Bulgarian Liaison Office for Research’s Post

In its recent proposal, the European Commission proposed to increase the budget of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) by 3.5 times in 2026, but some details still require clarification. #EU #Innovation https://lnkd.in/eFPQkM4b

We welcome the upcoming EU Innovation Act! The EIT fully supports the European Commission’s work on the EU Innovation Act – this is a timely step to boost Europe’s innovation power and global competitiveness. Following the public consultation, we’ve shared key ideas for a more connected and inclusive innovation landscape, including: 🔵 Make scaling easier – simpler rules, regulatory sandboxes, and a “Single Market passport” for proven innovations. 🔵 Unlock finance for intangibles – better ways to value IP, data, and skills so startups can grow faster. 🔵 Use public procurement for innovation – turn public spending into a launchpad for new technologies. 🔵 Support all regions – spread innovation opportunities through for example the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS). With over a decade of experience and thousands of innovators supported, the EIT Community stands ready to help Europe turn great ideas into global impact. 👉 https://lnkd.in/d3wGBp3e #EITCommunity #HorizonEurope #EUInnovationAct #MakingInnovationHappen

🚀EIC Transition hits a new milestone The EIC - European Innovation Council closed its EIC Transition call on 17 September 2025, receiving a record 611 proposals from 40 countries 🌍Leading the way: Italy, Germany, Spain, and France. ✨ From breakthrough research to real-world impact EIC Transition helps innovators bridge the gap from lab to market by: ✅ Advancing technologies from EIC Pathfinder, FET, ERC PoC & eligible Horizon Europe RIAs ✅ Validating solutions in real-world environments ✅ Building strong business strategies for commercialisation 💶 Projects can access grants of up to €2.5M to turn cutting-edge science into market-ready innovation. 🌍 Who’s stepping forward? 51% private companies 27% universities 17% research organisations 📆 Key dates ahead Dec 2025 → Interviews with shortlisted applicants Jan 2026 → Evaluation results shared May–June 2026 → Selected projects kick off 📢 The 2026 EIC Work Programme will be published in November 2025; now is the moment to prepare your next proposal. 🌐 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eGvZX_px 💡 At Evolution, we help you navigate your innovation journey process and maximise your chances of success. 👉 Get support for your project: info@evolutioneurope.eu #EICTransition #InnovationEcosystem #DeepTech #ResearchToMarket #FundingOpportunities #EvolutionEurope

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲: "𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻." Read More: https://x.gd/dNeQ7 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥&𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆. According to a report published today by the OECD, increasing geopolitical tensions are manifesting themselves in the convergence of security policy and R&I policy. Report: OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 28 October 2025 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥&𝗜 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲? The EU Interoperable R&I Architecture is a key tool that enables the implementation of strategic RDI policy and the practical address of the challenge posed by geopolitics. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝗨-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Read More: https://x.gd/RN761 .

https://lnkd.in/dZCKdzxm: This report should open the eyes of the European policymakers and bureaucrats, as their vision of how innovation actually happens is far from reality, and they continue to waste much money in stimulating innovation in the wrong way! Check out page 57 of the report. " Our analysis reveals that a large share of EU support for innovation is absorbed by companies that specialize in obtaining Horizon grants, often subsidiaries of large corporations, participating in dozens and in some cases as many as 200 projects. Horizon grants have become a regular source of financing for these companies, rather than an opportunity to fund innovative ideas. " Experts, such as Tom Broekel have already highlighted the problems with such rigid funding systems! https://lnkd.in/dxVBc8KS: Here is the full report

EBN Position Paper: Strategic Recommendations for the European Innovation Act EBN welcomes the European Innovation Act (EIA) as a pivotal step towards strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and closing its innovation gap. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗼𝗱𝘂𝘀: Why Europe cannot afford to wait every month of delay in implementing the EIA costs Europe its brightest innovators. Despite an 84.5% three-year startup survival rate and €880M mobilised annually by EBN’s certified EU|BICs, too many success stories still relocate abroad seeking simpler regulations and better access to capital. Building the coalition for change EBN’s recommendations draw on decades of experience and the shared voice of research institutions, investors, corporations, and regional authorities, all recognising that fragmented national approaches have failed. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: ✅ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗺𝗲 to provide a unified corporate structure for scaling across borders. ✅ 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 by embedding certified EU|BICs and Entrepreneurial Support Organisations (ESOs) in the EIA’s delivery framework. ✅ 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 to attract and retain global talent and capital. ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 to translate Europe’s scientific excellence into market success. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/d6caCc24

Innovation Funding in 2025: International Opportunities for Breakthrough Technologies The global innovation funding landscape is evolving fast — from Horizon Europe’s mission-driven model to new instruments like the EIC STEP Scale-Up and international programmes such as Eureka and NDICI-Global Europe. In this new editorial, Mirelle ter Veer, PhD, Scientific Expert and Innovation Programme Leader at ABGi France, explores the major global trends shaping research and innovation in 2025 and highlights the opportunities available to organisations working at the cutting edge of technology. Read the full article to discover: • The latest global and EU funding trends • Key programmes open to non-EU participants • Insights into emerging tech sectors worldwide • Practical tools and networks for cross-border collaboration Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eTmmV2t6 #InnovationFunding #HorizonEurope #DeepTech #EIC #ResearchandInnovation #ABGi

Understanding Horizon Europe's types of action. Calls from Horizon Europe refer to types of action, where the three most common are Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). What does this mean and how does this affect your project? Here’s a clear breakdown to help you align your project idea with the right funding scheme 👇 Research & Innovation Action (RIA) Purpose: Create new knowledge, test feasibility of new or improved tech, processes, or services. TRL range: ~2 → 6 Funding rate: 100% for all participants Consortium: Minimum 3 partners from 3 different EU or Associated Countries Best for: Universities, TTOs, and early-stage innovation consortia Innovation Action (IA) Purpose: Move from prototype to demo, pilot, or market replication. TRL range: ~6 → 8 Funding rate: 70% for companies, 100% for non-profits Consortium: At least 3 partners from 3 countries (often with strong industry presence) Best for: Mature innovations close to market and public-private collaborations Coordination & Support Action (CSA) Purpose: Focus on networking, policy alignment, dissemination, and standardisation, not direct R&D. TRL: Not applicable Funding rate: 100% Consortium: Can be more flexible (sometimes single applicant allowed) Best for: Clusters, associations, policymakers, and capacity-building projects Key Takeaways for preparing a Horizon Europe proposal: Match your TRL and project maturity to the action type. Plan IA budgets carefully. Industrial partners get 70% funding. Use CSAs to boost impact, outreach, and coordination across Europe. Always check the specific call text—some exceptions may apply! If you’re shaping a Horizon Europe proposal and not sure which type fits best, start with your TRL level, consortium composition, and expected outcomes. Those three clues often reveal your best path forward. #HorizonEurope #EUfunding #ResearchInnovation

Stakeholders from politics, diplomacy, research and entrepreneurship gathered yesterday at the Swedish Embassy in Vienna for the Circular Futures Conference to explore how Austria and the Nordics can align efforts and accelerate the circular economy. Risk-averse investments shaped by the current economic landscape leave less capital available for sustainability. Financial sustainability though will drive market growth. So instead of starting from the problem, we should start from the market need, where real drivers for change exist. Policy discussions circled around the effectiveness of taxes and regulations and the agility of policymakers to act fast, reduce bureaucracy and enable real adoption. To build a circular future, effective regulation is essential. Pilots are no longer enough. They often remain at the prototype stage, while what we need are demonstrations that build trust, credibility and scale. Sandbox mechanisms for rapid prototyping should continue, but as part of a broader framework that enables market deployment. It was encouraging to hear that in Denmark, major pension funds and developers are already investing in circular buildings, seeing them as future-proof assets. Public and private sectors must now invest equally, 1:1, sharing responsibility for the transition. And perhaps the most important takeaway: only optimists can lead change. Mindset change happens through engagement and understanding. The path forward belongs to those who are courageous and passionate enough to build it. Startups from the Nordics show that it is possible with a sector-focused fundraising strategy, short time to market, low tech risk and a clear market fit. Props to Sensorita, Hiil, Lixea, EasyMining and Greeniron H2 AB for leading by example. There is enough capital to drive the circular transition, but much more needs to be activated. It is up to the leaders in this field to adjust their means to market realities and turn potential into action. ✨ #CircularEconomyForumAustria #circularvaluecreation #circulartransition

Europe is sparking ✨ the next generation of breakthrough technologies! 🚀 With €140M awarded in the 2025 EIC Pathfinder open cut-off, 44 bold research teams from 71 countries 🌍 are now developing disruptive innovations that could create entirely new markets ‼️ Discover the projects 👉https://lnkd.in/dBYb7TGE