IPCEI | Conference 2025

On 27 March 2025, european economics had the pleasure of hosting key players from across the European industrial landscape at our dedicated conference on Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs). The day offered a rich exchange of insights on these strategic financing instruments that are shaping the future of Europe’s industrial policy.

At the heart of Europe’s strategic ambitions

Our Founder and CEO, Marc Isabelle, opened the event by underlining the crucial role of IPCEIs as tools for technological sovereignty.

“IPCEIs are far more than just a funding mechanism. They have become a symbol of a Europe that invests decisively in its future-facing industries” he noted in his introduction.

Stéphane Kaba from Alstom shared the company’s experience with the Hydrogen IPCEI, offering a compelling example of how these initiatives are transforming legacy industries towards cleaner technologies. Alstom’s hydrogen-powered trains clearly demonstrate the positive impact such public support can have on sustainable mobility in Europe.

Strategic sectors in rapid transformation

Discussions spanned the full spectrum of sectors benefiting from existing and upcoming IPCEIs, with a special focus on the four new projects recently endorsed by the Joint European Forum:

• Semiconductors, through the IPCEI on Advanced Semiconductor Technologies, which aims to build an innovative European ecosystem of tech applications serving strategic industrial needs

• AI and Cloud, represented by two complementary IPCEIs: Continuum of federated and distributed Artificial Intelligence services, and Deploying large-scale federated Edge computing infrastructure and services

• Nuclear energy, with an active exchange on the progress of the technical working group led by France

• Connected vehicles, including the forthcoming creation of a dedicated working group on Clean, connected and autonomous vehicles

Emerging sectors such as biotechnology and advanced materials were also represented, with several stakeholders sharing perspectives on the opportunities unlocked by exceptional funding mechanisms like the IPCEI Circular Advanced Materials for Clean Technologies.

A highlight of the day was the session dedicated to notification procedures and best practices for maximising success rates. Marc Isabelle shared key insights on common pitfalls and essential steps to building a strong application file.

Concrete priorities for 2025–2026

The conference helped define several near-term priorities for companies interested in joining an IPCEI initiative:

• Anticipate upcoming waves: The indicative calendar for future calls was presented, with particular emphasis on emerging areas such as generative AI and biotechnology

• Strengthen ecosystems: Speakers stressed the importance of forming strong consortia involving at least four Member States

• Prepare for stricter sustainability and environmental impact requirements

“IPCEIs are not an impenetrable jungle if approached with the right preparation,” Marc Isabelle reminded participants in closing. “Given the scale of potential funding – up to several hundred million euros per project – thorough preparation is more than worth the effort.”

A committed and diverse community

The event gathered a wide range of participants – from large industrial players to innovative SMEs and institutional stakeholders – creating a particularly dynamic and constructive atmosphere. As one R&D manager from a leading energy company shared:

“Today’s discussions gave us a clearer picture of how to structure our upcoming IPCEI application in the field of energy storage.”

If you were unable to attend and would like to learn more about the opportunities offered by IPCEIs for your business, contact our team. Our experts can support you at every stage of the process – from opportunity assessment to final notification to the European Commission.