Luxinnovation develops start-ups and incentivises technology in Luxembourg
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The year 2024 was a key year for Luxembourg in the field of start-ups, technology and sustainability. The national agency Luxinnovation initiated many projects, strengthening the country's position in Europe and the world. Let's take a look at the main achievements.
Luxinnovation opened the year with a pilot programme for scaling startups, supporting Circu Li-ion, Arspectra and Leko Labs. In June, 15 startups completed the 14th edition of the Fit 4 Start programme, and in October, the new participants of the 15th edition were announced at the Luxembourg Venture Days 2024 event, which attracted 2,500 participants.
The Fit 4 Start and Luxembourg City Incubator programmes were praised by the Financial Times and Statista, confirming Luxembourg's status as a European start-up hub. The country has also joined NATO's DIANA network, opening up new prospects for dual-use innovation in defence.
In December 2024, Luxembourg became the location for Europe's first "artificial intelligence factories", which will start operating in 2025. Important steps included the launch of a virtual laboratory for materials and manufacturing, as well as the presentation of the new Fit 4 AI, a programme aimed at SMEs.
Luxinnovation is actively supporting renewable hydrogen projects. €110 million has been allocated to support production, which will be an important step in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The agency's research also showed that there are 87 active research groups working on the energy transition.
Luxembourg has almost reached €200 million in Horizon Europe funding, demonstrating strong performance in European science and technology initiatives. In addition, the European Defence Fund programme ranked the country among the top five in terms of application success.
Closing the year was the announcement of the appointment of Mario Grotz as the new CEO of Luxinnovation, who will start in March 2025. This signals a continued commitment to strengthening Luxembourg as an innovative and competitive centre in Europe.
