EIC Community training on Scaling Beyond the Grant: Strategies for Growth

Start your EIC Summit experience a day early by connecting with the people who matter most to your growth. On 2 June 2026, the EIC Community Programme invites you to Brussels for ‘Scaling Beyond the Grant: Strategies for Growth’, an interactive session designed to bridge the gap between funding and market leadership. This isn’t just a training: it’s a unique opportunity to workshop strategies alongside fellow awardees and industry experts, building the high-level network you need to turn your innovation into a sustainable competitive advantage. 

This EIC Community Training will deliver a practical and engaging learning experience focused on sustainable growth and market impact. Through EIC-led overviews, real-world success stories, and peer exchange, participants will gain actionable knowledge on navigating expansion, meeting commercial expectations, and enhancing long-term scalability. 

Agenda 

13:00-14:00 

Complementary lunch and networking 

14:00 - 14:05

Welcome and introduction by the moderator

Marjorie Grassler, EU Project Manager at Mobile World Capital Barcelona

14:05- 14:20

Presenting the EIC Business Acceleration Services

Oana Popescu, Strategic communications and stakeholder engagement, EIC 

14:20 - 14:45

Expert session: Investor secrets for EIC-backed scale-ups 

Annick Verween, Head of biotope, VIB
14:45 - 15:30

Breakout room I: Practical session for EIC Pathfinder and Transition awardees: Building your growth roadmap beyond the grant

Paul Celen, EIC Coach and CEO, Celen Consulting 

Breakout room II: Practical session for EIC Accelerator awardees: Preparing for scale-up, partnerships and private investment

Maria Shiao, Business and Executive Coach, Angel Investor, NED

15:30 - 15:45

Coffee break

15:45 - 15:50 

Group photo

15:50 - 16:30

Breakout room I: Case study: EIC company journey for EIC Pathfinder and Transition awardees: From public funding to commercial growth

Matthias Lohrmann, CTO & Co-Founder, SpiNNcloud

Breakout room II: Case study: EIC company journey for EIC Accelerator awardees: From public funding to commercial growth

Bram-Ernst Verhoef, Co-Founder and VP of Customer Solutions and Engineering, Axelera AI

16:30 - 16:50

Peer breakouts and open discussion

Facilitated by Paul Celen and Maria Shiao

16:50 - 17:00

Wrap up, key takeaways and follow-up tools

Learn more via our dedicated open call. 

Learn more about the EIC Community Programme