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Innovation

The Ultimate 2025 Event Guide To Europe's Innovation Landscape

Linda Armbruster
By Linda Armbruster |
9 January 2025

As 2025 approaches, Europe’s innovation calendar is packed with events designed to inspire, connect, and drive forward-thinking ideas. From startup showcases to corporate innovation hubs, we’ve identified the key themes shaping the year and the must-attend events in each category.

Whether you’re a corporate leader, entrepreneur, or technologist, there’s something for everyone.

Corporate innovation & strategy

This category focuses on how large organizations drive innovation, adapt to change, and create new growth opportunities. Ideal for strategy heads, innovation leaders, and decision-makers.

Key Events:

  • Innovation Roundtable Summit: A gathering of corporate innovators, featuring interactive sessions and practical case studies.
  • Global Innovation Forum: Explore strategies to navigate innovation challenges and seize new opportunities.
  • Innov8rs: Hands-on workshops with top global innovators focused on future-centric business building.

To dive deeper into how companies are evolving their strategic innovation capabilities, explore our reflections on strategic event takeaways from recent client sessions with ETH Zurich and beyond.Customer insights & innovation design

Customer insights & innovation design

This track emphasizes user-centered methodologies like design thinking and co-creation, ideal for innovation designers, researchers, and CX leaders.

Key events:

  • UXinsights Festival: Discover cutting-edge UX research, tools, and methodologies at the UXinsights Festival, where leading professionals share strategies to elevate user-centered innovation..
  • UX Nordic: Gain cutting-edge perspectives on user experience design with leading practitioners shaping the future of intuitive and impactful digital experiences.
Bringing these insights to life often starts with building the right internal capabilities. See how organizations are developing innovation muscle through training, coaching, and culture change.

Technology & digital transformation

From AI to industrial automation, these events delve into the technologies shaping the future of business and society. Perfect for technologists, digital transformation leads, and R&D managers.

Key Events:

  • Viva Technology: A dynamic showcase of tech trends and startup collaborations, uniting global innovators.
  • Hannover Messe: A world-leading trade fair spotlighting advancements in industrial technology and sustainability.
  • Web Summit: Where the tech world meets to discuss the latest breakthroughs and challenges.
If you're charting your own AI adoption or transformation path, our AI innovation guide offers insights on where and how AI creates impact.

Startup & entrepreneurial ecosystems

These events provide a platform for startups and investors to connect, fostering innovation and business growth. Ideal for founders, venture capitalists, and ecosystem builders.

Key Events:

  • Slush: Europe’s leading startup event, bringing founders and investors together in an electric atmosphere.
  • South Summit: A hub for groundbreaking ideas and collaborations between startups and industry leaders.
  • SaaStock: A dedicated SaaS conference focused on scaling and growth strategies.

     

For those exploring how large companies can launch ventures and collaborate with startups, our open innovation guide offers a proven framework.

And if you want to see how this plays out in practice, take a look at the growth patterns and strategic learning from Bluemorrow’s venture project ContiHome.

Which event is right for you?

Whether you’re looking to deep-dive into strategy, discover emerging tech, or explore startup ecosystems, Europe’s innovation calendar in 2025 offers unparalleled opportunities. Access the full calendar here and find the events that align with your goals, and start planning your year of innovation today.

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