Project description
Strengthening knowledge transfer for a more innovative Europe
Europe’s research and innovation potential remains unevenly distributed, with widening countries facing challenges in translating research results into societal and economic impact. Limited knowledge transfer capacities, weak support structures and insufficient incentives continue to constrain innovation outcomes. The EU-funded WINGS project will develop skills, services, training programmes and impact-oriented evaluation frameworks in knowledge and technology transfer offices. Through mentoring, peer learning, transferable models and modern KPI systems, WINGS will professionalise knowledge valorisation practices across widening research-performing organisations. This will foster stronger stakeholder engagement, local ecosystems and cascade learning. Ultimately, this helps accelerate knowledge transfer, reduce disparities across the European research and innovation ecosystem and support the EU’s drive for competitiveness, resilience, and the green and digital transitions.
Objective
The WINGS project addresses the persistent innovation gap between WIDENING countries and the EU average by strengthening the capacity of Knowledge/Technology Transfer Offices (KTOs/TTOs) and fostering knowledge valorisation (KV) across research-performing organisations (RPOs). Despite significant investment in R&D, WIDENING countries continue to face challenges in converting research results into economic and societal value due to a lack relevant KT skills and externally facing services, limited engagement of students and researchers, and a lack of modern metrics to incentivise and reward broader impacts.
WINGS tackles these barriers through four interlinked work packages. First, it will build capacity in KTOs by assessing needs, recruiting mentors and coaches, and delivering two capacity-building cohorts to strengthen skills in detecting market and societal opportunities. Second, it will identify and pilot transferable core KT services, supported by service champions, peer-to-peer learning and good practice examples with transfer paths. Third, it will develop and roll out a KT curriculum for students and researchers, aligned with EU skills and competencies frameworks, delivered through train-the-trainer programmes and piloted across WIDENING RPOs. Finally, WINGS will promote the practical adoption of modern KPI systems that incentivise knowledge valorisation for both economic and societal impact.
By combining KT capacity building, service innovation, curriculum development, and policy reform, WINGS will enable WIDENING RPOs to professionalise their KTOs, foster stronger stakeholder engagement, strengthen their ecosystems, cascade learning and mainstream KT education. This will accelerate knowledge transfer, reduce disparities with non-WIDENING countries, and unlock untapped R&I potential, thereby supporting the EU’s competitiveness, resilience, and progress towards the green and digital transitions.
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.4.2 - Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System
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-WIDERA-2025-06
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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.
00144 ROMA
Italy
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.