DeepTech as Europe’s springboard – Top 5 takeaways from the THINGS 11th Anniversary
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On March 25, 2026, THINGS celebrated its 11th anniversary with an event in Stockholm focused on deeptech-driven ecosystem building. Founders, corporates, investors, and policymakers gathered to discuss Deeptech as a springboard for Europe’s future.
The event highlighted sustainable innovations in fields such as electric marine propulsion, carbon-neutral wastewater treatment, and satellite-based earth observation. A central theme was the integration of Physical AI and advanced materials to modernize traditional industries, moving beyond software into tangible, high-tech manufacturing.
The event highlighted how corporate collaboration and venture capital are essential for scaling these complex technologies to solve global environmental and energy challenges.
Here are five of my takeaways from the presentations of the day:
1. Deeptech is not a sector – it’s a state of mind
Deeptech emerged not as a category, but as a long-term way of thinking: science-driven, capital-intensive, and focused on solving foundational problems in energy, materials, health, and infrastructure.
Deeptech companies tend to share a few traits:
They solve hard, real-world problems
They build on science and engineering (not just software)
They plan for scale early, even if timelines are longer
They need long-term investment (minimum 10-15 years)
2. The winners spot the next S-curve before consensus forms
Innovation waves often start when several triggers hit at once:
Demand shifts
Competition changes the “rules”
Technology improves cost/performance
Regulation changes what’s possible
Collaboration speeds up adoption
A tech leader's job isn’t to predict the future perfectly. Your job is to build options so you can act when the market shifts.
Practical ways to do that:
Run small pilots with partners
Test new tech with startups
Use your ecosystem to spot weak signals
3. Physical AI is where the next decade will be built
A recurring theme throughout the event was Physical AI – the convergence of algorithms with the real, material world. From robotics and industrial AI to biotech and energy systems, the next competitive edge will come from combining intelligence with physical infrastructure.
“The new generation of AI titans will be forged in the physical world.” Mala Valroy, Thursday Ventures
4. Advanced materials are the hidden engine of resilience
From climate-resilient power grids to PFAS-free chemicals and neuromorphic sensors, materials innovation was highlighted as a silent enabler of sustainability, resilience, and entirely new markets.
AI can now design hundreds of thousands of new materials, but turning them into manufacturable reality requires new physical platforms that dramatically shorten development cycles.
“AI can design new materials, but can’t make them.” Maksym Plakhotnyok, ATLANT 3D
5. Collaboration is Europe’s real advantage
Many of today’s challenges are too large for single companies to solve:
Energy transition
Grid resilience
Climate adaptation
Industrial renewal
Europe’s strength lies in working across companies, borders, and sectors. Examples like the TSO Innovation Alliance showed how shared pilots and joint learning can move faster than isolated efforts.
The future will be built by ecosystems, not silos.
THINGS Wall of Fame™
The 12th annual inductee to the THINGS Wall of Fame™ was also announced at the event. The award goes to an exceptional and inspirational role model within the community of entrepreneurs; someone who has built a successful business empire based on pioneering innovative technologies. This year it went to serial entrepreneur Jacob de Geer, co-founder of iZettle, which was sold to PayPal for $2B in 2018.
Closing reflection: building what comes next, together
The THINGS 11th Anniversary was not about predictions, but about commitment. Commitment to building patiently. To scaling responsibly. To turning scientific breakthroughs into industrial reality.
From advanced materials and physical AI to resilient energy systems and sustainable industry, deeptech is no longer a niche – it is becoming the backbone of Europe’s future. The task ahead is not to predict that future, but to engineer it, together.
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