Buckle up, innovation community! The numbers show that 2022 is going to be an exciting year for the SEE ecosystem with a pool of opportunities for growth and innovation and a great selection of entrepreneurship events.
There’s a lot going on in the EU when it comes to digitalization and regulation of the digital economy. So to prepare you for the important developments, here’s our short selection of upcoming rules that can impact tech founders.
In this article we have also gathered entrepreneurship events, which can help you boost your networking skills and learn new things. If we have missed an important event, please let us know on the [email protected].
What’s ahead the Digital Economy in Europe
Romania digital nomad visa is approved
When: January
It’s official, Romania has joined the list of European countries which offer a digital nomad visa to remote workers. Last week, the president of the country approved the law amendment voted by the Romanian parliament in December.
This means Romania will now have a legal instrument to attract talent, resources, and promote the country internationally.
Learn more about the visa and what it entails.
European Data Strategy
When: February
The Data Governance Act, which defines the rules for trading and sharing data in the EU was adopted at the end of 2021. Now, the next step on the European Data Strategy is appropriating the Data Act, which will regulate how non-personal data is accessed, shared and monetized. Its adoption was postponed for February this year after it failed its internal review.
Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act
When: April-June
The Digital Services Act is aimed at Big Tech and it focuses on social media and e-commerce regulations, while The Digital Markets Act is broader and it imposes competition rules that affect all internet platforms.
According to the European Commission with the new rules tech startups will have new opportunities to compete and innovate without having to comply with unfair terms and conditions.
Adopting this digital legislation will be at the center of France’s EU presidency which will take place between January and June. It is also a priority for President Macron before the elections in France in April.
The EU Rulebook on the gig economy
When: First half of 2022
The European Commission proposed a draft of a law in December that aims to improve the working conditions in digital labour platforms. So far, there have been contradictory court rulings in the different member states and with this legislation the European commission aims to harmonize the labour and social rights of digital platforms’ employees, while also improving the transparency of how algorithms are used to monitor the gig workers. The rulebook is still in the public consultation phase.
Central, Eastern and Southern Europe entrepreneurship events on our radar
- Innovation Explorer 2022 (February 24) – An annual event held in Sofia that gathers regional business leaders with big and inspiring ideas.
- 4YFN 2022 (February 28 – March 3) – The Barcelona-based event combines startup pitching sessions, conference keynote talks, discussions between top industry experts, and networking activities.
- START Summit 2022 (March 24-25) – One of the largest student-led conferences for technology and startups in Europe that aims to connect young entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations. It features fireside chats, panel discussions, pitching competitions, keynotes, workshops, and matchmaking.
- hub.berlin Conference (April 5-6) – A two-day tech festival that brings together innovation experts from all over the world to accelerate the rate of digitalization through networking.
- 0100 Conference CEE (April 5-6) – An in-person conference based in Prague that brings together PE and VC investors from Central and Eastern Europe, promotes knowledge sharing and networking with target startups.
- Alpha Wolves (April 7-8) – An exclusive 2-day forum in Warsaw, Poland, and Online that aims to connect venture capital LPs with fund managers and high-growth scale-ups.
- TechChill 2022 (April 27-29) – Taking place in Riga, Latvia and online, the conference is one of the biggest startup events in the Baltics. It aims to bridge the gap between knowledge, network, and skills.
- DigitalK Conference 2022 (May 12-13) – One of the leading European events about digital transformation. It gathers global business leaders, founders, investors and digital marketing professionals, and features a startup competition.
- Podim DX 2022 (May 16-18) – Taking place in-person in Slovenia, and online, the Podim conference aims to open up new business opportunities for innovation leaders, by meeting them with investors and encouraging knowledge-exchange.
- Latitude 59 (May 19-20) – The event takes place in Tallinn, Estonia, and online to provide founders with networking opportunities, chance to hear discussions with top international players, participate in pitching rounds and meet their future investors.
- Wolves Summit (June 6-10) – A 5-day online and in-person event in Poland that aims to inspire tech innovation, more investments, and assist tech companies recruit the best regional talent.
- Techsylvania Conference 2022 (June 28-29) -The conference takes place in-person in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and online. It features keynotes by regional tech leaders, the Startup Avalanche pitching competition, and technical workshops.
- sTARTUp Day (August 24-26) – A business festival in Tartu, Estonia that brings together startups, traditional entrepreneurs, investors, and students, with the goal to celebrate entrepreneurship and connect like-minded people.
- Bits&Pretzels 2022 (September 25-27) – Annual founders festival in Munich, Germany that gathers around 5000 entrepreneurs, investors, and startup enthusiasts for two full days of learning, networking and entrepreneurship inspiration.
- Next Round Conference 2022 (dates are not announced yet, expected to be held around October) – The VC-focused CEE conference facilitates strategic and deal-making discussions between the European investment community and EU institutions.
