Stronger Financing for Europe’s Competitiveness
On October 20, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and the European Commission jointly organised EU Finance Day 2026 – Stockholm at Näringslivets Hus. The event brought together policymakers, financial institutions, industry representatives and entrepreneurs to discuss how better access to finance can strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.
The programme covered EU funding programmes, the forthcoming European Competitiveness Fund, and ways to better mobilise institutional capital and household savings for investment. Speakers included representatives from the European Commission and the Swedish Government Offices as well as representatives from key parts of the Swedish and European financial ecosystem, ranging from investment banks and occupational pension providers to stock market participants, venture capital funds, business angels and representatives of self-regulatory bodies in the Swedish securities market. The panellists’ different perspectives and experiences contributed to a concrete and forward-looking discussion on capital markets, financing and competitiveness.
A central question is how Europe’s startups and scale-ups can access the financing they need to grow. For many of these companies, traditional bank lending is insufficient, particularly where their businesses involve intangible assets, long development cycles and uncertain early-stage revenues. Venture capital, growth capital and well-functioning capital markets therefore play important roles.
Europe’s financing challenges also reflect shortcomings in the framework conditions for doing business and reforms which improve these are essential. Access to talent, predictable and competitive regulatory frameworks and a more integrated Single Market affect both companies’ growth prospects and their ability to attract investors. Credible opportunities for public listings and acquisitions are also important for investors’ willingness to finance new businesses.
In the attached position paper, we elaborate on our proposals to strengthen financing for Europe’s startups and scale-ups.