From 1 to 5 September 2023, EIC- funded SMEs, startups and scale-ups with extraordinary deep tech solutions, met in Berlin, Germany at IFA 2023 in the context of the EIC Overseas Trade Fairs (OTF) Programme 2.0. The largest trade fair for home appliances and consumer electronics brought together more than 2000+ exhibiting companies, 150+ speakers and over 180 000 visitors from 140+ countries.
The EIC Pavilion hit the stage at IFA 2023, featuring the latest developments that address major societal challenges with a focus on digital technologies, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT). Throughout the flagship tradeshow, the EIC innovation leaders leveraged the opportunity to network with industry professionals, opinion leaders and like-minded counterparts.
The delegation of the EIC Pavilion was comprised of exceptional innovators from 16 European & non-EU countries (Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom), offering the opportunity to exhibit groundbreaking solutions and form strategic business partnerships with top global actors of the tech industry. The wide spectrum of innovations of the EIC Pavilion ranged from Consumer Electronics & Smart Home gadgets to creative concepts for product design and IT solutions.
Among the key highlights stood out the speech of the EIC Ambassador, Co-Founder & CEO at Openers, Kerstin Bock, entitled Getting to the next stage of growth. Ms. Bock stressed out the fundamental role of the EIC in helping European innovators achieve sustainable growth and successfully scaling their business in the global innovation ecosystem. Through expert insights, real-world case studies and interactive discussions, participants gained a deeper understanding of the key factors influencing startup growth and learned effective approaches to overcome common obstacles on the path to scaling.
In a previous interview with the EIC, the Managing Director at IFA Management, Oliver Merlin, highlighted the added value of the EIC Pavilion: «As we all know, innovation needs networks and that’s why the European Innovation Council will be so important. The EIC Pavilion will showcase innovation and help start-ups to make the connections they need to scale their breakthrough technologies. I believe that the EIC Pavilion will be one of the “must-visit” booths at this year’s IFA».
To find out more on the EIC-funded pioneers that participated in IFA 2023, please read this article. The next delegation of EIC companies is all set to exhibit revolutionary innovations in GITEX 2023, taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 16 to 20 October 2023.
About EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0
The EIC Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 supports EIC-funded SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups to develop their large-scale commercialisation strategy in foreign markets and leverage entrepreneurial opportunities at global innovation hubs, strengthening the European Union’s (EU) brand around the world.
Building on the success of the Pilot OTF Programme, which took place between 2017-2018, the EIC OTF Programme 2.0 is running throughout 2022 and 2023, offering EIC beneficiaries the unprecedented opportunity to showcase their unconventional ideas at 15 international trade fairs in diverse sectors.
Check EIC OTF Programme 2.0 for additional information. For stories, open calls and events, you may also visit the EIC Community Platform.
To follow the latest news and learn more about getting involved, please visit the EIC’s official social media accounts on Twitter and LinkedIn.
