The European Commission announces the European Innovation Act

Europe wants innovation to scale in Europe.

The European RNA Alliance is built for that!

Europe does not lack scientific excellence. Its challenge is turning more European research into products, companies and economic value that grow in Europe.

On September 9th 2026, the European Commission proposed the European Innovation Act, designed to help innovative ideas developed in Europe move from research to market, attracting financing, and scale across borders (1).

The proposal addresses two persistent barriers: access to finance, particularly for companies whose value lies in intellectual property, and fragmented public procurement of R&D. It also introduces a Made-in-Europe preference for R&D procurement and proposes that public buyers give substantially greater weight to quality and innovation rather than price alone. Under the proposal, quality would account for at least 50% and innovation for at least 15% of the award criteria (2,3).

These objectives resonate strongly with the mission of the European RNA Alliance (ERA).

The Innovation Act's proposed Made-in-Europe preference reflects a broader European objective: retaining more scientific, technological and economic value within Europe while strengthening Europe's innovation capabilities and reducing strategic dependencies (2,3).

Beyond technological sovereignty, a European preference can also help preserve skilled employment and a diverse base of innovative SMEs in Europe, particularly in a challenging competitive environment shaped by a strong euro, subsidised competition from third countries, and the scale and pricing advantages of much larger global suppliers.

ERA contributes directly to this ambition by bringing together companies that develop, manufacture and operate RNA technologies and services in Europe.

For researchers and organisations looking to diversify their supply chains, this creates access to specialised European alternatives while maintaining something that is particularly important in complex RNA projects: direct interaction with the scientists and technical experts behind the technologies.

Public procurement represents an enormous but still underused opportunity for European innovation. Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva noted that EU governments spend around €2.8 trillion annually on procurement, while only about 0.6% currently goes to research and development (2).

The proposed R&D procurement framework aims to move beyond procurement decisions driven primarily by price. Under the Commission proposal, quality and innovation would become central award criteria (3).

This is particularly relevant to specialised life-science SMEs.

RNA projects frequently require more than an off-the-shelf product. Sample type, RNA quality, experimental design, library preparation, sequencing and bioinformatic analysis can all influence the scientific outcome.

ERA's model is built around this reality: complementary technologies, scientific proximity and collaboration across companies rather than a one-size-fits-all catalogue.

The European Innovation Act is part of a wider shift in European policy. The Choose Europe for Life Sciences strategy and European Biotech Act share the same ambition: translate Europe's scientific excellence into innovation, industrial capability and economic value in Europe.

The Choose Europe for Life Sciences strategy aims to make Europe the world's most attractive place for life sciences by 2030, addressing challenges including fragmented innovation ecosystems, regulatory complexity and slow market uptake (5).

The European Biotech Act similarly aims to strengthen Europe's biotechnology ecosystem by connecting R&D and manufacturing, improving access to funding for start-ups and SMEs, decreasing time-to-market and strengthening European competitiveness (6).

ERA was created with a similar conviction: Europe already has exceptional RNA technologies and expertise. By connecting them, making them more visible and encouraging collaboration across borders, European companies can offer researchers a stronger alternative while contributing to a more resilient and competitive European life-science ecosystem.

For the European RNA Alliance, this is not simply about being Made in Europe. It is about innovating, collaborating and creating value in Europe.

Preserving European innovation also means preserving the companies, expertise and skilled jobs that make that innovation possible.