To address the low start-up survival rate and the lack of funding in “modest” and “moderate” innovation ecosystems within Europe – namely in Central and Eastern European countries - the consortium (led by EIT Health in collaboration with InnoStars, Civitta and other entities, as well as an advisory board including the EIF) will use their individual expertise to implement activities that build critical mass on both the investor and venture-building front. Given the investment challenges in early-stage ventures, the Project will seek to collaborate with local start-up support organizations to provide capacity building initiatives as well as to derisk local innovators to set the foundations for modest and moderate regions to become sustainable and competitive with more dynamic regions within the European ecosystem. The project will be structured around the impact pathway methodology (scoping, engaging and implementing). The specific objectives are: 1) to build robust and sustainable early-stage investment ecosystems and increase critical mass; 2) to increase venture investments through a) cultivating life sciences local investment and b) attracting foreign investors into the local innovation ecosystem; 3) to provide de-risking and investment readiness support for Dealflow exchange to increase syndication, and 4) to disseminate and implement project outcomes, create European foundation to address fragmentation in EU market and support cross-border investments In addition to said objectives, as well as the expected outcomes set out in the call, the Project will aim to impact wider European goals, including furthering the European Innovation Agenda, increasing investment competitiveness, start-up as wells as job creation, knowledge transfer, and widening European outreach. Furthermore, project results are expected to be applicable to other regions and non-health related industries and scope a Pan-European funding initiative for health tech ventures rich in assets.

The effective application of biotechnology plays a crucial role in building a sustainable European industry, in line with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and its Progress Report, and contributing to the transformation of Europe outlined in the Green Deal. But despite the enormous potential of biotechnology for contributing to sustainable development in areas such as healthcare, materials, chemicals and food production, the technology is not widely accepted and supported by the general public. This leads to reluctance among industry to adopt and invest in biotechnological solutions, uncertainty among investors, and creates little incentive to eliminate regulatory barriers that prevent implementation. Recognising their concerns is therefore essential for improving the adoption of these technologies. The main objective of the B-TRUST project is thus to develop a transparent and inclusive governance model enabling the application of biotechnology to the bio-based and agri-food sector. More specifically, to (1) inform and create transparency related to consumer and environmental safety, (2) leverage engagement from citizens and other stakeholders, and (3) develop and exchange best practices. This model will be built based on the Theory of Change, to ensure impact while keeping all actors committed, and use co-creation trajectories with civil society and stakeholders as trust catalysts, leading to a set of measures and principles for building trust. The model will be developed and finetuned via four biotech use cases chosen to cover different types of concerns and benefits. Mapping out the real and perceived risks and benefits of these technologies will lead to a comprehensive assessment of the technologies, laying the foundations for general trust-building. Lastly, a forum will be created to deploy trainings and keep stakeholders engaged and informed, allowing the model to be replicated and sustained for further research and development, policy making and funding schemes.

The ultimate goal of EHAB is to accelerate the delivery of innovative health techniques and products, in the area of advanced therapies/regenerative medicine and biomaterials to citizens and patients who need it. This innovative healthcare should be affordable for all and improve the quality of life of patients. With Advanced Therapies & Biomaterials it will be possible to have more effective and efficient healthcare for lots of common diseases, like orthopedics, cancer or cardiovascular. Currently it is very hard to bring these techniques to the market and companies face many barriers, from production challenges to regulation. Joint action at an EU level can make the difference. Ecosystems can work together to overcome the barriers of the companies to catalyze and speed up the process of bringing innovative AT&B products to the market. The first step in creating this value chain is to capitalize and connect the assets with EU innovation ecosystems and lay the foundation for an excellent partnership from different European regions. EHAB’s Vision is thus to strengthen the European landscape in advanced therapies and biomaterials (AT&B) by building a European interconnected value chain and powerhouse to making cell and tissue related therapies available to all European citizens, seizing opportunities in key parts of the AT&B value chain, consolidating EU assets, notably SMEs and increasing its international competitiveness. EHAB’s Mission is to identify regional strengths, weaknesses, gaps and needs in a joint transregional AT&B value chain and to elaborate an action plan to strengthen the performance and capacity of the innovation ecosystems, their efficient interconnection and their alignment towards EU-level priorities, jointly tackling challenges at EU, national and regional level together with the quadruple helix stakeholders from the deeptech SME community, funding agencies, investors, academia, service providers, notified bodies, policy makers, patients.

The general purpose of PRECISEU is connecting innovation ecosystems across Europe to efficiently advance towards a truly personalised healthcare, transferring practices and solutions from region to region and scaling up deep-tech healthcare innovations based on advanced therapies medicinal products and health data across Europe. The PRECISEU consortium is composed of Regional Authorities and innovation players from 9 NUTS 1 and 2 regions, supported by clusters, universities, research centres and infrastructures, NGOs and networks, and engaging regional and European innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs across the EU health innovation space. Also involved as partner in the consortium, one Ukrainian Region, Rivne, represented by the Rivne Medical Cluster, has a relevant role as Ukraine is open for cooperation, innovation and joint projects for reconstruction. The European continent faces a set of challenges in terms of the swift and effective implementation of medical care, which were brought sharply into focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare remains a concurrent gap between innovation leaders and emerging and moderate innovators (classification according to the Regional Innovation Scoreboard, RIS), which impacts all spheres (economics, social and living standards), and which requires significant expertise and knowledge as well as expansive collaboration between innovation networks and all stakeholders and communities across Europe. PRECISEU is aware that taking next steps in the development and organisation of PM is a key issue for Europe, and that more coordination efforts between key European stakeholders is necessary to foster its implementation. By focusing on health data and advanced therapies as key drivers of personalized medicine models, PRECISEU will not only provide regional ecosystems with European connectivity but will most importantly address the significant and urgent needs of the regions.

The BREATH project aims to build a well-structured and sustainable Talent Ecosystem in Health Innovation (HI) management in three key European regions—Catalonia, Flanders, and Lithuania—where talent managers from academic and non-academic institutions collaborate to drive institutional changes and implement initiatives that enhance researchers’ careers, talent retention and mobility. To achieve this, BREATH will first engage all relevant stakeholders to assess the current needs of the HI ecosystem, including labour market demands, skills gaps, and the identification of current and future career paths. The goal is to provide Early-Career Researchers (ECR) with tools and guidance specifically tailored for the HI field through the BREATH Experience. The objectives of this experience are twofold: (a) to deliver personalised training to ECR, achieved by collaboratively developing tailored career paths, pinpointing essential skills for each path, and addressing skill gaps with customised training modules; and (b) to provide individualised guidance through enhanced career support services at partner universities. A key output will be the creation of a Career Path Guidance Platform, which will serve as a centralised resource for ECRs to explore career paths, identify up-to-date skills in HI, and access tailored training opportunities. The project will pilot and evaluate these new career paths, training programs, and guidance services across the three regions. The findings will contribute to policy formulation aimed at improving research career management at national and European levels, focusing on attractive career opportunities and effective talent development strategies for researchers. In summary, the BREATH project aims to enhance the European research landscape, empowering ECRs and ensuring the research and innovation sectors are equipped with the talent needed to thrive in a competitive global market.