One year of InnoNext: a closer look at a fast growing EU innovation matchmaking service
- ›InnoNext has connected over 580 talents with more than 240 start-ups and SMEs across 27 countries in under a year.
- ›More than 70 fully funded innovation internships have been activated in areas such as clean energy, AI, biotech and circular economy.
- ›The platform recently expanded to allow MSCA-funded companies to host talents and remains open to beneficiaries from EIC, EIT, ERC and Horizon Europe.
- ›Funding for new EIT Talents internships is fully allocated and activations for that category are temporarily paused.
- ›The initiative sits inside the EIC Business Acceleration Services which offers broader market and scaling support to awardees.
InnoNext after one year
InnoNext was launched as a flagship initiative under the European Innovation Council Business Acceleration Services to bridge research and entrepreneurship. In less than a year the platform reports having connected over 580 qualified talents with more than 240 start-ups and small and medium sized enterprises across 27 countries. Organisers say the aim is to convert academic knowledge into market ready solutions through short term, fully funded innovation internships that pair researchers and innovators with private sector hosts.
What InnoNext offers and who can take part
Early results and sector spread
Organisers say more than 70 innovation internships have been activated to date. The work covers a broad range of application areas including clean energy, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture, biotechnology and circular economy use cases. The platform positions itself as a practical route to translate laboratory research into concrete products, prototypes or business strategies inside smaller companies that typically lack deep in house R and D teams.
| Metric | Reported value | Notes |
| Talents connected | Over 580 | Includes researchers from EIC, EIT, ERC, MSCA and Horizon Europe programmes |
| Hosting organisations | More than 240 start ups and SMEs | From 27 countries |
| Activated internships | More than 70 | Covers multiple sectors |
| Participating countries | 27 | Geographic spread in EU and associated countries |
Examples from the field
A number of EIC funded companies have been named as early participants. Their projects illustrate the technical and commercial variety InnoNext is attempting to serve.
What the technologies mentioned involve
Progress, limits and reasons for a cautious read
The numerical metrics reported are credible as early scale indicators but they leave important questions unanswered. There is no publicly available breakdown of internship durations, funding per placement or follow on outcomes such as hires, licences or spin outs. That matters for assessing whether the placements create sustainable value for talents and hosts or are a short term bridging mechanism.
The recent pause on new EIT Talents activations is a concrete reminder that funding envelopes and administrative capacity shape what the platform can deliver. Temporary pauses do not necessarily indicate failure but they do show a dependence on discrete funding lines. Scaling requires predictable funding and clear impact metrics.
Practical issues common to innovation internships include IP ownership, publication rights for visiting researchers, host company absorption capacity and the quality of supervision and mentoring. The InnoNext model attempts to mitigate some of these frictions through mentoring and matchmaking supports. Independent evaluation of outcomes will be important to validate claims over time.
How InnoNext fits inside the EIC Business Acceleration Services
InnoNext is one of several EIC Business Acceleration Services aimed at helping awardees transition to market. The EIC BAS umbrella provides coaching, matchmaking with corporates, support for procurement opportunities and investor readiness activities. Over the last few years the EIC BAS has reported thousands of one on one meetings, hundreds of deals and substantial funds raised through investor outreach. Those wider metrics provide context but they are not a direct measure of success for InnoNext itself.
How to apply and deadlines
Applicants and host companies can register and apply via the InnoNext platform. The initiative advertises a limited activation window for fully funded internships. At the time of the one year report organisers said there were only a few months left to activate internships under the current funding round. Prospective applicants should check the official site for current calls and precise deadlines.
| Action | Where to go | Notes |
| Find programme details and apply | www.innonext-project.eu | Platform includes FAQ, resources and contact form |
| Questions and support | info@innonext-project.eu | Email provided on the platform |
| Related EIC BAS services | EIC Community Platform | Matches InnoNext to the broader EIC support ecosystem |
Takeaways for policy makers, researchers and start ups
InnoNext shows the appeal of targeted, funded internships as a mechanism to move skills and specialised knowledge between research and small firms. The early scale numbers are useful but incomplete. For policy makers the priority should be to fund predictable, longitudinal evaluations of impact. For researchers the scheme can offer a route to industry experience but prospective participants should clarify IP and publication arrangements. For start ups and SMEs the model can supply short term capability that accelerates development but hosts should budget for onboarding and supervision to maximise value.
Further reading and resources
Official information including eligibility rules, application forms and programme updates are available on the InnoNext project site and on the EIC Community Platform. Interested parties should also monitor EIC BAS newsletters and event calendars for info sessions and webinars that explain practical steps to participate.