EIC Summit 2024: Save the date for the third edition in Brussels

Brussels, November 30th 2023

Summary

›The European Innovation Council will hold its third EIC Summit in Brussels from 18 to 21 March 2024 at Tour & Taxis.
›18 March opens the Research and Innovation week jointly with the EIC Summit while 19 March is dedicated to EIC beneficiaries.
›A Belgian Presidency event on Innovative Procurement will run from the late afternoon of 19 March to the afternoon of 20 March.
›Research and Innovation Days continue through 21 March with prizes, exhibition, workshops and satellite events.
›Practical details such as registration and full programme will be published later and attendees should monitor EIC channels for updates.

EIC Summit 2024: Save the date and what to expect

The European Innovation Council has announced the dates and basic programme structure for the third edition of its flagship EIC Summit. The event will take place in Brussels during the Research and Innovation week and will combine plenary sessions, targeted workshops, prizes, an exhibition of funded projects and a set of related events hosted by the Belgian Presidency and other partners. The organisers say more details will follow.

Dates and high level format:The EIC Summit will run from 18 to 21 March 2024. Day 1 on 18 March will open jointly with the Research and Innovation week. Day 2 on 19 March is a beneficiaries day focused on workshops for researchers and entrepreneurs. A Belgian Presidency event on Innovative Procurement will take over from the late afternoon of 19 March and continue to the afternoon of 20 March. The Research and Innovation days will provide a full R&I programme and close at the end of 21 March.

Where and practical notes

The venue for the Summit is Shed 1 at the Tour and Taxis complex on the Brussels Canal. The full address given by organisers is Avenue du Port 86c, 1000 Brussels. The EIC recommends following its social channels for updates and registration information. Organisers have cautioned that fuller logistical and programme details will be published later.

Location details:Tour and Taxis is a historic logistics and exhibition site in Brussels that now hosts large conferences and cultural events. Shed 1 is one of the indoor halls used for exhibitions and plenary sessions. Proximity to central Brussels makes the venue convenient for international attendees but also means accommodation and transport demand will be high in March.

Programme highlights

The Summit blends policy facing sessions with practical support for innovators. The published outline lists keynote speeches, networking options, a project exhibition featuring a variety of EIC-funded projects, beneficiary workshops on operational topics, prize ceremonies and a number of satellite events organised alongside the main programme.

Date	Main focus	Notable items
18 March 2024	Joint opening of Research and Innovation week	Opening ceremony and European Prize for Women Innovators ceremony
19 March 2024	EIC Beneficiaries day	Workshops on intellectual property rights, investments, scaling and networking
Late afternoon 19 March to 20 March (afternoon)	Belgian Presidency event on Innovative Procurement	Event on procurement as a driver of public sector innovation
20 to 21 March 2024	Research and Innovation Days	Full R&I programme and European Innovation Procurement Awards ceremony on 20 March

What the beneficiaries day offers

Organisers present 19 March as a day designed specifically for EIC beneficiaries. Sessions will target practical barriers and opportunities for startups, SMEs and research teams backed by the EIC. Topics mentioned include intellectual property rights, accessing investment, and scaling companies. The day is also intended to facilitate networking with investors, procurers and other ecosystem partners.

Workshops and practical sessions:The announced workshops are pitched at common pain points for deep tech and research driven ventures. Intellectual property sessions typically cover patent strategies and technology transfer. Investment workshops usually focus on attracting follow on financing and preparing for due diligence. Scaling sessions often cover management, regulatory and market entry challenges. The actual content and speakers will be confirmed in the detailed programme.

Prizes, exhibition and satellite events

The Summit will host EIC prize ceremonies. The European Prize for Women Innovators is scheduled on 18 March while the European Innovation Procurement Awards are scheduled for 20 March. A project exhibition will showcase a selection of EIC funded projects under different instruments. Several satellite events will take place in parallel to the Summit which may be organised by partners in the ecosystem.

EIC prizes and visibility:EIC prizes are designed to raise the profile of selected innovators and projects. Prize ceremonies can provide media exposure and networking opportunities but are not a substitute for sustained commercial traction. Project exhibitions give individual teams space to demonstrate prototypes and connect with potential partners.

Context for attendees and the innovation ecosystem

The European Innovation Council operates multiple funding tracks aimed at scaling high risk, high potential innovations. These include the Pathfinder for frontier research, Transition for maturing technologies, the Accelerator for disruptive startups and the EIC Fund which co-invests in later stage companies. The Summit is positioned as a connective moment for EIC beneficiaries, corporate partners, investors, public procurers and policymakers. For many participants the main value lies in structured meetings and informal networking rather than policy announcements.

EIC funding instruments:Pathfinder supports early stage research and high risk concepts. Transition funds scale ideas from lab to prototype and helps prepare for commercial uptake. Accelerator provides grants and equity to startups and SMEs for scaling up. The EIC Fund co-invests with private investors to support growth stage companies. Each instrument has different eligibility criteria and expectations for impact and commercialisation.

Why the Innovative Procurement event matters

The Belgian Presidency event on Innovative Procurement is slotted into the Summit programme as an example of how public procurement can act as a policy lever for innovation. Using procurement strategically can create early adopter markets for new solutions and de-risk private investment for novel technologies. The Presidency event may attract procurers from EU member states, public authorities, solution providers and policy makers.

Innovative procurement explained:Innovative procurement means using public procurement processes to stimulate the development and uptake of new goods and services. Approaches can include procuring solutions that do not yet exist in the market, using procurement to specify performance requirements rather than technical specifications, and running innovation partnerships. Procurement can be a powerful demand-side policy but it is also complex due to legal and budgetary constraints.

Network and logistics

The Summit offers a networking app to registered participants to schedule meetings and manage contacts. Attendees will be able to visit the project exhibition and join satellite events. Organisers recommend early registration once the detailed programme and registration page are published since venue capacity and hotel rooms in Brussels can fill quickly for major EU events.

Networking app and meetings:The networking app is intended to help participants prearrange meetings and maximise face to face time during the Summit. Apps can increase matchmaking efficiency but their usefulness depends on timely registration, quality of profiles and the willingness of participants to follow up after the event.

How participants should prepare

If you plan to attend, monitor EIC channels for the opening of registration and the detailed programme. Prepare a short pitch and clear asks for meetings. Book travel and accommodation early and check visa requirements if you travel from outside the Schengen area. If you are a beneficiary, identify the sessions most relevant to your stage and technology and register for workshops that offer bespoke advice on IP, investment readiness or scaling.

Practical checklist:Watch for the registration opening. Update your LinkedIn and EIC community profiles. Prepare pitch materials and one pager summaries for meetings. Arrange travel and lodging early. Identify relevant satellite events and prize ceremonies and register where required.

A measured view on impact

High profile events like the EIC Summit are useful convening instruments for the European innovation ecosystem. They can accelerate partnerships and visibility for funded projects. At the same time the tangible outcomes depend on follow up, quality of matchmaking and policy follow through. Attendees should treat Summit engagements as one step in a longer strategy to commercialise technology or influence procurement practices rather than a singular turning point.

Where to follow updates and disclaimer

Organisers signalled that more details will follow and encouraged following the EIC on Twitter and LinkedIn for announcements. The original notice included a disclaimer that the information was provided for knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or any other organisation.

Official channels:EIC social accounts and the EISMEA and European Commission web pages are the primary sources for registration, programme updates and practical guidance. Keep an eye on those feeds for the registration link, satellite event schedules and speaker lists.

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