EU – Emerging Tech & Innovation, 2023

This document summarises third-party reports on emerging technology and innovation trends outside of the EU. The goal is to provide the European Innovation Council (EIC) with benchmarking knowledge to inform its strategic intelligence. The sources selected cover various policy and technology domains, including those covered by the EIC programme manager portfolios. The reports come from a diverse range of organisations, such as consultancies, research organisations, think tanks, and public sector entities. The main findings highlight breakthroughs in healthcare, digital products & services, space, logistics & mobility, energy, and agriculture & food. The most frequently mentioned technologies and innovations are artificial intelligence, gene-engineering, the internet of things, augmented reality, and the internet of the body. These findings are connected to the EIC Macro Areas (Digital & Industry, Green, and Health) and the current EIC programme manager portfolios. The authors suggest that the EIC should consider expanding into domains not covered by the current portfolios, developing strategies for cross-cutting technologies like artificial intelligence, addressing potential overlaps or gaps in topics across portfolios, balancing approaches based on policy/application domains or technology fields, and addressing the challenges of portfolios covering a wide range of technologies. Overall, this review aims to support the EIC in adapting its portfolio strategy and staying informed about the latest technology and innovation trends.