Luxembourg stretches innovation with Eureka

In the heart of Europe and spanning just 2,586 square kilometres, Luxembourg proves that size is no barrier to ambition. With Eureka as its innovation ally, this small nation has become an innovation powerhouse, catapulting its entrepreneurial ecosystem onto the international stage and turning bold ideas into global success stories.

Luxembourg became a founding member of Eureka in 1985, recognising the value of international collaboration early on. By joining at the outset, the country positioned itself to share knowledge and expertise, forge strategic partnerships and unlock high-priority opportunities through cross-border synergies.

Although I have only taken over the responsibility as high-level representative a few months ago, I am impressed by the inspiring spirit in the network and the vast variety of promising opportunities for international synergies. At this point I am looking forward to getting further involved and promote the Eureka-programmes in Luxembourg.

Sophie Klecker – Head of Research, Development and Innovation, Directorate General State AidI

A key cog in the spinning wheel, the Ministry of the Economy was the first stakeholder to enter the network. It was soon joined by the National Research Fund and Luxinnovation to support in guiding Luxembourg-based companies and research institutes in this new international context. Together, they sought to elevate initiatives to allow national actors to collaborate beyond borders.

In recent years, Luxembourg has enthusiastically forged collaborative initiatives across diverse sectors, ranging from heavy industrial machinery and the space industry to dentistry. These partnerships highlight the country’s commitment to innovation and its ability to drive progress in both established and emerging fields. Many different projects have fostered diversification, internationalisation and visibility for these industries.

Eureka-supported programmes Luxembourg has engaged with include Eurostars, Innowwide, Clusters, Fast Track, and Globalstars.

Two examples of Eureka-backed projects exemplify Luxembourg’s focus on fortifying its innovation economy: Circu Li-ion, a Luxembourg-based startup, is building a robot that breaks apart lithium-ion batteries to recycle and re-use the components.

HITEC Luxembourg and their research and development project partners are developing security technology to protect internet of things devices. Its artificial intelligence intrusion detector continuously analyses network and application behaviours and protects these vital communications networks from security risks.

For Luxembourg, partnering with Eureka has consistently been a strategic priority, as the network serves as a driving force behind the country’s innovation growth. Despite the constraints of its modest size, Luxembourg remains deeply committed to active participation, regularly attending meetings and events to stay connected with the latest developments from the Eureka network. The country also actively encourages its innovators to engage in Eureka initiatives, fostering vibrant knowledge exchange and strengthening international collaboration.

Luxembourg has as a goal to step up its involvement in different Eureka programmes, with the resources needed for real impact. With a clear focus on initiatives that align with the country’s strategic priorities, Luxembourg is charting a course toward innovation and growth in areas that matter most to its future. Committed to this goal, the country has recently engaged in Eureka calls on lightweighting, circular value creation and with Japan.

Beyond increasing the visibility of the country’s innovation ecosystem across the network, Luxembourg has encouraged small- and medium-sized enterprises through Eureka’s research and development-specific programmes to collaborate internationally on applied innovation projects.

As an ambitious founding member of the Eureka network, Luxembourg is poised to vitalise its innovation industry by exploring new pathways to entrepreneurial success as it continues to engage with Eureka programmes.