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HARD TO ABATE INDUSTRIES REPOWEREURING DIGITAL & DEEP-TECH STARTUPS TO SCALE IN EUROPE THROUGH CROSS-BORDER ACCELERATION IN LEADING ECOSYSTEMS

Project description

Scaling green innovation for hard-to-abate industries

Can Europe’s toughest industries ever go green? The EU-funded HARD2SCALE project empowers digital and deep-tech start-ups to deliver transformative solutions for energy-intensive and hard-to-abate sectors. By building a cross-border accelerator, HARD2SCALE connects 40 start-ups with top investors, corporates, and innovation hubs in Finland and France. The project unites partners from both emerging and leading EU innovation ecosystems, offering tailored support (from tech development to market access). Through co-designed services and local stakeholder engagement, HARD2SCALE opens new pathways for green transition, helping start-ups scale faster and smarter. Inspired by Europe’s most successful hyperscalers, this initiative turns early-stage innovation into real-world impact for a more sustainable industrial future.

Objective

HARD2SCALE aims to initiate a cross-fertilization process as the foundation of a cross border accelerator leveraging the disruptive potential of digital and deep-tech solutions from promising startups to enable green transformation pathways for Energy Intensive and Hard to Abate Industries (EEIs and HtA). HARD2SCALE is a joint effort of 8 expert organizations (4 from emerging/moderate ecosystems and 4 counterparts from leading/strong innovator ones) offering a complete set of services as a gateway to funding and markets. The HARD2SCALE cross border accelerator integrates the specific needs and challenges of emerging EU ecosystems by engaging local quadruple helix stakeholders in a consultation and co-design process leading to long-term, mutually beneficial collaborations. Building on the expertise, assets and networks of the consortium partners (including the EIC Community & BAS and Startup Europe), the HARD2SCALE support services aim to holistically enable startups align their technology development and IPR roadmap with the market deployment and funding needs. By drawing inspiration from the growth journeys of “hyperscalers” (startups with significant fundraising or commercial achievements in a short time period) from the consortium partners’ portfolios, the HARD2SCALE accelerator aims to enhance the investor and market readiness of 40 digital and deep-tech startups targeting 4 EEIs and HtA sectors before introducing them to relevant contacts. HARD2SCALE offers the 40 startups the possibility to join 2 leading ecosystems – Finland and France – where they will be introduced to relevant corporate business partners and investors. HARD2SCALE initiates an open innovation process where the connection between emerging and leading ecosystems will bring forward collaboration opportunities unleashing access to public and private funding and procurement opportunities, enabling digital and deep-tech startups to increase their footprint on the Single Market.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIE-2024-CONNECT-01

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Coordinator

KINNO INNOVATION INTERMEDIARIES LTD
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 220 000,00
Address
PENTELIS AVENUE 104 METAMORFOSEOS 1
152 34 CHALANDRI
Greece

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Αττική Aττική Βόρειος Τομέας Αθηνών
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 220 000,00

Participants (7)

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