Public Innovation Agencies as Market Shapers: Financial Instruments and Beyond

Entrepreneurship ecosystems are not only built by founders and investors, but also shaped by national, regional, and local agencies designing the conditions in which innovation can emerge and scale.

This round table brings together representatives from public innovation and entrepreneurship agencies to explore how support mechanisms can evolve to better meet the realities of today’s ventures. The discussion focuses on both financial instruments, such as grants, blended finance, guarantees, and public co-investment, as well as non-financial support, including access to networks, infrastructure, procurement, and regulatory frameworks.

The conversation will look at key questions:

• Which instruments actually unlock growth, and which create dependency?

• How can public funding crowd in private capital more effectively?

• What role can procurement and policy play in scaling innovation?

• How do we design support that works across different stages and sectors?

With a curated group of key agency representatives and open seats for ecosystem actors, the round table is moderated and anchored by 2–3 short impulses, creating a focused and practical exchange.

The aim is not only to compare approaches, but to identify how public actors can act more strategically as enablers of resilient, investable, and scalable ventures.