EIC Summit 2022: registration opens for 7–8 December in Brussels
- ›Registration is open for the European Innovation Council Summit 2022 on 7 and 8 December in Brussels at Tour & Taxis.
- ›Day 1 is public and web-streamed with keynotes, major announcements and the EIC Prizes award ceremony.
- ›Day 2 is reserved for EIC beneficiaries and focuses on practical workshops covering finance, intellectual property rights and deep tech.
- ›The event will provide networking opportunities with investors, EIC Board members, EIC Ambassadors and Programme Managers.
- ›Attendees should expect announcements linked to the New European Innovation Agenda and prize winners for the EIC Women Innovators Prize and the iCapital Award.
EIC Summit 2022 — registration now open
The European Innovation Council has opened registration for its second annual Summit. The event will take place on 7 and 8 December 2022 in Brussels at Tour & Taxis. The Summit is positioned as the flagship gathering for Europe’s deep tech community and will bring together startups, researchers, investors, policy makers and corporate partners.
When, where and format
Dates: 7 and 8 December 2022. Venue: Tour & Taxis, Brussels. The Summit is organised in a hybrid format. The first day will be web streamed and open to the broader public. The second day will be dedicated to EIC beneficiaries and emphasise in-person, practical sessions and peer networking.
| Item | Details | Notes |
| Dates | 7–8 December 2022 | |
| Venue | Tour & Taxis, Brussels | |
| Format | Day 1 web streamed and public, Day 2 in-person for beneficiaries | |
| Organiser | European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) | |
| Hashtag | #EICSummit22 |
What to expect on each day
The Summit is split into two distinct parts. The opening day is framed as the public showcase. It will feature keynote speeches, policy sessions, and the presentation of EIC prizes. The second day is designed as a working programme for those already within the EIC ecosystem. It will offer practical workshops, training and structured networking intended to help beneficiaries tackle operational challenges related to scaling deep tech projects.
Programme highlights and speakers
Commissioner Mariya Gabriel is scheduled to open the Summit and the exhibition, participate in the session on the New European Innovation Agenda and announce winners of the EIC Women Innovators Prize and the iCapital Award. The first day will include inspiring keynotes and major announcements. The second day will deliver hands on workshops on finance, intellectual property rights and deep tech topics and will prioritise interactions among EIC beneficiaries.
Workshops and practical support
The Summit’s second day will run multiple practical workshops. The announced topics cover finance, intellectual property rights and deep tech technologies. The stated objective is to provide material that helps beneficiaries in day to day operations from fundraising to protecting inventions and to technical development.
Networking and access to decision makers
Organisers say there will be many opportunities to meet investors, members of the EIC Board and EIC Ambassadors, and EIC Programme Managers. For startups and researchers this is a key benefit. Realistically the value of these encounters depends on quality of matches and the follow up that participants secure after the Summit. Networking at large events can produce useful leads but often does not substitute for sustained investor engagement.
Who should consider attending
The Summit is relevant for EIC beneficiaries, startups and scaleups in deep tech, research teams seeking to commercialise breakthrough work, investors interested in European deep tech, innovation policymakers, innovation ecosystem intermediaries and representatives of national and regional authorities. Day 1 is open to a wider public and may suit observers and policy watchers. Day 2 is aimed at active EIC beneficiaries.
Registration, programme and social channels
Registration is open. The Summit organisers have published a draft programme and will webstream the first day. Participants and observers are encouraged to follow updates and commentary via Twitter using the hashtag #EICSummit22. Practical details and the final programme should be consulted on the EIC Summit event pages maintained by EISMEA.
Context and a cautious note on impact
The EIC Summit sits within the broader European Innovation Council agenda for supporting breakthrough research and scaling deep tech in Europe. The agency responsible for implementing the EIC programmes is the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, known as EISMEA. Summits are useful moments for signalling policy direction, recognising innovators and expanding networks. However, announcements and awards at the Summit need sustained policy implementation, funding follow through and effective investor engagement to translate into systemic economic impact. Attendees should be pragmatic about immediate outcomes and plan follow up actions to convert Summit contacts into concrete support.
If you plan to attend, check the Summit draft programme for session details, register early to secure participation and set realistic objectives for what you want to achieve at the event.