EU Funding Boosts Cutting-Edge Research with €159 Million Investment
The European Commission has announced the selection of 43 new projects to receive €159 million in EU funding under the 2023 EIC Pathfinder Challenges call. This investment aims to achieve breakthroughs in five strategic areas: clean and efficient cooling, construction digitalisation, precision nutrition, responsible electronics, and in-space solar energy.
Illustration of cutting-edge research
As part of the EIC Pathfinder Challenges, the Commission received 368 eligible proposals, with participants predominantly from higher education institutions (45%), private organisations (26%), and research organisations (21%). The selected projects will not only receive grants but also access to tailored-made coaching under the EIC Business Acceleration Services and potential fast-track access to the EIC Accelerator.
“The EIC Pathfinder Challenges are designed to support the exploration of bold ideas for radically new technologies.” - European Innovation Council
The EIC Pathfinder Open 2024 call has also closed with high interest, receiving 1119 proposals from 64 countries. The total indicative budget for this call is €136 million, with an average EU grant of €3 million.
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The EIC supports the exploration of high-risk, high-gain, and interdisciplinary cutting-edge science collaborations that underpin technological breakthroughs. Grants of up to €3 million (Pathfinder Open call) or up to €4 million (Pathfinder Challenges call) support early-stage development of future technologies.
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In addition to funding, EIC Pathfinder projects benefit from interactions with EIC Programme Managers and can receive additional funding for testing the innovation potential of their research outputs or for working across projects for portfolio actions. Promising results can receive substantial follow-up funding through the EIC Transition scheme to create a commercial venture or use the Fast Track scheme to access the EIC Accelerator to bring innovations to the market.
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The European Innovation Council’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and innovation is a crucial step towards achieving breakthroughs in key technology areas. As the EIC continues to invest in the future of European innovation, we can expect to see groundbreaking discoveries and innovations that will shape the world of tomorrow.
