INNOSUP-funded PITCCH launches second round of corporate challenges
- ›PITCCH, an INNOSUP-funded project, held an event to launch the second round of corporate challenges from five large European companies.
- ›The event foregrounded lessons from the first round and included testimonials from Procter and Gamble and SME Bandora Systems.
- ›Speakers from INL presented PITCCH's business model and the benefits offered to SMEs, startups and technology centres.
- ›The session included a corporate panel that will present the new challenges and a Q&A for prospective collaborators and applicants.
INNOSUP-funded PITCCH launches second round of corporate challenges
On 21 September 2021 the INNOSUP-funded PITCCH initiative hosted an online launch event to unveil the second round of corporate challenges. The event targeted SMEs, startups and technology centres interested in demand driven research and development and open innovation collaborations with large corporations. Organisers said five new technological challenges from European big companies would be launched and that the session would highlight lessons from the project’s first round.
What PITCCH and INNOSUP are
Event purpose and audience
The launch event aimed to do three things. First it announced the next five technological challenges from large European firms. Second it presented outcomes and learnings from the first round of PITCCH challenges. Third it offered orientation on how SMEs, startups and technology centres can engage with the second round and take part in collaborative projects. The organisers positioned the event as open to anyone interested in advanced technologies and partnership opportunities.
Speakers, case studies and testimonials
The programme mixed presentations from project coordinators and direct testimonies from both a large corporate and an SME that participated in the first challenge round. The two case studies were used to illustrate how the PITCCH process works in practice and what types of expectations and results can follow from such collaborations.
| Speaker | Organisation | Role or Topic |
| Paula Galvão | INL | Welcome and introduction. Chief Business and Strategic Relations Officer, INL |
| Raffaele Scoccianti | Procter and Gamble | Testimonial on P&G's PITCCH experience and the 'Plastic-free' recyclable packaging challenge. R&D Director Corporate Open Innovation |
| Márcia Filipa da Silva Pereira | Bandora Systems | SME testimonial on participation and collaboration with SPIE on the 'Open Data systems for building environment' challenge. CEO |
| Michela Mattaloni | INL | Presentation of the PITCCH business model and key benefits. Business and Strategic Relations Officer, INL |
| Big corporations panel | Multiple corporate partners | Presentation of the second round challenges |
Agenda and format
The online event ran in Central European Time and combined short presentations, two case testimonials, and Q&A intervals. It was framed as both an information session and a recruitment vehicle for SMEs interested in responding to the newly launched challenges.
| Time (CET) | Topic |
| 15:00 | Welcome and introduction by Paula Galvão, INL |
| 15:05 | Presentation of PITCCH collaboration projects. Guests: Raffaele Scoccianti, Procter and Gamble and Márcia Filipa da Silva Pereira, Bandora Systems |
| 15:35 | Q&A session |
| 15:45 | PITCCH project business model and key benefits. Speaker: Michela Mattaloni, INL |
| 16:00 | Big corporations panel: Challenges presentation |
| 16:20 | Q&A session and closing remarks |
Examples from the first round
Organisers used two concrete examples from the first round to demonstrate how corporate challenges translate into applied projects. Procter and Gamble described work around a challenge titled 'Plastic-free recyclable packaging for liquid detergents'. Bandora Systems discussed its collaboration with SPIE on a challenge called 'Open Data systems for building environment in digital technologies'. These examples highlight that challenges ranged from materials and packaging innovations to digital building systems.
How the corporate challenges model works
Participation and next steps for SMEs
The launch event invited SMEs, startups and technology centres to register and take part in collaborative bids to the newly announced challenges. Interested organisations were encouraged to prepare concise pitch decks and problem-oriented proposals. The event also indicated that participants would learn what types of support and benefits PITCCH provides, including matchmaking and facilitation services.
Practically, registration for the event and for future activities used standard webinar or portal registration tools. Applicants should carefully review the challenge descriptions once published, check any eligibility criteria and verify how IP, confidentiality and potential procurement or equity arrangements are handled before entering detailed negotiations.
What to watch for after the launch
Announcements that five new corporate challenges are launched are a useful signalling mechanism. Still the real test will be how many challenge statements are translated into funded pilots, whether successful pilots secure further commercial uptake by the corporates, and whether SMEs receive follow-on support to scale. Monitoring the PITCCH project for published outcomes, winner lists and concrete commercial agreements will be necessary to assess impact.
Final takeaways
PITCCH’s second round launch is part of a broader trend in EU innovation policy to use demand led instruments to mobilise SMEs and technology providers. For SMEs this is an accessible route to test solutions with large buyers, but it is not an automatic pathway to scale. Prospective participants should treat the event as an entry point, do their due diligence on IP and commercial terms, and use the offered matchmaking services to form balanced consortia.