicals and biologics, but needs scale up facilities |
| Targeted protein degradation | New drug modality that eliminates disease proteins rather than blocking them | Could open treatments for previously intractable diseases, long clinical timelines remain |
| Miniaturised quantum systems | Small form factor quantum sensors and processors | Enables advanced sensing and niche computing capabilities if supply chains and integration are matured |
| Very low Earth orbit satellites | Satellites operating at lower altitudes for better resolution and latency | Boosts Earth observation and communications services, requires new materials and propulsion solutions |
| Green industrial technologies | Novel processes and materials to reduce emissions in industry | Essential for industrial decarbonisation, needs capital intensive pilots |
What the watch list can and cannot tell you
The EIC watch list is useful as a snapshot of early technical trajectories that have attracted scientific activity and interest inside EIC portfolios. It is not a prediction of winners and losers. Technologies at TRL 1 to 4 face high scientific risk, uncertain market fit and substantial scaling gaps. Many promising ideas never reach commercial impact without follow on financing, industrial partners, regulatory clarity and real world testing. The report is therefore best read as a prompt for targeted follow up rather than as a road map.
Limits and methodological caveats
A few practical caveats matter for interpreting the findings. The EIC draws on its internal data and applicant pool so topics underrepresented in EIC proposals may be missed. Expert judgement helps but is subjective and can reflect prevailing community attention. The emphasis on early TRLs is a deliberate choice but it also increases uncertainty about timing and scale of impact. Finally, public sector watch lists risk amplifying hype if not paired with clear criteria for evidence and milestones.
Policy and investment implications for Europe
If Europe wants to translate these early signals into industrial advantage it will need a combination of measures. These include strategic public funding at later development stages, co investment to attract private capital, targeted support to pilot production and demonstration facilities, skills development and regulatory frameworks that shorten time to market while protecting safety and public interest. The EIC and its managing agency EISMEA form part of the architecture that can coordinate some of this support under the Horizon Europe umbrella and beyond.
A cautious verdict
The 2024 EIC Tech Report is a disciplined attempt to surface early technical signals that could matter for Europe. It is a useful input for dialogue among policy makers, investors and researchers. Its value will depend on whether the flagged technologies receive targeted, realistic follow up built around demonstrators, standards, manufacturing capacity and regulatory pathways. Europe will not secure advantage simply by listing technologies. It will require sustained, coordinated action and realism about timelines and risks.
The full EIC Tech Report is available from the European Innovation Council. The report contains the complete watch list and methodological annexes for readers who want the primary source material and the EIC’s underlying analytics.