Block.IS and the push to make blockchain usable in Europe

Block.IS is a Horizon 2020 INNOSUP funded acceleration project that set out to move blockchain use cases from experimentation toward commercial deployment. At the close of its second open call the project reported a pipeline of innovators, clusters and small and medium sized enterprises that were being shepherded through a staged programme described as INNOVATE then EXPERIMENT then COMMERCIALISE. Direct funding for participating SMEs and a package of business and technical support were the two pillars of the project approach.

What the open calls produced

Block.IS ran two open calls and selected cohorts of SMEs and startups to receive support. After Open Call 2, 45 SMEs had been selected to produce business plans and present them at a dedicated Innovation Event or Clusters-Innovators Assembly during the INNOVATE phase. From Open Call 1, 23 SMEs had progressed into the EXPERIMENT stage and Block.IS was preparing to push top performers through the final Commercialise phase.

How Block.IS funded and supported teams

According to the project description Block.IS provided around €2.8 million in direct funding across the two open calls. That direct funding was combined with accelerator-style business and technical services. Typical services in programmes like this include coaching, legal and regulatory guidance, technical integration workshops, access to pilot partners in clusters and help with investor readiness. The project also used events such as a Clusters-Innovators Assembly to test business plans and match startups with potential partners.

Why the chosen sectors matter and the technical fit

Block.IS focused in particular on Agrifood, Logistics and FinTech. Each of these sectors has real use cases for distributed ledger technologies but also specific hurdles. Agrifood uses include provenance tracking and traceability across fragmented supply chains. Logistics can use blockchain for immutable records of handoffs and to streamline documentation and customs processes. FinTech has long been linked to blockchain in payments and tokenisation. The potential in these domains is not in doubt but prototypes must still clear practical barriers like integration with existing systems, transaction throughput, privacy requirements and durable business models.

Practical challenges and limits to bear in mind

Acceleration projects frequently highlight selection counts, demoed pilots and event appearances. Those are useful early indicators but they do not guarantee lasting commercial impact. Several recurrent constraints are worth watching for Block.IS alumni as they try to move into the COMMERCIALISE stage. The first is scale and customer uptake. Many pilots fail to become paid deployments because the buyer does not see a clear return on investment or because the pilot used controlled conditions that do not reflect real operations. Second is interoperability. Blockchain networks and platforms are heterogeneous and without agreed standards an application can become locked into a single vendor or node set. Third is regulatory friction. Solutions that touch personal data or financial services must contend with GDPR and financial regulation. Fourth are nontechnical adoption barriers such as procurement rules, legacy IT landscapes and the need for convincing commercial cases rather than technology demonstrations. Finally, the total funding envelope reported by Block.IS is modest relative to the capital demands of scaling complex enterprise solutions, so follow-on investment will be necessary for many teams.

What success should look like after acceleration

If Block.IS succeeds beyond producing pilots the metrics to watch are practical and commercial. These include conversion of pilots into paying contracts, recurring revenue growth, demonstrable reductions in process cost or time for customers, continued compliance with relevant regulations and evidence of interoperability or standards adoption. Another important sign is the ability of alumni to attract follow-on funding from private investors, industry partners or public procurement. Publicly sharing the outcomes of the pitching events and measurable deployment results will help assess whether the programme provided a durable boost.

Near term milestones and next steps

At the time of Block.IS's second open call close the project was preparing the next selection rounds. From the cohort of 45 SMEs in INNOVATE the intention was to shortlist a top 10 to progress to COMMERCIALISE. From Open Call 1 the 23 teams that entered EXPERIMENT were approaching the end of the acceleration programme and an upcoming pitching event was scheduled where some teams would present to investors and partners. These pitching events and the subsequent selection decisions will be important to monitor because they determine which solutions receive the final push toward market entry.

Implications for EU innovation policy and the blockchain ecosystem

Block.IS fits a broader EU pattern of funding early stage innovation and trying to address the so called 'valley of death' between prototype and market. The project shows the typical mix of grant finance and acceleration services that EU programmes favour. That mix is useful for lowering technical risk and for preparing teams for investment. The modest scale of the budget reflects a deliberate role for EU projects to act as de-riskers and matchmakers rather than as large scale investors. For systemic impact the EU will continue to need complementary instruments that provide later stage capital, supportive procurement routes and cross-border regulatory clarity.

Block.IS reported concrete outputs in terms of participant numbers and sectoral focus. The critical question remains whether selected teams can convert pilot work into paying customers, attract follow-on investment and operate inside the regulatory and operational constraints that define real markets. The acceleration of blockchain adoption in Europe requires not only technology validation but durable commercial routes, standards and supportive procurement practices across Member States.

Where to follow developments

Block.IS and similar INNOSUP projects typically publish progress updates and event information on their project pages and through the European Innovation Council channels. Observers should look for results from the pitching events, public reporting on which teams progress to COMMERCIALISE, and later case studies that document customer deployments and measurable business impact.