As Luxembourg hosted the D9+ Ministerial Meeting under its Presidency, the country also welcomed the S9+ Coalition, a group representing startup and scale-up ecosystems from Europe’s most digitally advanced nations. The gathering marked an important step in strengthening the voice of entrepreneurs within European policymaking and highlighted Luxembourg’s growing role as a hub for innovation and technology.
Showcasing Luxembourg’s Innovation Ecosystem
Throughout the week, startup leaders, policymakers and ecosystem representatives exchanged views on the challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s innovation landscape. The programme began in Belval, where participants met with government officials and European stakeholders to discuss the conditions needed for startups to scale successfully across borders.
The delegation also visited MeluXina, Luxembourg’s high-performance computing infrastructure, showcasing the country’s commitment to advanced digital capabilities. As artificial intelligence and data-intensive technologies become increasingly strategic for Europe’s competitiveness, discussions focused on how shared infrastructure can support the development of sovereign and scalable European solutions.
Bringing the Startup Voice to European Policymaking
A key milestone of the week was the presentation of the S9+ Declaration during a dedicated session bringing together D9+ ministers, business leaders and startup representatives. For the first time, the coalition directly addressed a ministerial audience, advocating for a more startup friendly European framework centred on growth and competitiveness.
Representing the coalition, Genna Elvin, Co-Founder of Tadaweb and President of PULSE – Luxembourg Startup Association, and Peter Kofler, Chairman of Danish Entrepreneurs, outlined a number of priorities including reducing capital market fragmentation, improving stock option schemes and advancing the creation of a unified “EU Inc.” legal framework to facilitate cross border scaling.
A “Scale-Up First” Mindset for Europe
Their message was clear: Europe must adopt a stronger “scale-up first” mindset if it wants to remain globally competitive. While policymakers increasingly recognise the importance of innovation and digital sovereignty, founders continue to face structural barriers when growing businesses across European markets.
Turning Ambition into Action
The initiative was made possible through the collaboration between local ecosystem actors, including PULSE and the House of Startups, and startup organisations from across Europe. Beyond the discussions themselves, the coalition’s activities generated significant visibility within the European tech community and reinforced the importance of including entrepreneurs in policy conversations.
As Europe looks to strengthen its competitiveness, the discussions in Luxembourg highlighted a shared ambition: transforming political commitments into concrete actions that enable startups and scale-ups to grow, innovate and compete on a global stage.
The full S9+ Luxembourg Declaration is available on the coalition’s website.
