EIC Summit 2024: scale, announcements and what to watch next

Brussels, April 2nd 2024

Summary

›The EIC Summit 2024 took place as part of the Research and Innovation Week with more than 1,600 participants and 95 speakers.
›Commissioner Ivanova announced 22 new EIC Ambassadors who will join 26 existing ambassadors to promote the EIC across networks.
›An exhibition showcased 14 EIC-supported projects including dedicated actions for Ukrainian startups and diversity initiatives.
›The European Prize for Women Innovators winners were announced and the European Innovation Procurement Awards were presented during the R&I week.
›The Summit generated heavy networking activity with over 1,200 registered bilateral meetings and recordings and photos were made available after the event.

EIC Summit 2024: what happened and why it matters

The European Innovation Council (EIC) Summit 2024, held inside the broader Research and Innovation Week in March, combined plenaries, workshops and an innovation exhibition. Organisers reported strong participation and a dense programme of panels, Tech Talks and networking activities. The event served both as a display of EIC-funded projects and as a platform for policy signals about the future direction of EU deep tech and start-up support.

Scale and format of the event

The Summit was billed as a flagship EIC event and, by the organisers' count, attracted more than 1,600 participants and over 95 speakers. It was organised across multiple days within the Research and Innovation Week and included plenary sessions, workshops, a project exhibition and satellite events. Workshops focused on practitioner concerns such as intellectual property, investment readiness and scaling strategies. The event also included a beneficiaries day dedicated to existing EIC grant and investment recipients.

Major announcements and content highlights

New EIC Ambassadors:Commissioner Iliana Ivanova announced a new cohort of 22 EIC Ambassadors. These appointees join 26 continuing ambassadors and are expected to promote the EIC and relay feedback from national networks. Ambassadors perform outreach and help bridge the Commission with local innovation ecosystems but their role is primarily promotional and advisory.

Tech Talks and programme manager briefings:EIC Programme Managers featured in several workshop sessions. Two programme managers, Samira Nik and Franc Mouwen, led Tech Talks focusing on Quantum and Construction Transitions respectively. These sessions are intended to connect technology portfolios to broader industrial goals and to provide technical orientation for applicants and stakeholders.

Tech Talks and programme manager interventions are valuable for signalling priorities and for offering practical insights on application expectations. They are however not substitutes for transparent criteria and follow-up metrics on funded projects. The real test of such sessions is whether they improve proposal quality and shorten time to market for supported innovations.

Exhibition, projects and targeted support

An exhibition displayed 14 projects receiving EIC support, giving attendees a glimpse of funded innovations and potential commercial uses. The exhibition included targeted actions such as 'Seeds of Bravery', an EIC initiative to support Ukrainian start-ups, and initiatives linked to Women Tech EU. Several other EU bodies were present to outline complementary support services available to innovators.

Seeds of Bravery:Seeds of Bravery is an EIC action designed to support Ukrainian technology start-ups and SMEs affected by the war. Programmes like this combine symbolic value and practical support but their ultimate impact depends on sustained financing, market access and legal clarity for beneficiaries operating from or with Ukraine.

Women Tech EU and diversity initiatives:The Summit highlighted gender and diversity initiatives, with Women Tech EU visible in the exhibition and the European Prize for Women Innovators presented during the opening ceremonies. These initiatives target known gaps in venture funding and representation but monitoring is needed to verify whether increased visibility translates into more funding and leadership opportunities.

Prizes and recognitions announced during R&I Week

Two prize streams were prominent during the R&I week running alongside the Summit. On 18 March the winners of the 2023-2024 European Prize for Women Innovators were announced in partnership with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. On 20 March the Belgian Presidency presented the European Innovation Procurement Awards during an Innovation Procurement Conference organised back-to-back with the Summit.

Category	Winner	Organisation	Country	Runners-up
Women Innovators	Rana Sanyal	RS Research	Türkiye	Natalia Tomiyama (NÜWIEL, Germany); Elena García Armada (Marsi Bionics, Spain)
Rising Innovators (under 35)	María González Manso	tucuvi	Spain	Sara Correyero Plaza (IENAI SPACE, Spain); Bàrbara Oliveira (Luminate Medical, Ireland); Eva Sadoun (Lita.co, France)
EIT Women Leadership	Yuliia Bialetska	S.lab	Ukraine	Deniz Ficicioglu (BettaF!sh GmbH, Germany); Cristina Purtill (Plio Surgical, Ireland)

The European Prize for Women Innovators aims to raise the profile of women founders and leaders in Europe. Winners receive cash awards and publicity. The prize is managed jointly by EISMEA and the EIT and evaluated by an independent jury. Awards ceremonies raise awareness but tracking longer term outcomes such as follow-on funding and commercial traction is necessary to judge effectiveness.

Networking, access to materials and transparency

Organisers reported over 1,200 bilateral networking meetings registered through the Summit. Networking is a key practical benefit of in-person events and can accelerate partnerships and deal flow. For those who missed sessions, the organisers made official photos and recordings of the Summit and the wider R&I week available afterwards. Public access to recordings is useful for transparency and for researchers tracking policy statements but it does not replace timely publication of performance and impact data for funded projects.

Key concepts explained

EIC Ambassadors:EIC Ambassadors are individuals appointed to act as local voices for the EIC, promoting programmes, providing feedback from national ecosystems and helping to widen outreach. They are not decision makers in funding allocations but serve as connectors between the EIC and regional innovation actors.

EISMEA and the agency role:The European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, or EISMEA, manages EIC programmes and other EU innovation-related instruments. The agency implements grant and procurement processes on behalf of the Commission and is responsible for operational delivery. EISMEA also publishes data protection notices and transparency records for meetings with interest representatives.

EIC Fund and investment components:Beyond grants, the EIC operates an EIC Fund that can co-invest in scaling companies. Investment decisions involve additional actors such as the European Investment Bank and external advisers. Combining grants with equity investments aims to bridge financing gaps for deep tech scale-ups but also raises governance and conflict of interest questions that require careful oversight.

Why the Summit matters for the EU innovation ecosystem

The EIC Summit is one of the calendar events that convenes applicants, winners, evaluators, investors and policy makers. It is useful for signalling priority technologies and for showcasing success stories. The Summit also functions as a networking market and a delivery checkpoint for programmes targeting deep tech and regional inclusion.

At the same time, the Summit is primarily a convening and promotional forum. For the EIC and its stakeholders the more consequential questions are about measurable outcomes such as technology adoption, follow-on private investment, job creation and the geographic distribution of beneficiaries. Announcements like ambassador appointments and prize winners have value but need to be matched by publicly available performance data and by follow-through on market access and regulatory support for scaling companies.

Practical next steps and what to watch

Watch for post-Summit releases from EISMEA and the Commission that go beyond attendance figures and describe outcomes. Useful indicators to track include the number of funded projects that secure follow-on private investment, the distribution of awards across member states and widening countries, and concrete results from targeted actions such as the Ukrainian support programme. Those interested in the Summit materials can consult the published photos and recordings to review panels and Tech Talks.

Finally, stakeholders should press for clarity on the metrics used to judge EIC success. High-profile events are important for visibility. The more important task is to ensure the programmes move funded inventions into sustainable businesses and industrial capacity across Europe.