Rewiring finance for transformative innovation

Published 2025 – This report, developed with the EIB Institute, sets out how Europe can reconfigure finance to support transformative innovation – the kind needed to respond to interconnected ecological, social and economic crises. It argues that today’s financial system remains aligned with short-term returns rather than long-term public value, limiting the emergence of systemic solutions. The authors outline five shifts that can reorient finance around impact, capability, risk, lifecycle support and ecosystem strength. Case studies from BBVA and InvestNL show early progress, while the report calls on public financial institutions to lead the structural changes required.

Authors: Tom Jess, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Peter Blom, and Linda van Goor.

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