New project set to empower innovation across Europe
Press Release -
In a rapidly evolving global landscape, the European Innovation Council (EIC) recognises the crucial role technology plays in driving economic growth and sustainability. Thanks to the EIC Fund, numerous startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps across various sectors receive support every year.
In this environment, the project EIC Communities, funded under the Horizon Europe Programme, will take a significant step forward in empowering European innovators and foster collaborations between different stakeholders. The project aims to support the impact of EIC projects by developing three thematic Communities of Practice (CoP): green, digital/industry/space and health.
Various initiatives will be launched to foster engagement both within and among the CoPs. In pursuit of this goal, EIC Communities will take the lead in developing and powering the DeepSynC platform, which will serve as the primary gateway for all EIC innovators and stakeholders.
Furthermore, in line with the EC’s recommendations, the project will pay special attention to the topics of inclusiveness and diversity in the innovation and deep tech sector. As such, it will offer new collaborative structures that will ensure the evolution of the technology industry towards a more equitable path.
To do this, together with EIC representatives and EIC Programme Managers (PMs) the initiative will create new engagement practices and policy recommendations for research and innovation in future deep-tech. “The EIC Communities project has been elaborated to support EC to fully exploit the potential of EIC breakthrough projects and speed up their access to market. We are excited to start working in synergy with the EIC Programme Managers to achieve these challenging goals” says Chiara Pocaterra, Head of APRE Projects Department.
ICONS will oversee dissemination, communication and exploitation activities to enhance the sustainability of project results and boost the visibility and impact of EIC projects.
“Drawing inspiration from the success of FETFX, we are thrilled to initiate the EIC Communities project and contribute to the DeepSynC platform, envisioned as the one-stop-shop for EIC innovators and external stakeholders alike. This platform will not only facilitate their engagement but also shine a spotlight on EIC innovators and their projects, fostering a dynamic and interconnected community“, says Jelena Lazić, Project Management Officer in ICONS.
The project involves four partners: APRE, the project coordinator, ICONS, EBN and EurA. EIC Communities kicked-off on 1 September 2023.
For further information on the project, contact: Jelena Lazić, Project Management Officer.