EU Clusters Talk: Revising EU public procurement: A strategic tool for EU competitiveness

Public procurement represents a powerful lever for shaping Europe’s industrial and economic future, accounting for a significant share of EU GDP and influencing investment decisions across sectors and value chains. In the European Commission’s 2024–2029 political guidelines, President von der Leyen announced a revision of the EU public procurement directives aimed at strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy, supporting EU added value, and securing the supply of vital technologies, products, and services. The revision is also expected to modernise and simplify procurement rules, positioning public procurement as a more effective tool for strategic investment, innovation, and competitiveness. 

To discuss these developments, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, on behalf of the European Commission, hosted the EU Clusters Talk: “Revising the EU Public Procurement Directives: A Strategic Tool for Europe’s Competitiveness” on 11 February, from 08:30 to 9:45 CET. This session outlined the key objectives and policy directions of the forthcoming revision, explored its implications for European industry, SMEs, and contracting authorities, and presented how clusters view the revision of the Public Procurement Directives, including how they believe the future legal framework should be designed in order to act as a driver of innovation, resilience, and industrial transformation.

Speakers included: 

• Henning Ehrenstein, Head of Unit Public Procurement, DG GROW, European Commission
• Ester Davanzo, Senior European Affairs Coordinator, France Digitale
• Jorge González, Director, Ticbiomed
• Montse Daban, Strategic Foresight and International Relations Director, Biocat
• Yannis Zormpas, Principal, Boston Consulting Group

This event is part of regular online meetings brought to the cluster community by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. They offer up-to-date insights into the latest industrial policies and clusters’ involvement, projects, and best practices, the latest ECCP news, and funding opportunities. The EU Clusters Talks are a space to exchange knowledge and to discuss cluster-relevant topics, which will change with every meeting.

Please find here the slides of the event. The recording is also available below.