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European Innovation Council

Programme day 1

Programme day 1 (Wednesday, 3 June)

Join us for the workshops programme in the morning, exclusively open to EIC beneficiaries. 

In the afternoon, the Leaders Stage welcomes all visitors for official opening and dynamic sessions featuring top voices from startups, scaleups, science, corporates, finance and political decision makers. 

Enjoy exclusive content, networking opportunities, and discover the best of the EIC in the exhibition area throughout the day.

Day two programme
  • Leaders' stage
  • Spark stage
  • Ignition stage
  • Momentum stage
  • Breakthrough stage
  • Horizon stage
  • Frontier stage

Programme details

 

9:00 - 10:00 |  Welcome coffee & Registrations

10:00 - 10:30 | Workshops

Join our interactive workshops to explore key topics, share insights and engage directly with experts.

SPARK STAGE - "EIC STEP Scale Up: What's in it for me?"

Time: 10:00-10:30

Information session on STEP evaluation process, scheme results/ testimonials, lessons learnt and the way forward.

Speakers:

  • Denisa Perrin, Head of Unit for the EIC Accelerator, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
  • Ioana Mihai, Head of Unit, European Investment Bank
  • Thomas Forner, CEO and founder of Focused Energy

Moderated by:

IGNITION STAGE - "How to make the most of the pre-accelerator in the widening countries. Enterprise Europe Network is here to help"

Time: 10:00-10:30

From market readiness to scaling up, Network experts share their experiences in supporting innovative companies in Widening Countries. Join our debate, as we ask ourselves: what needs to change to keep innovation ecosystems relevant?

Speakers:

MOMENTUM STAGE - "EIC Business Acceleration Services: Discover EIC support beyond funding!"

Time: 10:00-10:30

Ready to scale, connect, and grow? Join this high-energy session to discover how EIC Business Acceleration Services (BAS) can open doors to top corporates, leading investors, and forward-looking innovation procurers. Learn how we connect you with the best accelerators, incubators, venture builders, and strategic business partners — and how you can boost your visibility at major international trade fairs. Don’t miss this chance to turn connections into growth.

Speakers:

Moderated by:

  • Agnieszka Stasiakowska, Head of Sector, EIC Business Acceleration Services, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
BREAKTHROUGH STAGE - "Working with US and international co-investors: What does it take?"

Time: 10:00-10:30

Learn from and discuss with experts what it means in practice for EIC-backed founders to attract, negotiate with, and work alongside US and other international co-investors.

Speakers: 

Moderator: 

10:30 - 11:00 | Workshops

SPARK STAGE - "EIC support for dual-use and critical defence technologies"

Time: 10:30-11:00

Find out about the brand new EIC funding opportunities for breakthrough dual-use innovation and critical defence technologies and the way forward.

Speakers:

  • Susana Getman, Programme and Call Manager for EIC Accelerator, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
  • Pierre Limouzin, VC investment advisory at the European Investment Bank
  • Gilles Le Cocguen, Head of EuroQuity at Bpifrance

Moderated by:

  • Sorin Moisa, EIC Board Member, Co-Founder, Director and Chairman of the Board of Skyy Holdings Pty Ltd. Australia
IGNITION STAGE - "EIC Pathfinder: Generating technologies with impact"

Time: 10:30-11:00

Even at early stages, EIC Pathfinder projects can generate impact signals - influencing industry direction, opening new fields, and shaping research agendas. Recognising these signals helps guide investment, shape future markets, and strengthen Europe’s strategic capabilities. This workshop will explore how EIC Pathfinder deep-tech research can contribute to emerging value chains and societal transformation even before technologies reach maturity.

Speakers:

MOMENTUM STAGE - "Scaling Smart: Stage-by-stage capital strategy"

Time: 10:30-11:00

Workshop on stage-by-stage capital strategy, key pitfalls and success factors in fundraising, and practical guidance for building a resilient funding roadmap.

Speakers:

Moderated by:

  • Mihaela Diana Rucinschi, Investors Programme Coordinator, EIC Business Acceleration Services, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
BREAKTHROUGH STAGE - "Going global: Turning market access into scalable growth"

Time: 10:30-11:00

This dynamic session brings together a diverse, high-level panel to tackle the critical strategies, challenges, and opportunities for European-funded companies aiming to scale globally. From leveraging market access programmes to navigating cultural and regulatory hurdles, the discussion will provide actionable insights on how to transform innovation into sustainable international growth. The panel will explore real-world examples, funding mechanisms, and partnerships that accelerate global expansion, with a focus on emerging markets, strategic hubs like Dubai, and alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speakers:

Moderator:

11:00 - 13:00 | EIC Multi-Corporate and Multi-Procurer Sessions

MOMENTUM STAGE - "Innovation Procurement as a Superpower: Scaling Breakthrough Solutions Across Borders — EIC Multi-Procurers Day"

Time: 11:00-13:00 

Innovation Procurement is a powerful lever to modernise public and private services and accelerate the uptake of breakthrough innovations. Demand-driven procurement creates opportunities for innovative SMEs and start-ups while strengthening European competitiveness and resilience.

This session explores how Innovation Procurement can catalyse the commercialisation and cross-border scaling of cutting-edge health solutions across Europe.

Through a panel discussion bringing together key European Commission representatives, procurers, and innovators, the session will examine how procurement can enhance market access, reduce adoption barriers, and support the scaling of impactful healthcare innovations.

Speakers:

  • Ann-Sofie Rönnlund, Member of the Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, Ms Ekaterina Zaharieva
  • Dr. Alberto Torresin, Coordinator of the Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy Networks, Lombardy Region, Italy
  • Merel Boers, Director of Nicolab, EIC Innovator
  • Federica Zanca, EIC Programme Manager for Medical Technologies and AI in Healthcare

The discussion will be followed by a Multi-Procurer Day in in the health area , showcasing the actual power of Innovation Procurement. Five leading EIC innovators will present breakthrough technologies addressing critical healthcare challenges and engage directly with major European hospitals and procurers to explore adoption pathways

Speakers:

More information on pitching your innovative solutions and establishing commercial agreements with leading hospitals

BREAKTHROUGH STAGE - "EIC Multi-Corporate Day on Life Sciences: Pitching and fireside chat on corporate venturing"

Time: 11:00-13:00 

Experience live pitches from some of Europe’s most promising EIC-backed start-ups and scale-ups presenting their breakthrough solutions to global healthcare leaders, and listen to AstraZeneca, Bayer, Chiesi Group and Coloplast to spark strategic collaborations and commercial opportunities through the EIC Corporate Partnership Programme. This EIC Multi-Corporate Day offers a front-row seat to high-level exchanges with senior industry decision-makers, offers unique insights into corporate challenges and partnership pathways across therapeutics, biotech, sustainable chemistry and care innovation. A thought-provoking fireside chat explores the evolution of corporate venturing in Europe and emerging venturing client models as a powerful tool to scale impactful innovation.

Fireside chat speakers:

More information on the pitching open call

11:30 - 12:00 | Workshops

SPARK STAGE - "Why the early engagement in exploitation activities will ultimately determine the success of your EIC Pathfinder project"

Time: 11:30-12:00

The path for EIC Pathfinder projects from lab to market can be difficult and full of new challenges to researchers. They include the need for the clarification of the innovations’ unique value proposition, identification of relevant future market segments, effective market strategies and selection of appropriate business models that will ultimately determine successful commercialisation (or not). This workshop will provide testimonies of EIC Pathfinder projects that engaged early in their project life cycle with the exploitation activities. Learn how this helped them translate their research results into products and services with real-world impact.

Speakers:

  • Laurence Petit, EIC Board member, Director for Innovation, Start-ups, and Investments at CEA
  • Stefan Spirk, Associate Professor at the Institute of Paper, Pulp and Fiber Technology at Graz University of Technology
  • Marco Franchin, Senior Advisor, META Group

Moderated by:

  • Antonios Fysekidis, Programme Coordination Manager, EIC Pathfinder, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
IGNITION STAGE - "Bridging innovation and regulation: Maximising impact through EIC-EMA collaborations"

Time: 11:30-12:00

The workshop will take stock of the cooperation between the EIC and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), its impact in supporting innovative projects during their development and regulatory pathway and showcase best practices. Speakers will present the added value, benefits, and practical impact of the cooperation so far, based on data analysis and concrete examples. The discussion will also identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities for further enhancing the effectiveness and relevance of the EIC–EMA collaboration for EIC beneficiaries and health innovators. 

Speakers:

  • Helene Casaert, Scientific officer, SME Office, Regulatory Science and Innovation Task Force
  • Hojjat Alizadeh Zeinabad, Biotechnologist, FWO Postdoctoral Fellow at KU Leuven
  • Sheng Qi, Chair of Pharmaceutics at the University of Liverpool's School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Orsolya Symmons, EIC Programme Manager for Health and Biotechnology
HORIZON STAGE - "Companies with gender-diverse (leadership) teams are set to win, but how do you build one?"

Time: 11:30-12:30 

*This workshop runs for 1 hour

Gender-diverse companies are rare but highly desired ventures that deliver more innovative solutions and generate higher profits. By diving into success cases in the European innovation ecosystem and exploring existing hurdles, this workshop will, in an interactive manner, put forward practical approaches innovative companies can apply to build and sustain gender-diverse leadership teams.

Speakers:

  • Sara Jud, Women Leadership Programme Coordinator, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
  • John Metselaar, Professor of Management Practice at Solvay Brussels School for Economics and Management
  • Annick Verween, Head of Biotope
  • Corine Dubruel, President of HSL Technologies (HySiLabs)

Moderated by:

  • Kinga Stanislawska,  EIC Ambassador, Founder, Experior VC and Founder, European Women in VC

12:00 – 12:30 | Workshops

IGNITION STAGE - "Business angels: Unlocking business opportunities and growth"

Time: 12:00-12:30

This session examines the EU's policy on stimulating early-stage investments, focusing on strategies to overcome regulatory fragmentation and catalyse cross-border capital flow. By analysing the core results of the ESIL project, we will assess how pan-European angel networks and cross-border syndication models are successfully closing the critical funding gap for deep-tech ventures. The discussion will demonstrate how ESIL activities integrate with the European Innovation Council, enabling early-stage capital to transform nascent research into globally competitive market opportunities.

Speakers:

  • Luigi Amati, President, Business Angels Europe & Director, META Group (ESIL project coordinator)
  • Danielius Stasiulis, EIC Board Member, Co-founder of BitDegree, Ogvio and EdTech Lithuania
  • Radostina Tsenova, Policy Officer, Innovation Policy & Access to Finance, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission

Moderated by:

  • Nuno Quental, Project Adviser, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency

12:30 - 13:30 | Workshops

IGNITION STAGE - "Startup Europe: Scaling Innovation Through Collaboration"

Time: 12:30-13:00

Join us for a workshop exploring the Startup Europe Programme — a flagship European Commission initiative designed to connect, support, and scale startups across Europe. This session brings together entrepreneurs and ecosystem enablers to share insights, forge partnerships, and unlock new growth opportunities. Discover how the programme bridges gaps between startups and corporates, public institutions, and global markets. Through interactive discussions and real-world case studies, participants will gain practical knowledge on accessing funding, expanding networks, and leveraging European resources. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected innovation ecosystem — because Europe’s startups thrive when they collaborate.

Speakers:

Moderator:

  • András Inotai, Head of the Taskforce on Startups and Scaleups, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission
HORIZON STAGE - "Test faster and scale smarter: Improving access for companies to European research and technology infrastructures"

Time: 12:30-13:00

This session will also take place on Day 2 (June 4 at 10:45).

This session will showcase a real-world success story of collaboration between a company and a technology infrastructure (TI), demonstrating how streamlined access, whether through simplified contracts, cross-border facility use, or tailored support, can drive breakthroughs. By highlighting practical solutions to common barriers, we’ll explore how these principles, if scaled, could transform the European innovation landscape.

 The discussion will feature firsthand perspectives from an innovative company and the infrastructure host to foster a constructive dialogue on improving access for industrial users. Through this exchange, we’ll identify actionable ways to make Europe’s world-class research and technology infrastructures more responsive to business needs, ensuring that cutting-edge ideas move from lab to market faster and smarter.

Speakers:

  • Markus Klose, VP Intellectual Property and Grant Financing, Skeleton Technologies
  • Ari Hentunen, Research Team Leader, VTT
SPARK STAGE - "Creating investable spin-offs: Lessons from technology transfer and EIC Tech to Market"

Time: 12:30-13:30

*This workshop runs for 1 hour

European competitiveness requires putting research and innovation at the centre of the European economy. Technology transfer from universities and research centres is key for turning research and innovation into successful spin-offs, yet the process and negotiations can be challenging. Licensing terms, equity structures, and national regulations all shape whether spin-offs can attract investment and scale. This workshop brings together IP and tech transfer experts to share their experience and perspectives on technology transfer practices in Europe. The panel will highlight practical lessons, negotiation insights for founders, and how EIC Tech2Market venture building activities can support sustainable spin-off creation.

Speakers:

13:00 - 14:30 | Lunch Break

14:30 - 17:40 | Leaders stage programme 

14:30-15:15 | Official Opening and launch of the Scaleup Europe Fund

With video address from President Ursula von der Leyen

Speakers:

Moderated by:

15:15-15:45 | How to scale in Europe

Speakers:

Moderated by: 

  • Francesca Bria, Honorary Professor, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose & EIC Board member
15:45-16:30 | From Innovation to Firepower: Scaling Europe's Defence Technologies

Speakers:

  • Tomasz Husak, Director of Directorate A – Defence Policy in the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space
  • Sebastian von Ribbentrop, Co-founder of JOIN Capital
  • Adel Haddoud, CEO at Infinite Orbits
  • Pavel Čechal, CEO, AviaNera Technologies

Moderated by:

  • Federica Valente, Research, Technology and Innovation Coordinator, European Defence Agency
16:30-17:00 | Where European Deep Tech Meets Global Opportunity

Speakers:

Moderated by:

  • Maria Cristina Russo, Deputy Director-General for Innovation, Prosperity and International Cooperation, DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
17:00-17:30 | Corporates as Venture Clients: Unlocking Scale in Europe

Speakers:

Moderated by:

17:30-17:40 | Closing day 1

Speaker:

18:00 - 22:30 | EIC Summit After-Hours

Join us to unwind at our networking cocktails in the vibrant Ticket Window Hall venue at Maison de la Poste.