Brussels, 11 June 2026 - 28DIGITAL (formerly EIT Digital) just launched its Strategy 2026–2030, outlining an ambitious plan to expand its innovation ecosystem to 35 countries worldwide while accelerating its evolution from a grant-supported European initiative into a globally connected, commercially driven innovation platform.

The strategy marks a major milestone in 28DIGITAL's evolution following its transition to independence from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

By 2030, 28DIGITAL aims to educate 2.5 million learners, support 1,000 startups and scaleups, create 500 new ventures, mobilise €2 billion in investment, and engage more than 550 partners across academia, industry, government, and finance.

A GLOBAL FOOTPRINT ACROSS 35 COUNTRIES

At the centre of the strategy is a significant international expansion programme designed to extend Europe's innovation reach.

This expansion plan is already underway. Most notably, in 2026 28DIGITAL signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy to support digital innovation between Dubai and Europe, and entered into a strategic partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to accelerate the digital transformation of industries in developing and emerging economies worldwide.

Building on that 28DIGITAL plans to establish a presence across 35 countries by 2030.

The expansion will focus on four priority regions:

• Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel

• Africa, including Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria

• Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea, and the Maldives

• Western Balkans and EU candidate countries, including Albania, Georgia, Serbia, and Türkiye

Through its partnership with UNIDO, pilot initiatives are scheduled to launch in 2026 in Slovenia, Georgia, Malta, Kenya, and Barbados, creating new pathways for innovation collaboration, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation.

The strategy positions 28DIGITAL as a two-way bridge: helping European innovators access global markets while enabling international entrepreneurs, investors, and talent to engage with Europe's innovation ecosystem.

A NEW FINANCIAL MODEL FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH

The strategy also signals a fundamental transformation in how 28DIGITAL generates and sustains growth.

Following the decline of EIT funding during the 2020–2022 transition period, revenues began recovering in 2023 as the organisation diversified its activities and revenue streams. The next phase will see an increasing share of revenue generated through commercial activities, strategic services, ecosystem partnerships, education programmes, and equity returns.

A key element of this model is 28DIGITAL's startup investment portfolio, which currently includes approximately 300 companies and continues to expand through venture creation, incubation, acceleration, and investment activities. In the next five years, the organisation plans to invest €250M in early-stage startups.

By 2030, 28DIGITAL also aims to achieve 30% growth, establish a balanced revenue mix in which commercial and public income each contribute 50% of total revenues, and operate six diversified revenue streams spanning B2B, B2G and B2C markets.

The organisation also plans to mobilise €2 billion in investment to support digital transformation, entrepreneurship and innovation across Europe and its growing international network. This evolution reflects a deliberate shift towards stronger commercial traction and long-term financial sustainability, combining public funding with commercial services, strategic partnerships and returns generated through its startup investment portfolio.

The recent appointment of a Commercial Director further underlines this strategic direction, signalling to partners, investors and the wider innovation community that 28DIGITAL is entering a new phase of commercially driven growth and international expansion.

"Europe has extraordinary strengths in research, education, entrepreneurship, and industrial capability," said Federico Menna, CEO of 28DIGITAL. "The challenge is connecting them at scale. Our mission is to help build ecosystems that allow talent, technology, and investment to move faster and further together."

The new 28DIGITAL 2026-2030 Strategy can be read in full here.