The IO+ Week: Europe’s red tape might become its edge

Europe loves rules. That is often said with a sigh, especially in technology circles. While the United States builds fast and China scales hard, Europe regulates. AI Act, Cyber Resilience Act, Digital Markets Act, GDPR, NIS2: the list can feel endless. At the EU Digital Summit in Brussels, IO+ editor Mauro Mereu heard the central question repeated in many forms: is Europe regulating itself out of the digital race, or is it quietly building the conditions for long-term leadership?

The answer is not simple. Companies rightly warn that fragmented and overlapping regulation slows them down. Compliance can become a burden, especially when a single incident triggers multiple legal frameworks at once. But the Brussels discussions also showed another side. Trust, security, transparency and sovereignty are not soft values in the AI era; they are becoming infrastructure. People and companies will only use technologies they can rely on. In that sense, Europe’s regulatory instinct may turn from handicap into strategic advantage.

That will only happen if Europe learns to regulate with purpose. Rules must not merely prevent harm; they must also enable the kind of technology Europe wants to build: AI for drug discovery, climate data, industrial strength, public trust and verifiable human needs. GDPR once seemed like a burden but has become a global benchmark. The AI Act could do the same, but only if enforcement is consistent, simplification is taken seriously, and regulation serves innovation rather than standing beside it.

Read Mauro Mereu’s full report here:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/regulate-to-compete-can-europes-red-tape-become-a-lead

Blue Iceberg wins TU/e Contest with a circular answer to e-waste

At the TU/e Contest final, Blue Iceberg won the jury prize for a plan to collect and refurbish temperature data loggers used in pharmaceutical transport. These devices often end up as waste after use, but Blue Iceberg wants to turn that linear process into a circular one. The team now aims to develop the idea into a startup, starting with Dutch university medical centres and then expanding further across Europe.

Read the article:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/blue-iceberg-wins-the-tue-contest-with-equipment-recycling

© Bart van Overbeeke

Dutch Deep Tech Fund grows to €610 million

The Dutch Deep Tech Fund is being significantly expanded, with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Invest-NL jointly bringing the total available capital to €610 million. The fund backs knowledge-intensive companies in fields such as chips, quantum, photonics, nanotechnology and advanced materials. For the Netherlands, this is not only about startup financing, but also about future earning power, strategic independence and the ability to build world-class technology companies at home.

Read the article:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/dutch-deep-tech-fund-hits-610m-to-back-future-champions

Whispp shows why patents matter in AI

For Whispp, the Leiden-based AI startup that converts whispered or voiceless speech into natural-sounding speech, intellectual property has become much more than legal protection. Founder Joris Castermans explains how patents help the company build credibility, prepare for licensing deals and raise the bar for potential copycats. In an AI market where technological advantages can disappear quickly, IP becomes part of the company’s growth strategy.

Read the article:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/whispp-builds-trust-and-protection-why-ip-is-crucial

12+1 Dutch energy startups shaping the transition

From sustainable aviation fuel in Groningen to lightweight solar panels in Limburg, and from tidal power to iron fuel for industrial heat, the Netherlands is full of startups working on the hardest parts of the energy transition. This overview selects one company from each province, plus one extra, to show how diverse the ecosystem has become. Together, they reveal a country experimenting with storage, generation, circular materials, hydrogen infrastructure and digital energy management.

Read the article:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/121-dutch-energy-startups-shaping-the-energy-transition

Student Base becomes a compass for international Brainport talent

At Career Compass Netherlands, more than 120 students, graduates, companies, and ecosystem partners gathered at High Tech Campus Eindhoven to discuss one urgent question: how can Brainport ensure that international talent not only comes to the region but also stays? The event showed Student Base in action as a meeting point for education, companies and young professionals. It also made clear that retaining talent is about more than jobs; it is about belonging, housing, culture, confidence and connection.

Read the article:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/student-base-becomes-a-compass-for-international-brainport-talent

ASML sees AI reshaping chipmaking from design to fab

At imec’s ITF World in Antwerp, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet described how AI is transforming the semiconductor industry from both sides. AI is driving enormous demand for advanced chips, but it is also becoming a tool inside ASML’s own operations: in design, manufacturing, inspection, defect detection and customer fabs. The message is clear: AI and chip manufacturing are no longer separate worlds. They are becoming deeply intertwined.

Read the article:
https://ioplus.nl/en/posts/asml-sees-ai-influencing-every-stage-chip-design-to-fabrication

A Daily Podcast

Or do you prefer to listen? A new episode of our daily podcast is ready for you every weekday at 6:30 AM. In it, our AI colleagues Oliver and Shelby discuss the two most interesting stories of the day. That makes IO+ Daily the perfect way to start your morning with optimistic news from the world of innovation and technology. See you tomorrow.

Our Other Newsletters

Thank you for reading this newsletter. But there’s more. Subscribing is easy — via the options on the IO+ homepage or simply by clicking one of the newsletters below:

• IO+ Daily (1,200 subscribers)
• Mauro’s Green Corner (monthly, 13,800 subscribers)
• Elcke’s Saturday Data Dive (monthly, 20,550 subscribers)
• Elcke en Mauro’s BIO+ Bites (monthly, 29,300 subscribers)
• Bart’s Saturday CHIPS (monthly, 16,300 subscribers)

Enjoy your Sunday, and don’t forget: a new episode of IO+ Daily will be waiting for you tomorrow morning at 6:30. Be prepared before you hop on your bike! 🚲

Enjoy your week!