Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Building Outstanding Opportunities for Science and Talent

Project description

Boosting academia–industry innovation in EU Widening regions

The EU’s Widening countries – stretching from Portugal and Greece to Bulgaria, Romania and beyond – produce excellent academic research but often struggle to turn results into market applications. This gap hampers social, financial and environmental sustainability, slows economic growth and fuels brain drain. The EU-funded BOOST project strengthens these regions’ research and innovation capacity by deepening collaboration between academia and industry, improving career prospects and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among researchers through targeted skills development. Central to the project is the BOOST Learning Environment, an online hub that offers resources, tools and modular training to support knowledge exchange and uptake of new business competences. At least 30 % of participants will be women or come from under-represented groups.

Objective

The BOOST project addresses the significant disparities in innovation capacity among the EU Widening Countries, primarily in Eastern Europe. Although these nations excel in academic research, they struggle to translate their achievements into commercially viable products and services. This gap negatively affects the social, financial, and environmental sustainability of these regions, limits economic growth, and exacerbates issues like brain drain and low career opportunities for researchers and innovators.
BOOST aims to strengthen the R&I capabilities of Widening Countries by fostering collaboration between academic and non-academic sectors. It focuses on enhancing career opportunities and entrepreneurship by providing researchers with the skills needed to succeed in both academic and industrial settings. A key element is the creation of the BOOST Learning Environment, which will facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration among organizations across Europe, giving access to a rich database of tools, resources, and learning modules.
Central to the project is the implementation of the BOOST ERA Talents Scheme, which provides 12-month mobility opportunities for 60 researchers, improving their practical skills through placements in industry settings. The scheme also includes five tailored learning modules, and each participant will receive a Personal Career Development Plan to support long-term career advancement.
The project ensures that at least 30% of mobility participants will be women or individuals from underrepresented groups, addressing the imbalance that persists in R&I fields. BOOST provides broad sectoral expertise through its consortium partners. By focusing on skill development, practical training, and cross-sector collaboration, the project will create a sustainable impact that extends beyond its duration, helping Widening Countries improve their R&I capabilities and compete on the global stage.

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

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

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

(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-03

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

KLIYNTEH BULGARIA
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.

€ 331 500,00
Address
KRAKRA 18 STR FLOOR 1 GROUND FLOOR
1504 Sofia
Bulgaria

See on map

SME

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

Yes
Region
Югозападна и Южна централна България Югозападен София (столица)
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.

€ 331 500,00

Participants (15)

My booklet 0 0