The historic city of Gdańsk served as the backdrop for this year’s Infoshare, where the S9+ Coalition hosted two high-stakes panel debates. The mission was clear: move beyond high-level policy and address the practical “reality checks” facing European startups today.
From the regional success of Central and Eastern Europe to the legislative ambition of a unified “EU Inc.”, the message from the speakers was consistent: Europe has the talent, but its fragmented infrastructure is holding it back.
The Gdańsk Blueprint: Bridging the European Ecosystem
The first session, “The Gdańsk Blueprint,” explored how regional hubs can achieve global relevance. However, the conversation quickly shifted from regional success to the systemic lack of integration across the Single Market. Terézia Ovečka of the European Commission’s DG Competition addressed the audience’s concerns regarding exit strategies, emphasizing that “everyone has realized we need to do more to integrate the single market“. She sought to demystify the regulatory process, stating that “startups should not see Merger guidelines as a fear,” and noted that the vast majority of deals – over 80% – are cleared through simplified procedures.
Despite these regulatory reassurances, the private sector highlighted a deeper, more cultural issue: trust. Jarek Pilarczyk, Partner at Balnord, argued that “the missing trust between us is causing fragmentation,” warning that while European countries compete internally, they risk losing the larger global battle against Asian and American giants. This sentiment was echoed by Jacek Ostrowski, General Partner at Impact Ventures, who advocated for a shift in focus toward practical incentives. “Tax incentives are much better than regulation to stop companies from moving,” Ostrowski noted, suggesting that anchoring capital in Europe requires market structures that favor reinvestment over restriction.
EU Inc.: Replacing the Patchwork with a Powerhouse
During the second panel, the dialogue pivoted to the proposed “EU Inc.” framework, a 28th corporate regime intended to replace Europe’s patchwork of national regulations. Maria Goikoetxea Gomez de Segura from ACT reminded the room that this proposal was born from grassroots pressure: “The proposal would not even be here if it was not for the ecosystem fighting with petitions“. She described the framework as a “big step forward” for administrative relief.
The necessity for such a regime was underscored by the current preference for foreign legal structures. Borys Musielak, Founding Partner at SMOK Ventures, provided a blunt assessment of the status quo: “I tell every company to set up in Delaware. It is simpler, and cheaper“. He argued that for EU Inc. to succeed, it must provide a definitive European alternative that matches that global simplicity. Matt Kurleto, CEO of Neoteric, reinforced this, stating that “innovation thrives in simplicity” and criticizing the current burden of navigating 27 different implementations of rules like GDPR.
A Call for Political Willingness
The day’s discussions concluded with a strong directive for the future. Kamil Pruchnik of the EIF stressed that the responsibility for change now lies with national leadership. “The member states need to drive the decisions and willingness to solve the issues,” Pruchnik stated, warning that the “Draghi report was a wake-up moment but we wasted it“. He urged the startup community to pivot their advocacy: “We need to stop talking to people we feel comfortable with. We need to talk to local politicians“.
As Maria Goikoetxea Gomez de Segura concluded, the momentum is finally on the side of the founders, but the fight is far from over. “Maybe I’m hopelessly optimistic, but there is still room for improvement in the text… if the ecosystem stops fighting we will lose“.
A huge thank you to our incredible panelists for their candor and insight. And a special thanks to our members Startup Poland and Allied for Startups for their collaboration on this event,
Europe has the talent. Now it’s time to give that talent the infrastructure it deserves.