Since 2018, the Commission has approved State aid for at least one integrated Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) each year. These IPCEIs concern predominantly research and development as well as projects of first industrial deployment. One IPCEI is dedicated to infrastructure. The increasing number of participating Member States and companies shows a positive trend. It reflects the broad and deep research and development capabilities of the European economy and the growing attractiveness of the IPCEI instrument among the EU Member States. The increasing number of companies from numerous Member States participating supports the creation of European economic ecosystems. The mandatory dissemination of know-how as spillovers will facilitate further research and development and is expected to initiate additional economic activities in the EU’s strategic value chains.
The State aid approved, along with the expected private investments into research and development of these seven integrated IPCEIs so far, add up to almost EUR 80 billion, which demonstrates that the IPCEI-induced research and development funding offers a boost to the EU economy in the magnitude of the EU’s Horizon programmes.
Of the eight integrated IPCEIs approved so far, on average, 17% of all participating companies are Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Since the start of the first integrated IPCEI in 2018, the participation ratio of SMEs has steadily increased and more than quadrupled from 7% in the IPCEI Microelectronics 1 to 29% in the IPCEI on Microelectronics and Communication Technologies in 2023.
