Discover the STEP Interim report
date: 26/09/2025
Interim evaluation of STEP: Advancing EU’s technological leadership and industrial competitiveness
On 16 July 2025, this Commission adopted the interim evaluation report of the implementation of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP). The report builds on the experiences and feedback collected from a wide range of public and private stakeholders, including written contributions received through the public consultation launched last spring on Have Your Say.
The design of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) package proposed by the Commission on the same day draws on the implementation experience of STEP, particularly in relation to EU funding for competitiveness.
The evaluation finds that STEP has so far been successful in supporting strategic technologies across the EU, including through the significant allocation of cohesion policy funds to STEP priorities by the Member States. At the same time, the rigidities of the existing EU funding landscape risks limiting the full potential of STEP and call for continuous coordination among the various actors involved.
Main findings of the interim evaluation:
- STEP effectively steers EU investment towards the most innovative technologies in three critical areas: digital and deep tech, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnologies.
- Access to EU funding is being simplified through a one-stop shop online portal addressing the need for simpler rules and an effective single-entry point to EU funding.
- EU funding opportunities must be better promoted to innovative small, medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups to support the development and scale-up of strategic technologies.
- Building a pool of high-potential projects, selected under EU programmes, and promoting them to public and private investors is essential to leverage Union-wide support and maximise the impact of every euro spent.
- The large number of EU funding programmes under STEP - with varying eligibility rules, application processes, and co-financing rates - risks slowing down implementation and reducing efficiency.