Europe Needs Less Fragmentation and More Targeted Support for Companies with Global Potential
Europe possesses knowledge, innovation, talent, and capital. The key question, however, remains how to recognise this potential in time, connect it, and transform it into new globally successful companies of European origin. This is precisely the mission of the international initiative Future 500, which was launched last year under the auspices of IEDC – Bled School of Management in partnership with the Atlantic Council and the Bled Strategic Forum.
At a media briefing held at the House of the European Union in Ljubljana on May 18th, the organisers presented for the first time the methodological framework, data logic, and digital platform behind the Future 500 Index project, while also announcing the creation of the national selection “Future 100 Slovenia”.
The event was hosted by Dr Jerneja Jug Jerše, Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, who emphasised the importance of both the state and European institutions in creating conditions that enable the development of companies with global potential.
Tamara Zajec Balažič, Director of SPIRIT Slovenia, stressed that Europe often speaks extensively about startups, but far less about how to support companies in transitioning into the phase of rapid international growth and global positioning. “Scale-up companies are precisely those creating new high-value-added jobs, attracting capital, and making a significant contribution to the competitiveness of the European economy,” she emphasised.
Professor Stjepan Orešković, founder of the Future 500 initiative and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of IEDC – Bled School of Management, explained that Future 500 is not merely a new company ranking, but above all a new tool for identifying future European champions. According to him, Future 500 will be based on a combination of financial and non-financial indicators, including revenue growth, internationalisation, number of employees, innovation potential, and intellectual property. Special attention will be given to strategic sectors of the future, such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, green technologies, and cybersecurity.
“We do not want to create a ‘beauty contest’ of companies. What matters is not who ranks first, but who becomes part of this ecosystem,” Orešković stressed.
He also presented the “Wild Card” mechanism, through which approximately 15 percent of companies will be selected based on the expert assessment of a special committee. “We decided on this system because we do not want to overlook companies with significant potential that may not have met the initial qualification criteria over the past two years,” he explained.
The central part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of the Future 500 Index methodology, which is based on a data-driven model for identifying fast-growing companies with the greatest long-term growth potential.
Dr Peter Wostner from the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development of the Republic of Slovenia (IMAD) stressed that Slovenia and Europe need more companies capable of successfully transitioning from the development phase to the stage of global scaling. “The key added value of the initiative lies in establishing an international ecosystem of the most promising companies, investors, and supporting institutions,” Wostner noted.
Primož Potočnik from the credit rating agency EBONITETE.SI explained during the presentation of the data framework that the analysis is based on official and credible financial data and includes only active and solvent companies.
The Future 500 digital platform was presented by Jovan Pavičević from Better, who explained that the platform will not serve merely as a list of companies, but as an analytical tool for monitoring development, comparing companies, and identifying sectors with the greatest growth potential.
An important perspective from the investment ecosystem was also presented by Nina Dremelj, President of Business Angels of Slovenia.
She highlighted that innovative European companies must think globally from the very beginning. “If we limit ourselves only to the local or European market, that may not be enough. Innovative companies must build global products and understand the importance of intellectual property, as it enables faster growth, internationalisation, partnerships, and access to capital,” Dremelj stressed. She added that investors today are not only looking for good products, but above all for teams and leaders capable of responding quickly to market changes and building companies with clear global ambitions.
Dr Simon Savšek, Head of the European Investment Bank Group Office in Slovenia, warned that although Europe remains one of the highest-quality environments for living, it faces a significant investment gap, particularly in the scale-up phase of company development. “Too many European companies relocate to more developed markets, especially the United States, during this stage. We need more critical mass of capital and stronger regional ecosystems also in Central and Southeastern Europe,” he emphasised.
Dr Mark Pleško, co-founder of Cosylab, highlighted the importance of ambition, execution, and access to venture capital for the development of globally successful European companies.
In addition to IEDC – Bled School of Management, the Future 500 initiative also involves SPIRIT Slovenia and the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, the Bled Strategic Forum, IMAD, Prva bonitetna agencija d.o.o. – EBONITETE.SI, Better d.o.o., Bosqar Invest, and Telemach.
The preparation of the methodology and the testing of the model on real data involved numerous professors and researchers from international academic institutions and technology companies, such as the Atlantic Council, as well as universities including Harvard, Oxford, Edinburgh, Berlin, Budapest, and Zagreb.
The next major presentation of the initiative will take place on 31 August 2026 in Bled, immediately before the start of the Bled Strategic Forum, when the “Future 100 Slovenia” selection – a list of Slovenian companies with the greatest potential for future global growth – will also be presented for the first time.
Source: Future 500
