EIC selects 56 early stage deep tech projects for up to €168 million in Pathfinder grants
- ›The European Innovation Council selected 56 projects under the EIC Pathfinder Open call and allocated up to EUR 168 million in grants.
- ›The awards are intended for early stage, high-risk high-gain research aimed at radical technology breakthroughs across health, environment, energy, computing and AI.
- ›Projects were chosen from 868 evaluated proposals with a low overall success rate and a participant base dominated by higher education and research organisations.
- ›Selected teams will receive grants averaging about EUR 3 million and will also gain access to EIC Business Acceleration Services including coaching.
EIC channels research funding to science-towards-technology breakthroughs
On 18 November 2021 the European Innovation Council announced the first set of projects selected under the newly formed EIC. Fifty six proposals were chosen under the Pathfinder Open call for funding that backs bold, early stage research with potential to become radically new technologies. The EIC said the selected projects will share up to €168 million in grant funding. The average award is around €3 million per project.
What was selected and why it matters
The projects span a wide range of scientific and technological domains including health, environment, energy, computing and artificial intelligence. The EIC positions the Pathfinder programme as funding for high risk high reward and interdisciplinary research at low Technology Readiness Levels typically between TRL1 and TRL3. The aim is to finance the scientific and technical work that could underpin future disruptive technologies.
How the EIC Pathfinder funding works
Context and critical considerations
The Pathfinder format addresses a recognised gap in innovation funding by targeting very early stage and high risk research that is not yet attractive to traditional investors. However the small share of SMEs among participants highlights a persistent challenge in translating laboratory breakthroughs into industrial activity led by companies. Grants at the TRL1 to TRL3 stage are useful to develop foundational science. They are not a substitute for the larger and more complex commercialisation funding and patient private capital that are needed to scale deep tech.
The selection rate implied by the figures is low. This is typical of competitive research calls but it also means many high quality ideas will remain unfunded. The EIC’s additional measures such as coaching and programme manager interactions are intended to reduce the so called valley of death between research and commercialisation. The true test will be how many of the Pathfinder projects secure follow on funding, spin out into companies and reach markets. That will depend on the availability of transition grants, investor interest and the maturity of national innovation ecosystems supporting scale up.
Representative projects and thematic spread
The selected portfolio demonstrates the programme's ambition to cover a broad remit. Projects include quantum devices, advanced imaging and diagnostics, novel materials and manufacturing processes, energy conversion and storage concepts, biofabrication and synthetic biology, and new computing paradigms. The diversity is intentional because Pathfinder Open has no predefined thematic priorities and accepts proposals in any scientific or technological field.
| Project name | Coordinating organisation | Country | Recommended EU contribution |
| ThermoDust | Trinity College Dublin | IE | 2 726 390 |
| VortexLC | Vrije Universiteit Brussel | BE | 3 014 376 |
| TwistedNano | Universita degli Studi dell'Aquila | IT | 3 197 927 |
| NEUROSENSE | I3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto | PT | 3 745 350 |
| BIOMET4D | Fundacion IMDEA Materiales | ES | 3 439 542 |
| OpenMIND | DTU | DK | 2 992 204 |
| QuCoM | University of Southampton | UK | 2 753 179 |
| EcoPlastiC | Athlone Institute of Technology | IE | 3 045 503 |
| QUSTom | Barcelona Supercomputing Center | ES | 2 959 999 |
| MSGUIDE | Helmholtz Zentrum München | DE | 3 538 468 |
The table above shows a sample of projects from the selection to illustrate geographic reach and subject matter. The EIC publishes a full list of awarded projects on its website for those seeking details on all 56 awardees.
Implications for the European innovation ecosystem
The Pathfinder awards are an early operational milestone for the EIC since its formal launch in March 2021. The emphasis on high risk high reward science aligns with European policy goals to build strategic technological autonomy and domestic capacity for future industries. If the EIC can consistently shepherd early discoveries through Transition funding and into private investment, it could help reduce Europe's dependence on external technology suppliers in critical areas.
That outcome is not guaranteed. The path from funded research to a viable company is long and costly. The ability of the EIC to catalyse private investment and to coordinate with national and regional funding sources will be decisive. The limited representation of SMEs in the selected cohort suggests that further policy work may be needed to connect academic research teams with entrepreneurial and industrial partners capable of taking technologies to market.
Practical next steps for awardees and stakeholders
Where to find more information
Detailed information including the complete list of funded projects, selection statistics and guidance on the EIC Business Acceleration Services are available on the European Innovation Council website. For applicants and third parties the EIC also provides information on access to National Contact Points, the Funding and Tenders Portal and rules related to grant preparation and contracting.