New Year, New Beginnings, they say. On that note, as we look back at the EIC’s Tech to Market Business Acceleration Services (BAS) Programme during 2021, we see how its cutting-edge format to promote science, technology, and create new market opportunities was a successful one. Given the EIC’s Tech to Market BAS Programme supports all EIC Pathfinder & Transition beneficiaries (former FET), as in researchers, institutions, and research consortia, that allowed the European Innovation Council to step up and make a difference towards leading research and technology development while achieving innovation potential.
Resourcefulness, perseverance, and collaboration? Yes, those three words describe the year 2021 rather well. Hence why it came with no surprise that throughout the past year the EIC continued to reinvent itself to set the tone for the achievements and successes that occurred.
With 11 early-stage business support events, more than 120 EIC beneficiaries that joined the events, and an overall satisfaction rate after the events of 91%, the EIC Tech to Market BAS Programme was a successful one. In this light, as a new year unfolds, here’s our rundown of the key elements that made 2021 great.
The EIC kept succeeding and pushing innovation forward
If you kept track of EIC activities during 2021, as we’re sure you did, you would have noticed the constructive tone and important initiatives developed by the EIC to bring more research to the market. To see this through, events like the EIC Innovation Bootcamp or the EIC Innovation Training Workshop were conducted to grant EIC-funded researchers the possibility of having a better way to translate their research results to actual market-driven products.
As for the topics covered, they touched base from Entrepreneurship to Researchers, Venture building through experimentation and Go to market strategy, to Technology validation and product-market fit process, Business recognition and Market data module, and Presentation pitch. Plus, as mentioned before, the overall satisfaction rate after the events was a high one.
Promoting growth without sacrificing your core values? The EIC has your back
Plunging headlong into organising initiatives that support and promote sustainable innovation is part of the EIC’s DNA. That’s why taking into consideration the opinions of EIC beneficiaries about what we do is crucial.
When asked about their experience after attending the EIC initiatives, Rongying Lin (R&D at Solvionic) that attended the 10th Edition of the EIC Innovation Training Workshop saw this experience as being a valuable opportunity. In her opinion: “This workshop covered areas that a technically (R&D) trained individual usually does not have exposure to. Especially on the exploitation and commercialisation presentation. There was a lot of information, a good overview of marketing and commercialisation, and it will allow me to see the bigger picture, identify areas to improve, and perhaps provide feedback to my company in terms of product management and brand management”.
Moreover, on a personal note, she found this to be “helpful as I discovered my professional experience is also relevant in product management, and it is useful for me to explore another position in my company, which is currently growing and creating new positions”.
Ioannis Ieropoulos (experienced Senior Researcher) that attended the 1st edition of the EIC Innovation Bootcamp mentioned that: “This certainly felt like an eye-opener for me. The speakers were all of high calibre offering not just 'standard' material but real experience from those situations we were being coached for. Every day was a learning curve, and this is one of the best places to be as a research scientist”.
What comes next? The vision is clear
As for the State of Play 2022, the European Innovation Council is always keen on developing initiatives that chart a better future. Our advice? If you’re someone who’s looking for new
opportunities for achieving excellence and sustainable growth, then make sure to check our events calendar regularly. You won’t regret it!
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.