European Innovation Council Tech Report 2023

For the EIC to achieve its mission it must be at the forefront of developments in science and technology and look to identify technologies emerging from the science base that could create new value propositions and/or disrupt existing markets.

To this end, technologies and sectors to be supported by the EIC must be assessed through an anticipatory lens, an essential starting point for which is a robust analysis of the EIC’s current portfolio of activity.

Chapter 1 of this report therefore highlights novel technologies and innovations submitted to the EIC under Horizon Europe, with an emphasis on early-stage research projects funded following extensive independent expert review. It also includes some areas of technology that have attracted high quality proposals, but not funded to date by the EIC. This identification was supported by an ongoing partnership with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) that informs EIC activities through qualitative and quantitative foresight and subsequently informed by discussions with EIC Programme Managers, who bring domain expertise to guide and connect projects and companies in key parts of the EIC portfolio.

Deep tech innovations are rooted in cutting edge science, technology and engineering and have the potential to deliver transformative solutions that can address the most pressing societal challenges and achieve key policy ambitions such as those surrounding the twin Green and Digital transitions.

As underlined in the Commission’s New European Innovation Agenda, Europe is well placed to lead on deep tech innovation. The European Innovation Council (EIC), a European Commission initiative and part of the Horizon Europe program, was established as a flagship initiative to identify, develop and scale up emerging deep technologies and breakthrough innovations.

With over €10 billion of funding, the EIC supports the most talented and visionary European researchers and entrepreneurs, along the path from ground-breaking ideas to success in EU and global markets.

Support from the EIC is delivered through a mix of Open and Challenge-based calls under three core schemes: EIC Pathfinder supports deep tech research and development; EIC Transition carries ideas from lab to business; EIC Accelerator supports startup development and scaling up, including through the EIC Fund which provides investments from seed to early growth. These schemes build on a history of funding for emerging technologies and innovations through the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) programme, the SME instrument, and EIC Pilot activities under the Horizon 2020 Programme. The EIC has also adopted a new way of managing its funding: high-level domain experts, EIC Programme Managers, develop ambitious proposals for future breakthrough technologies and innovations and manage one or more EIC portfolios to help achieve these goals.

To date, under Horizon Europe, the EIC has attracted over 10 000 proposals across its three core programmes and funded over 700 projects. This has enabled the EIC to build on and develop a strong portfolio of activity in technological and economic sectors critical to Europe’s future strategic autonomy and prosperity, such as renewable hydrogen, cell and gene therapies, quantum technologies, agrifood, among others.

The main criterion for selection was the relative novelty of the topics to the EIC. The listed technologies have not been prioritised based on their potential scientific, technological, economic, environmental, and social impacts, nor benchmarked against wider global technology trends. Such benchmarking and assessment will be essential to inform future priorities. Further, topics with a longer history of support by current and legacy EIC programmes are not highlighted in this Chapter.

Chapter 2 of the report complements the analysis in Chapter 1 and provides the perspective of the 10 EIC Programme Managers on parts of their portfolio. These ‘deep dives’ consider the potential of some of the relevant technologies identified in Chapter 1 and provide an overview of EIC activity and wider trends alongside insights on gaps and/or other barriers that may need to be overcome.

More detailed studies will be taken forward relying on the role of EIC Programme Managers, the continuous support of JRC qualitative and quantitative foresight, and inputs from external experts. The ambition is subject to further explorations on the scope of the annual EIC Tech Report, to identify new and emerging areas that could in time inform future priorities and activities where relevant through the EIC, or more broadly, across the Commission and/or at national and regional levels.

CHAPTER 1

The EIC’s portfolio of support for cutting-edge deep technology projects spans all stages of technology and market maturity.

This Chapter identifies technologies within the EIC portfolio, and in some cases submitted to the EIC but not funded, that may merit more detailed future analysis. The topics were identified via a mixed methods approach where data from the EIC Pathfinder Open programme (Horizon Europe, 2021-23) was quantitatively and qualitatively filtered and analysed, and later combined with internal expert assessment by EIC Programme Managers.

The first step of this analysis relied on reviewing foresight work by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) with whom there is an ongoing collaboration to support strategic intelligence gathering activities. The main sources and methodological processes used in this step were:

The final step of analysis for this report was anchored on a combination of the results provided by the JRC with an internal review of the EIC portfolio with a focus on the EIC Pathfinder Open programme. The Pathfinder, focused on early TRLs, has attracted over 3000 applications and supported nearly 250 early-stage high-risk / high gain inter and transdisciplinary projects under Horizon Europe (2021-23), which are likely to underpin future technological and innovation breakthroughs.

The in-house review was conducted with the support of the EIC Programme Managers in their respective fields of expertise. The goal was to identify topics that were new to the EIC. This resulted in the list of topics presented below with each topic aggregating relevant scientific and technical developments from 2 to 5 projects and/or highly ranked proposals. More established fields that have been described in prior publications such as the EIC Impact Report 2022 are not included in this Chapter.

CHAPTER 1 TOPICS

DIGITAL, INDUSTRY & SPACE

The EU’s New Industrial Strategy and associated initiatives such as the European Chips Act, aim to strengthen Europe’s technological leadership and strategic autonomy in key technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Space and Semiconductors, areas in which the EIC has a strong history of support, as detailed for example in the EIC Impact Report 2022. 9

Non-CRM electrocatalysts: Several materials exhibit high electrocatalytic performances, mainly due to the presence of some Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) such as platinum group metals. The large-scale deployment of some electrochemical devices for the energy transition therefore raises significant concerns about the availability and cost of electrocatalysts. New solutions take either a circular approach to electrocatalysts or the design and development of CRM-free electrocatalysts incorporating the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to accelerate material discovery.

Advanced materials for scalable PV: Photovoltaic (PV) panels are driving the energy transition, pushed by a dramatic decrease in silicon PV module prices. The development of novel materials or device architectures in place of conventional materials or designs could open novel applications and even widen the degree of deployment of PV technologies. Amongst other factors the candidate materials need to be earth-abundant low-cost raw materials with scalable, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing processes.

Electronics based on biomolecules: Current efforts for more sustainable electronics can lead to a new type of all-protein based electronics, so called “proteonics”. This new horizon promises passive and active electronic components to be fully CO2-neutral, bio-compatible and bio-degradable, but also allow a natural interface with biological systems which may open completely new opportunities in many areas of science and health. The use of DNA (cellular or synthetic) has also proved to be a promising avenue for more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and technically robust data storage and archiving. 10 11 12

Flexible, tunable or reconfigurable metadevices: Metadevices are devices characterised by unique functionalities enabled by man-made specific subwavelength structures of functional matter. Plasma-based metadevices (e.g., tunable lenses for antennas or time-variant 3D reconfigurable components) may start a new era for telecommunications with high potential impact on the economy and society. Smart skin using flexible metasurfaces can be deployed in applications such as contactless haptics and far-field communication which could open up a wide range of applications in robotics and in medical fields. 13 14 15

Room-temperature quantum devices: The main limit for quantum technology-based devices is linked to their high sensitivity to environmental factors, often requiring cryogenic operation. New approaches for room-temperature quantum technology platforms include Atomically Precise graphene nanoRibbons (APRs) exhibiting novel physical properties such as topological quantum phases and spin polarization controlled by their topology and edge structure.

Energy efficient secure quantum communication: Quantum reservoir computing and integrated photonic platforms could lead to robust and power-efficient quantum communication and sensing, enabling low-footprint, alignment-free and mass-manufacturable quantum nodes.

Sensors combined with AI for harsh environments: Harsh environments require devices to withstand specific, often extreme, environmental or medium conditions. Underwater optical wireless communication could be improved using blue optical phased arrays and coherent receivers; radiation measurements can benefit from AI and nanotechnology (e.g., inorganic nanocrystals) for high speed and accurate detection and localization.

Active space debris removal and recycling: The development of green, compact and affordable concepts for active space debris removal are critical due to escalating debris growth. The most promising green concepts are tethers, space-based lasers and solar sails, as they do not require chemical propellants. In the longer-run, in-space recycling and the reuse of spacecraft components will emerge, enabling in-space manufacturing and reuse for future missions. 16

CLEANTECH

Europe is at the forefront of the green transition, with the ‘Fit for 55’ package aiming to reduce EU emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Support under the EIC Open calls and under Horizon 2020, including one Challenge call targeting the Green Deal under the EIC Accelerator Pilot in Horizon 2020, have led to a strong portfolio of activity in areas ranging from renewable energy conversion and storage technologies to agrifood innovations, from hydrogen and renewable fuels and chemicals, to low-carbon technologies for the transport and construction sector.

Novel breeding technologies for climate-resilient crops: Solutions enable soil-based food production with lesser fossil fuel dependency and adaptation to heat and drought. Examples include tomato and rapeseed breeds that absorb more CO2 and AI-assisted photosynthesis regulation to increase yields.

Mineral fertilizer free crops: Advances provide alternatives to polluting mineral fertilisers, primarily with fertilisers of microbial origin. Developments include direct green conversion of CO2 and NOx into fertilisers, digital twins for optimized fertiliser use, and advanced sensing and robotics for soil protection and restoration.

Precision fermentation: Production of high value food and feed, as well as non-edible materials, from low quality inputs and food waste. Examples include fermenting edible mushroom roots and food waste into products, data analytics & fermentation control to increase milk yield, and biopolymer production from agricultural residues.

Carbon neutral and carbon negative building materials: Carbon-neutral materials like sustainably sourced timber aim to balance emissions; precision engineering optimizes resource use. Carbon-negative materials, like carbon-sequestering concrete, remove more carbon dioxide than emitted during production, with breakthroughs in novel binders and aggregates enhancing carbon-capturing capabilities.

Hybrid and Engineered Living Materials for construction: Materials containing living cells remain biologically active, enabling growth, self-regeneration, adaptation, and morphogenesis across hierarchies of scale and structure.

Novel materials for thermal energy storage: Phase-change materials are being developed for energy storage leading to significant innovations.

Waste heat recovery and energy harvesting: New thermoelectric materials (e.g., multinary metal halides, 2D topological materials, xenes, quantum-confined nanomaterials) and generators/supercapacitors enable efficient energy harvesting from moisture, vibrations, ambient heat or indoor light.

Intelligent or autonomous high speed mass transportation systems: Early-stage developments in ultra-fast ‘last-mile’ collective solutions, on-demand services, and energy efficiency integration models between high-speed transport and urban smart grids.

Next generation traffic safety systems: Emerging technologies include cycling safety prediction models, solar-powered luminescent roadway lighting and advanced driver assistance systems for soft and individual mobility.

Direct carbon capture and conversion: Integrating capture and conversion with advanced materials to produce fuels or chemicals within the same process, significantly improving energy efficiency.

Full circularity with waste as a resource: Turning waste streams such as wastewater and flue gases into resources for renewable fuels and chemicals, replacing the need for ultrapure inputs.

HEALTH

The EIC has a large Health and care portfolio which includes outputs of EIC Pathfinder Challenge calls in 2021-22 targeting tools to measure and stimulate activity in brain tissue, emerging technologies in cell and gene therapy, cardiogenomics, and healthcare continuum technologies.

Superhuman robot enabled surgery: Robot-controlled decision-making enabled by AI is becoming feasible, extending to automation of experiments outside operating rooms with robotic architectures autonomously designing and executing complete experiments with precision.

Ultra-small and efficient implantable devices: Nano/micrometre scale biocompatible connected devices, potentially self-powered using metabolic energy, could assist communication, movement, and support targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads.

Scaling up mRNA-based therapies: Alternative approaches for producing, isolating, and purifying mRNA with high purity and stability at reduced cost could accelerate the use of RNA-based therapies.

Liquid biopsy biomarkers as companion diagnostics to guide treatment: Non-invasive methods such as liquid biopsies enable easier sampling, monitoring, and targeted treatments, supporting personalized medicine.

Exosome based drug delivery systems: Exosomes, used by cells for communication, can be harnessed as delivery systems for small molecules, DNA, RNA and other payloads for targeted delivery in diseases including cancer.

Metabolic MRI: Non-invasive imaging of metabolic processes enabling evaluation of clinical conditions where metabolism is central, potentially enhancing or superseding traditional anatomical imaging.

Ultra-sensitive ultrasound for treatment and imaging: Focused ultrasound for structures such as the brain could become a non-invasive alternative to surgery, allowing deeper targets without impacting non-target tissue.

Spatial and functional networks in omics: Spatial multi-omics (sequencing-, transcripts-, proteins-, and metabolomics-based) enables understanding complex disease molecular bases and development of therapies, including in cancer.

Personalised patient derived tissue/organ production: In vitro self-assembly of 3D cellular structures from patient-derived tissues could enable biocompatible organs without immunosuppressants and support immune-oncology applications via 3D micro tumours.

CHAPTER 2

The goal of the EIC is to position the EU at the forefront of deep tech innovation. To achieve this ambition, the EIC introduced Programme Managers who leverage scientific background, technology and market understanding, and networks to identify emerging trends and inform future activities.

Programme Managers apply a portfolio approach to identify opportunities for investment in key technologies to guide development from an early stage towards promising applications, including scenario building and techno-economic assessments, and fostering consensus among academia, industry and policy.

This Chapter provides greater detail on selected areas overseen by EIC Programme Managers, highlighting technologies of particular interest and placing them in the wider context of opportunities and developments.

Revolutionising industries with quantum technologies

Related identified topics in Chapter 1: Novel qubits; Room-temperature quantum devices; Energy efficient secure quantum communication.

Quantum technologies are rapidly developing with potential to revolutionise computing, communication, sensing, and cryptography. The global market is projected to grow rapidly, and their economic and strategic potential drives worldwide investment.

The European Quantum Flagship 7 allocates €1 billion over 10 years to consolidate and expand European leadership, kick-start a competitive industry, and make Europe attractive for research, business, and investment. The EIC funds quantum projects across maturity stages, complementing the Quantum Flagship and EU Digital strategies, and through the EIC Accelerator and EIC Fund can help attract private investment into European quantum start-ups.

Quantum sensors measure physical properties with extreme sensitivity, enabling safer autonomous navigation, improved medical diagnostics, resilient guidance systems, reliable underground mapping, and active sensing of gravitational changes. The EIC portfolio supports early-stage research in quantum metrology, microscopy, and medical imaging, and Transition projects on remote sensing of gases and pollutants.

Quantum software represents a new general-purpose paradigm. Classical software engineering must be reworked for quantum systems (superposition, entanglement, no cloning), spanning models, languages, compilers, methods, and tools. The EIC portfolio currently features limited software/simulation projects, a significant opportunity for the EU.

Hybrid computing will be a promising approach while pure quantum applications mature. The European High-Performance Computer Quantum Simulator hybrid (HPCQS) initiative 8 integrates two >100-qubit simulators with European Tier-0 supercomputers, deploying an open federated hybrid HPC-QS infrastructure. EIC activity here is currently limited.

Large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computers remain early-stage; qubits require low-temperature conditions and isolation from noise. Start-ups are designing advanced architectures and control methods, including high-fidelity gates and room-temperature controllers, aiming for scalability and reduced extreme conditions. The EIC has targeted this via a dedicated Pathfinder Challenge on novel qubits.

The EIC and its instruments are helping the European quantum ecosystem transfer innovation from lab to fab. The EIC has invested in European quantum start-ups which have attracted co-investments from venture, impact and corporate funds. The EIC will continue to attract private investments and nurture a quantum research and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Europe.

Sustainability of microelectronic devices based on novel materials and designs

Related identified topics in Chapter 1: 3D interconnects based on nanomaterials; Flexible, tunable or reconfigurable metadevices; Electronics based on biomolecules; Next generation Photonic Integrated Circuits.

Global demand for electronics-embedded products continues to increase. The EU Chips Act sets an ambitious goal to increase Europe’s global electronic chips market share to 20% by 2030, ensuring sovereignty in strategic value chains. 9 Delivering on these ambitions requires more sustainable electronics across the lifecycle and diversification beyond dominant markets.

Materials and processes for sustainable electronics: The EIC portfolio features projects using biomolecular electronics (e.g., protein-based PRINGLE 10), hybrid organic interfaces (PROGENY 11), and 3D-biofabricated DNA–carbon nanotube digital electronics (3D‑BRICKS 12). A 2022 Pathfinder Challenge focused on DNA digital data storage.

Novel manufacturing processes are being explored (e.g., etching-to-additive 5D NanoPrinting 13), approaches to reduce energy/water consumption and avoid harmful chemicals, and material/architecture innovations (e.g., topological channels 14). Approaches remain early-stage but promising for long-term exploitation. Integration topics include interconnections (FVLLMONTI 15), efficient packaging (ORIGENAL 16), recyclability, lifetime extension, and reliability.

Global and European policy ambitions push the sector towards sustainable and circular approaches. While risks, long investment horizons and complex supply chains pose limitations, the EIC will build on its portfolio through a new Pathfinder Challenge (2023) on shifting from fossil-based to bio-based materials and on material and energy-efficient manufacturing, decreasing use of CRMs and hazardous chemicals.

Propellant-less technology for Active Debris Removal (ADR)

An increasing number of satellite launches and constellations has led to growing space debris: estimates exceed 11,000 tonnes of space objects in Earth’s orbit according to ESA statistics; 1,990 rocket bodies and 2,250 dysfunctional satellites increase collision probability (Kessler syndrome). 17 Market potential for ADR could reach up to $980 million by 2031. 18 NASA analyses show strong benefits from debris remediation. 19

Green propellant-less de‑orbiting solutions such as electrodynamic tethers (EDTs), space-based lasers and solar sails offer advantages: significant mass/cost savings without onboard propellant, lifetime not limited by propellant, and in some cases passive operation. In‑space recycling and reuse will further enable circular utilisation in ISAM markets.

Electrodynamic tethers (EDTs): E.T.PACK develops a consumable-less de‑orbit kit using a bare-photovoltaic tether to harvest energy and generate Lorentz drag, providing power and de‑orbiting capability. 20

Atmosphere Breathing Electric Propulsion (ABEP): At VLEO altitudes, ABEP collects residual gases and uses them as propellant for electric thrusters; scenarios include Earth/Mars orbit operations and tug/refuelling missions. 21 22

Solar sails: Concepts leverage radiation pressure from sunlight; recent missions include Gama Alpha 23 and ADEO braking sail demonstrators. 24 Space-based lasers are studied for debris push/de-tumble and de‑orbit capabilities.

The EIC portfolio supports ADR across TRLs via Pathfinder, Transition and Accelerator, and through an Accelerator Challenge (2023) to scale collision avoidance, debris collection/recovery/transformation, and in‑orbit servicing/ADR.

Fuels and chemicals from the sun – a potential game changer for our current energy and production system

Related identified topics in Chapter 1: Biotechnology-driven solar energy conversion into fuels and chemicals; Direct carbon capture and conversion; Full circularity with waste as a resource for fuels and chemicals; Advanced materials for scalable PV.

Over‑dependence on fossil resources underpins energy generation and production of goods as sources of energy and carbon. Removing CO2 and turning it into a resource via renewable energy conversion (e.g., PV) offers a route out of this dependency.

EU initiatives such as SUNERGY 25 foster a European innovation ecosystem around solar fuels. EIC Pathfinder and Transition projects have assessed feasibility and advanced technologies across artificial photosynthesis and power‑to‑X pathways: A-LEAF 26, DIACAT 27, SoFiA 28, LICROX 29. Renewable fuels and chemicals (RFNBOs) are a critical route toward defossilisation of hard‑to‑electrify sectors. 30 31

From renewable hydrogen to complex hydrocarbons and ammonia: The Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking supports green hydrogen via electrolysis. 33 EIC supports commercialization pathways such as INERATEC’s ImPower2X for renewable aviation fuel 32 and Electrochaea’s biomethanation (Echaea). 34 Projects such as SolarCO2Value 35 and FuturoLEAF 36 advance direct CO2 conversion and biotechnology‑driven routes.

Accelerated discovery of novel materials to support the energy transition

Advanced Materials (AMs) enable the transformation of the European energy system and can drive the green and digital transitions. 37 38 39 Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials (CRMs) poses risks for energy security and decarbonisation ambitions. 40 41 42 43

Electrolysers (e.g., PEM-EL) rely on PGMs such as iridium and platinum; iridium scarcity may bottleneck deployment. 44 45 46 47 Rare earth elements and cobalt are key in solid oxide systems. 48 The periodic table offers vast, largely unexplored combinatorial spaces for CRM‑free AMs. 49

Traditional materials science (experimentation, theory, computation) 50 is too slow and inefficient to meet needs. Safe-and-sustainable-by-design frameworks 51 and materials informatics 52 can accelerate the lifecycle from discovery to deployment by coupling empirical and computational data and leveraging HPC and AI/ML for prediction and optimisation across scales. 53 54 55 56

Applications of AI/ML span data extraction, descriptor identification, surrogate modeling, digital twins and physics-informed AI, accelerating discovery for catalysts, photovoltaics, optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, and more. 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74

High-throughput methods (HTM) including HT synthesis, characterisation and data analysis accelerate AM discovery. Examples include inkjet-printed catalyst libraries 75 and thin film sputtered combinatorial libraries 76. Multi-scale modeling 77 supports concurrent design of materials and industrial processes, enhancing techno-economic viability.

The EIC funds portfolios on green hydrogen production, CO2 and nitrogen management and valorisation, and mid-to-long term systems-integrated energy storage, with an emphasis on CRM-free materials and circular life cycles.

Towards carbon neutral and carbon negative construction

To accommodate global building growth from 2020 to 2060, about 240 billion m² of new floor area may be added, roughly an entire New York City each month for 40 years. 78 79 Cement production accounts for ~8% of global CO2 emissions. Conventional and emerging supply-side strategies (e.g., CCS, renewable fuels, electrified kilns, SCMs, alternative clinkers) and demand-side strategies (material efficiency) are required.

Alternative low‑carbon cements include alkali‑activated binders, RBPC, BYF, carbonatable calcium silicate clinker (CCSC), and magnesium oxides from magnesium silicates (MOMS). MOMS binders could offer carbon‑negative pathways but require breakthroughs in extraction/processing and quality control; AI/ML and computational materials science could accelerate progress. MATERRUP develops uncalcined crosslinked clay cement to reduce emissions. 80 81 82

Biomimetic and computational design strategies with novel materials: Algorithmic 3D-printed slabs reduce concrete by 50%; fabric-reinforced shells reduce formwork; hierarchical metamaterials do more with less. EIC supports BOHEME 83, ADAM^2 84, Svelte 85, Odico/SMARTSTAIR 86, and Modvion for engineered timber towers. 87 Roadmaps by industry associations support net‑zero goals. 88

Scaling requires large investments, new plants, and robust, low-cost implementations suitable for non‑OECD regions where demand is growing. EU funding examples (e.g., LIFE support for Solidia’s CCSC technology) required substantial private co‑investment to reach scale. 89 90

Safeguarding European energy security and net zero targets

Energy systems link intricately with water (water‑energy nexus) and land/food. Fossil‑based energy remains high in hard‑to‑abate sectors (steel, cement, chemicals). System‑level innovations are needed in efficiency, domestic resources and circularity, and cross‑sectoral integration, aligned with biodiversity and climate adaptation. 91 92 93 94 95

Efficiency and demand: Two‑thirds of primary energy is lost in conversion to heat/useful work, underlining the need for higher efficiencies. 96 97 Examples: waste heat recovery and flexible power via modular thermal energy storage (Kraftblock, EnergyNest), compact molten salt reactors (Seaborg), CO2 battery for long duration storage (Energy Dome), and thermophotovoltaic batteries (THERMOBAT). 98 99 100 101 102

Efficient combustion (Efenco’s plasma-assisted), advanced heat pumps (thermoacoustic, absorption, storage heat pumps), heat electrification (industrial HPs), and novel compressors (Otechos) can deliver gains. 103 104 105 106 Demand management and digital solutions (HPC/quantum, generative AI forecasting, cyber protection, digital twins) enable stability and prosumer models.

Domestic resources and circularity: A €30m Pathfinder Challenge focuses on valorising locally available bio-based resources for hydrogen and green chemicals via co‑electrolysis and thermochemical routes, tailored to EU needs (jobs, local resources, paired production/use). Biochar integration supports carbon-negative pathways in biorefineries and agriculture.

Sectoral integration: Cross-sector approaches can be carbon‑negative (e.g., biochar from residues to store carbon and improve soil, with energy co‑production). EIC Accelerator projects such as CarboCulture, Agrobiogel support such pathways; other HEU efforts (Ecofining) reconvert fossil refineries to biorefineries for SAF using non‑edible biomass and green H2. Proper carbon accounting should recognise system‑level benefits. 107 108

Novel technologies for resilient and sustainable food supply chains

Related identified topics in Chapter 1: Precision fermentation; Mineral fertilizer free crops; Next generation aquaculture technologies; Novel breeding technologies for climate-resilient crops.

Agriculture underpins ~95% of food; while Europe’s food supply is reliable, climate change, drought and pollution impact yield. Monocultures, chemical inputs, and biodiversity loss drive unsustainable practices and reliance on few crops. 109 110

Decoupling food production from soil: Cellular agriculture (bacteria, yeasts, algae, fungi) shows progress; EIC projects include MUSHLABS (edible mushroom roots), FL’OUR PLANET (side-stream fermentation), BIOSOLAR LEAF (large-scale microalgae). Global investment in precision fermentation proteins is forecast to increase >20x by 2030. 111 112 113 114

Novel crops: Photorespiration engineering (TaCo pathway) and tri‑parental breeding can increase CO2 assimilation and water efficiency; EIC’s FUTURE AGRICULTURE and CROP4CLIMA pursue commercialisation; 3P‑TECH develops climate‑robust sugar beet with tri‑parental technology. 115 116

EIC will continue to support complementary solutions making agriculture sustainable and regenerative, improving food production and nutrition while reducing environmental impacts and increasing biodiversity.

Current trends in precision oncology

Related identified topics in Chapter 1: Liquid biopsy for diagnosis and treatment; Spatial and functional networks in omics; Biomanufacturing and production of mRNA.

Liquid biopsy-based biomarkers: Early and accurate detection using circulating tumour DNA and biomarkers is advancing; EIC projects include CIRCULAR VISION, BIOCELLPHE, VerSiLiB and Accelerator projects ColoDix, Lung EpiCheck, ProSCAN. 117 118 119 120 121 122 Minimal residual disease detection using DNA methylation biomarkers is a growing clinical tool. 123

Multi‑omics biomarkers for treatment guidance and recurrence detection: Combining multi‑omics data can better guide personalised treatment; EIC Accelerator projects include AURORAX, CytoPro, MicroCaT and Multiplex8+. 124 125 126 127 Spatial multi‑omics is expanding rapidly with implications across life sciences; EIC projects include TROPHY and PLAST_CELL. 128 129 130 131

Cancer disease modelling using patient‑derived organoids (PDOs): Living 3D micro tumours model the tumour microenvironment when combined with immune cells and fibroblasts, enabling immune‑oncology applications. EIC projects include 3DSecret, Pan3DP, NICI and Transition project ACHILLEUS. 132 133 134 135

New therapeutic modalities: Targeted protein degradation leverages the cell’s natural systems and is gaining traction. 136 Exosome‑based drug delivery can improve targeted release; EIC projects include AcouSome and MARVEL. 137 138 ADCs are rapidly maturing with a large clinical and deal pipeline. 139 140 Personalised mRNA‑based vaccines for cancer are an emerging trend; EIC portfolio includes DESTINATION, TRAFFIKGENE and CancERVacc.

EIC activities complement the Cancer Mission and enable market access via private investment. For example, promising cancer projects were selected to pitch to Business Angels and other investors at the Conquering Cancer investor event.

The hybrid future of medical technology: Manufacturing full body parts for therapeutic replacement

Related identified topics in Chapter 1: Metabolic MRI; Ultra-sensitive ultrasound for treatment and imaging; Superhuman robot enabled surgery; Ultra-small and efficient implantable devices; Personalised (including 3D‑printed) patient‑derived tissue/organ production.

A hybrid future is emerging, combining in‑vitro biological components and non‑biological hardware. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS) from patients can be used to create physiologically and anatomically identical tissue aggregates for implantation, potentially applicable to many diseases.

Significant advancements combine microfabrication, sensors, chemistry, electronics and big data/AI with NGS, RNA‑seq, and epigenomic mapping. Yet in‑vitro production of full organs or complex parts remains a long‑term goal, especially for complex organs (brain, eye).

Key enabling areas include: 3D printing of cells to recreate cytoarchitecture; organ‑on‑chip platforms to multiplex and automate cell engineering; novel imaging (e.g., metabolic MRI) to monitor cell chemistry over time; AI and big data analysis for automated interpretation and prediction; and medical robotics for precision execution and autonomous discovery workflows.

The major challenge and opportunity is to accelerate discovery of reprogramming techniques to transform iPS cells into desired cell types with proper 3D architecture for transplantation. EIC‑supported technologies and instruments have the potential to accelerate creation of patient‑ready tissue.