29 Oct 2026
The Guild position paper calls for smarter state aid rules to strengthen Europe’s innovation capacity
In a position paper published on 28 October 2026, The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities welcomes the Commission’s revision of the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) and urges greater support for university spin-offs, more flexible IP valuation methods and practical guidance to accelerate knowledge valorisation. The Guild argues that clearer, more predictable and innovation-friendly State aid rules are essential to accelerating knowledge valorisation and enabling universities to contribute fully to Europe’s long-term competitiveness, prosperity and resilience.
The Guild welcomes the Commission’s efforts to simplify and streamline the GBER and supports the draft’s recognition of innovative enterprises as a distinct category. The association welcomes measures that would allow innovative companies facing early-stage financial challenges to continue receiving support for research and innovation activities.
In its position paper, The Guild urges policymakers to recognise university spin-offs as a unique category within the innovation ecosystem. Future guidelines should help universities support spin-offs through methods such as intellectual property (IP) transfer or licensing. Spin-offs should also have access to research, testing and experimentation infrastructures.
The paper further highlights the challenges universities face when valuing research-based intellectual property and endorses the draft GBER’s move away from prescriptive valuation methods, but stresses that greater flexibility must be accompanied by comprehensive practical guidance to ensure legal certainty.
The Guild also recommends the development of practical guidelines based on concrete examples, the creation of an EU-wide blueprint for IP licensing, and a European repository where research-performing organisations such as universities can share experiences, receive tailored advice and establish direct channels of communication with national competition authorities.
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