InnoInnovation Procurement (IP) is a recognised strategy for driving technological development in the public sector and spurring economic growth. It modernises public services and accelerates the market entry of innovations. However, Europe has not fully tapped into its potential due to barriers. Small innovative companies should be more interested in IPs but face challenges engaging with public procurers (PPs). This is due to a) lack of awareness about public contracts and b) distrust in the procurement process. Startups find it difficult to meet the requirements and adapt to lengthy procurement procedures, leading many to avoid them. The barriers faced by public procurers when working with startups: • Qualitative selection procedures often favour large cooperations in PP, and there is little understanding of startup accreditation mechanisms. • Evaluating startups requires precise adjustments to criteria related to technical solvency, economic performance, and autonomy. • Establishing testing environments like regulatory sandboxes and granting temporary testing licenses for startups. • Understanding acceptable payment options and liquidity needs specific to startups in procurement processes. The ECLIPSE project will design and test a new cutting-edge interaction model to connect PP and innovative suppliers with investor ecosystems. Special attention will be dedicated to the role of venture capitalists and how they can effectively contribute to the IP process and foster the market exploitation of its results. ECLIPSE will build a system of tailored advisory services and tools to bridge the gap between PPs’ needs and innovative suppliers' capabilities. These services will possess the expertise and competencies necessary to overcome barriers that impede the integration of innovation in public sector. By leveraging their specialised knowledge, the advisory services will enhance coordination among Member States and Associated Countries in procuring innovative solutions.

The European Union leads globally in sustainable and climate technologies, yet maintaining this leadership necessitates ensuring broad accessibility across all Member States for GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimaTech innovators. Despite significant potential, disparities persist in gender inclusivity and resource distribution, risking the exclusion of certain regions and stakeholders without intervention. The WE-RISE project addresses these challenges by empowering underrepresented female entrepreneurs in GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech. Through a strategic blend of funding and tailored support, the consortium aims to amplify the market presence of high-potential women-led startups, particularly from emerging European economies. The project's pillars include amplifying market presence through targeted funding and investor matchmaking, integrating startups into the ecosystem through cross-border acceleration activities, and providing a holistic growth program. By prioritising inclusivity, diversity, and systemic change, WE-RISE seeks to enhance the impact and visibility of Green-Women-led startups, contributing to the broader advancement of the European innovation ecosystem towards sustainability.

The project ANDROTEST aims at the development of a non-invasive point-of-care device for the differential diagnosis of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia (medical condition of a man not having any measurable level of sperm in his semen) in male infertility cases. Human infertility affects about 25% of couples. For many years, it was thought that infertility was a “woman thing”. Nowadays it is well known that infertility is not such a woman thing, being estimated that in 40-50% of infertility cases, the issue is on the man’s side. One of the most severe forms of male infertility is azoospermia, which is characterized by an absence of sperm in the semen. Azoospermia is diagnosed in 20% of subfertile men and has two forms: obstructive azoospermia (OA) and non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). OA is caused by a physical obstruction in the male reproductive tract. NOA is a more complicated infertility syndrome with the azoospermia being secondary to a failure to produce sperm. For most men with azoospermia, testicular biopsy is currently the only method to definitively distinguish between OA and NOA. Testicular biopsy is a surgical intervention procedure to remove a small sample of tissue from one or both testicles for further examination under a microscope. The procedure has to be performed by a surgeon or an urologist in an operating room and under local anaesthesia. It is therefore, an invasive procedure that implies significant costs for the healthcare systems and that needs more than 2 weeks to deliver the results, because of the need for expert evaluation of the sampled tissue. The invasiveness of the procedure, the elevated costs and the long times needed to deliver the results, sustain the urgent need for an alternative non-invasive and faster approach with better diagnostic potential at lower costs. This need is the one we have identified as a huge business opportunity we seek embracing.