Project description
Bridging Europe’s deep-tech divide
Europe’s deep-tech startups are addressing global challenges, but not without obstacles. Those being set up in less developed innovation hubs lack specialised support, access to investors, and avenues to grow across borders. With this in mind, the EU Innovation Journey ’25 conference, held under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, aims to unite academia, industry, investors, and policymakers. The conference will present best practices, encourage collaboration, and develop a unified support system. The results will include case studies, strategic insights, and a plan for closing the deep-tech gap to boost Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Objective
The EU Innovation Journey’25 conference, organized under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, aims to foster an integrated and well-connected deep tech innovation ecosystem in Europe. The event will focus on best practices in supporting deep-tech startups, addressing gaps in technology, business, and investment readiness, and strengthening collaboration between key stakeholders to drive innovation-driven growth.
Building upon the New European Innovation Agenda, the conference aligns with the Competitiveness Compass for the EU, reinforcing the strategic direction set by the European Commission to enhance Europe's innovation landscape. The Compass outlines a framework for closing innovation gaps, reducing regulatory barriers, and fostering a more integrated Single Market. It emphasizes access to venture capital, regulatory streamlining, and skills development, essential for enabling startups and scale-ups to thrive.
The conference will identify and promote best practices in supporting deep-tech startups from innovation ecosystems of varying maturity, addressing critical barriers, including:
-Lack of specialized support for deep-tech companies at national and regional levels.
-Limited access to investors, peer networks, and potential clients in less developed innovation ecosystems.
-Fragmented policy approaches that hinder scaling efforts across Europe.
The conference will provide a structured dialogue between technology transfer offices, academia, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders to shape a cohesive deep-tech support framework. Key deliverables will include:
-Best practice case studies showcasing successful models of collaboration.
-Strategic insights for integrating deep-tech support mechanisms into national and EU-level programs.
-A comprehensive report, “How to Bridge the Innovation Gap”, providing concrete recommendations on closing the deep-tech innovation divide between Western and CEE region of Europe.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2025-POLPRES-IBA
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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.
00-801 Warszawa
Poland
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.