EIC at GITEX 2023: European Pavilion seeks deals and partnerships in Dubai

The European Innovation Council organised the official opening reception of the European Pavilion at GITEX Global 2023 in Dubai. The launch began with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday 16 October 2023 at the European Pavilion and gathered EU diplomatic representatives, EIC leadership, trade centre officials and exhibiting innovators. The event is part of the EIC's effort to help European scaleups find partners and commercial opportunities in the Middle East.

Why GITEX matters for European scaleups

GITEX is one of the largest technology trade shows globally and functions as a business and visibility platform. For European scaleups the trade fair is a concentrated opportunity to meet regional customers, systems integrators, investors and government delegations who are actively procuring digital infrastructure and smart city projects. The EIC frames its participation as a way to accelerate international expansion of EU-backed innovators into the rapidly growing Middle East market.

Who spoke at the official launch

Speakers scheduled at the opening reception included high level representatives from the EU and the event host. Among them were H. E. Lucie Berger, Ambassador of the European Union to the United Arab Emirates; Stéphane Ouaki, Head of the European Innovation Council Programme at the European Commission; and Ayman Hassan, Assistant Vice President Commercial at Dubai World Trade Centre. The presence of diplomatic and trade centre officials underscores the political and trade diplomacy dimension of the pavilion.

Which European innovators exhibited

The EIC and its Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 selected a delegation of deep tech companies to exhibit under the European Pavilion. The EIC has emphasized sectors such as 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity, FinTech, blockchain, data analytics and smart cities when presenting the pavilion offering.

Earlier EIC communications noted that 20 innovators exhibited under the European Pavilion at GITEX 2022 and highlighted advances across the priority sectors noted above. For 2023 the EIC delegation was assembled through its internal selection and outreach channels and intended to represent a range of European deep tech capabilities.

Preparatory support and the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme

Ahead of GITEX 2023 the EIC organised a virtual preparatory workshop for the delegation on 28 June 2023. The session was part of the EIC’s Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0, which aims to broker access to key international trade shows and to prepare beneficiaries for pitching and business development in target regions.

How the EIC frames its role and services

The EIC positions this intervention as part of a broader push to help European innovators internationalise. Core instruments the EIC provides include the EIC Accelerator grants and blended investments, the EIC Fund which co-invests alongside private investors, business acceleration services such as coaching and matchmaking and targeted programmes like the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme to buy visibility and market access.

Critical perspective: benefits and limits of trade fair diplomacy

Participation at major trade fairs can deliver useful leads and visibility. However the political and promotional framing around pavilion openings should not be conflated with measurable commercial impact. Trade fair outcomes are uneven and hinge on follow up, regulatory alignment, local partnerships, and the ability to adapt to contractual and procurement requirements in the target market.

Practical considerations for participating companies

Companies attending trade fairs in new regions should prepare to address localisation of products and services, standards and certification differences, intellectual property protection, data sovereignty and compliance with local procurement rules. For deep tech firms these issues can be as important as initial business introductions.

Event logistics and follow channels

Closing assessment

The EIC’s presence at GITEX 2023 represents a continuation of the Commission’s push to create international pathways for European innovators. The mix of public diplomacy, curated delegations and preparatory coaching is sensible in design. The vital next step for policymakers and stakeholders is to publish post-event evidence on concrete outcomes so that the model can be judged on its ability to generate sustainable commercial and investment results for European scaleups in the Middle East.