2023 Challenges
The EIC Accelerator Challenges calls are open to proposals in predefined topics that have been identified in areas where breakthrough technologies or game-changing innovations developed by start-ups or SMEs can have a major impact on EU objectives.
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Novel biomarker-based assays to guide personalised cancer treatment
Budget: EUR 65 million
Aim: to improve the efficacy, safety and uptake of therapeutic approaches against refractory cancers.
Supporting and accelerating the preclinical validation and/or clinical phase 1 work to develop novel comprehensive predictive, prognostic and companion diagnostic assays to guide cancer treatment. Novel biomarker-based treatments will enable personalised treatments, minimise unnecessary side effects and allow a more effective clinical monitoring of the disease.

Aerosol and surface decontamination for pandemic management
Budget: EUR 65 million
Aim: Strengthen EU industry preparddness and competetiveness in the area of pandemic safety technologies
Facilitating social interaction in the context of pandemic emergencies by one or more approaches : Full systems for high-efficiency aerosol capture, pathogen deactivation and air circulation management in closed-environments. Next-generation face mask technologies with smart filtration materials and with improved retention/rejection of sub-micron particles. Rapid surface decontamination devices beyond state-of-the-art UV-C irradiation systems and biocidal agent dispersion.

Energy storage
Budget: 100 million
Aim: Transform the EU into a resource-efficient economy and ensure increasing Europe’s energy independence from unreliable suppliers and volatile fossil fuels while preserving Europe’s natural environment and tackling climate change.
Groundbreaking innovations meeting the following objectives:
- To store electric and/or thermal energy at low cost, high density, high charging/discharging efficiency and enhanced durability.
- To design technological approaches for energy storage at different scales, duration and uses.
- To develop technologies minimising their carbon footprint, and integrated into products and services embrace circular and life cycle thinking approach supporting transition to a circular economy.
New European Bauhaus and Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector digitalisation for decarbonisation.
Budget: EUR 65 million
Aim: Provide transformative digital products or digitally enabled solutions for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector.
Contributing to climate neutrality and human-centred quality values and principles of the New European Bauhaus:
- Building AEC value chains of the future by delivering digitally enabled AEC products and services in the areas of computational design, digital fabrication and alternative materials, leading to reduction or elimination of embedded building emissions;
- Aiming additionally at higher productivity, higher product quality, reduced material consumption and waste, improved construction logistic in the urban environment or increased safety.

Emerging semiconductor or quantum technology components
Budget: EUR 100 million
Aim: Support the EU in taking a leading role in the development of cutting-edge quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communications.
Development of emerging fault-tolerant quantum computing hardware components, quantum sensors that work in real environment, as well as quantum communication devices that can be deployed in a real environment for practical applications.
Novel technologies for resilient agriculture
Budget: EUR 65 million
Aim: Provide solutions for a sustainable agricultural and food production system resilient to environmental and social disruptions.
- Interdisciplinary solutions for regenerative agriculture and soil health in the areas of sustainable fertilisation, crop protection, irrigation, soil management, protection and restoration, crop and livestock management.
- Novel processes, materials, equipment, management practises and microorganisms adapted to harsh environments, climate adaptation needs and resource scarcity.
Customer-driven, innovative space technologies and services
Budget: EUR 65 million
Aim: Strenghtening EU strategic autonomy in servicing and protecting its space infrastructure and enhancing the competitiveness of its space industry
- To further mature in-orbit assembly and manufacturing; To collect space debris with a view for recycling, recovering and transforming purposes;
- To design and construct a R&I LEO unmanned platform platform assembled in orbit and to host in-orbit microgravity experiments or collect/re-use space debris;
- To scale up disruptive innovations for space situational awareness, in-space logistics, Earth observation, navigation, satellite communications (SATCOM), and others.