EIC Business Acceleration Services at the EIC Summit 2024: speakers and sessions
- ›On 19 March 2024 the EIC Business Acceleration Services ran five beneficiary-focused workshops at the EIC Summit 2024 in Brussels.
- ›Workshops covered EIC BAS support beyond funding, scaling, investment choices, IP management, DEIB, procurement and pitch training.
- ›Several plenary sessions were webstreamed and the programme included a SPIN4EIC innovation procurement workshop and a First Movers Coalition matchmaking.
- ›Speakers included representatives from EIC BAS, EIB, investors, VC firms, industry procurers and EIC beneficiaries, offering practical tools and matchmaking opportunities.
- ›Sessions highlighted EIC services beyond grants and coaching while also touching on regulatory support, EMA services for biotech, access to HPC and data for AI, and due diligence and ESG for scaleup.
EIC Business Acceleration Services at the EIC Summit 2024
The European Innovation Council Summit 2024 formed part of the European Research and Innovation Week and gathered EIC beneficiaries, policy makers, investors and industry partners in Brussels. On 19 March the EIC Business Acceleration Services team ran a focused beneficiaries day. The BAS programme offered five workshops that combined practical skills training, policy and regulatory briefings, and matchmaking with corporates and procurers. Several sessions were webstreamed to reach a wider audience.
Why these sessions matter for deep tech entrepreneurs
The workshops reflected recurring bottlenecks for European deep tech scaleups. Founders frequently need help translating research into commercially robust business models, protecting and valuing intellectual property, preparing for investor due diligence, navigating regulatory requirements and using public procurement to scale. The EIC BAS offers services intended to supplement grant funding with market access, investor introductions, coaching and targeted pitching opportunities. These are useful but not a substitute for deeper structural challenges such as late stage capital availability, cross-border market access and lengthy regulatory processes.
Programme highlights and speakers
The EIC BAS workshops took place across the plenary and workshop rooms on 19 March. Two plenary sessions were webstreamed. Speakers included EIC Business Acceleration representatives, members of the EIC Board, investors, venture partners, corporate procurers, EIC beneficiaries and specialised advisors.
| Time | Room | Session title | Moderator | Key speakers / guests | Webstreamed |
| 10:15 - 11:00 | Plenary | EIC Business Acceleration Services: Discover EIC support beyond funding! | Monika Vrbkova | Shiva Dustdar (EIB Institute), Yousef Yousef (LG Sonic, EIC Board), Agnieszka Stasiakowska (EIC BAS), Svitlana Lyubchyk (EIC Pathfinder beneficiary), David Comellas (EIC Accelerator beneficiary) | Yes |
| 11:30 - 12:15 | Workshop Room 4 | Fostering an inclusive organisational culture with EIC Women Leadership Programme | Mali Baum | Tara Dickman, Mali Baum | No |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | Plenary | Scaling up in Europe and beyond | Mali Baum | Daniel Kahn (Red Bridge / Sanara Capital), Jillian Manus (Structure Capital), Veronica Oudova (S-Biomedic), William Stevens (Tech Tour) | Yes |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | Workshop Room 3 | How to prepare for your Dragon's Den pitch - training | N/A | Eleonore Venin, Jose Martinez, Volker Hirsch (EIC Business Innovation Coaches) | No |
| 14:15 - 16:00 | Workshop Room 4 | Accelerate Your Business with Innovation Procurement - SPIN4EIC and First Movers Coalition matchmaking | Mandy Chan, Nathalie Noupadja | Carina Faber, Rob Van Riet, Vassilis Tsanidis, Bertrand Wert and five selected EIC beneficiaries for presentations | Part of the process was linked to the plenary programme and to SPIN4EIC activities |
| 11:30 - 12:15 and 15:15 - 16:00 | Other workshop rooms | Various EIC sessions on sustainability, regulatory sandboxes, IP valorisation, HPC and AI support, EMA regulatory support for biotech, due diligence, ESG and NCP/EEN support | Multiple moderators | EIC programme managers, experts from EMA, procurement advisors, portfolio managers and NCP/EEN representatives | Some sessions webstreamed as part of the beneficiaries day |
Selected sessions explained
Practical skillbuilding workshops
The beneficiaries day offered shorter, hands on sessions as well. The Dragon's Den pitch training gave entrepreneurs a 45 minute, coach-led drill on concise pitching techniques. Other workshops covered how to prepare for due diligence, integrate ESG into growth strategies and use National Contact Points and the Enterprise Europe Network for tailored support.
Speakers and ecosystem representation
Speakers included a mix of public and private ecosystem actors. From the public side there were EIC BAS representatives and programme managers, EMA advisors for biotech regulation and EIC Board members. Private sector voices included VCs, venture partners and corporates active in procurement. EIC-funded beneficiaries also presented case studies. That mix aimed to bridge policy, finance and market entry perspectives.
Names highlighted in the programme
Notable names listed in the EIC BAS publicity included moderators Monika Vrbkova and Mali Baum, speakers Shiva Dustdar (EIB Institute), Yousef Yousef (LG Sonic and EIC Board), Jillian Manus (Structure Capital), Daniel Kahn (Red Bridge, Sanara Capital), and procurement or innovation advisors such as Carina Faber and Rob Van Riet. EIC beneficiaries appearing included Svitlana Lyubchyk and David Comellas among others.
What entrepreneurs should take away
Attendees were expected to gain practical contact points and actionable steps. These included routes to introduce products to procurers, clearer IP and valorisation practices, help preparing for investor due diligence and basics of pitching to investors. The EIC BAS sessions were framed to show how support beyond funding can increase access to corporates, investors and international accelerators.
Limitations and realistic expectations
EIC BAS services can open doors and shorten learning curves. They do not replace the need for strong business models, customer validation, repeatable revenue and follow-on capital. Structural gaps remain in later stage funding within Europe and in cross-border scaling complexity. Regulatory sandboxes and procurement opportunities help but they are not uniformly available across sectors or member states. Entrepreneurs must treat these services as leverage rather than guarantees of scale.
How to follow up
Several sessions were webstreamed on the EISMEA YouTube channel. EIC beneficiaries were invited to register to secure places and to follow up with EIC BAS and national contact points. The Summit also promoted a networking app for on site meeting scheduling and encouraged participants to use the Enterprise Europe Network for bespoke follow up.
Disclaimer The original event announcement included the standard note that the information provided is for knowledge sharing and does not represent the official view of the European Commission or other organisations involved.