The call for proposals aims to support SMEs (including start-ups) in the development of innovative solutions in collaborations with Corporate that make a significant impact in the sectors and value chains they belong to. 

 

Applicants are invited to submit a project proposal to solve a set of challenges provided by Corporates from the Health, Agrifood, Digital-ICT and Fintech sectors. The applications selected, will enter into the EPICENTRE Acceleration program and enrol in the EPICENTRE Academy. 

 

Nowadays innovation challenges in Europe are focused on the development of new or improved solutions that increase the digitalisation, resilience, sustainability and greening of the EU industrial ecosystems enabling the strengthening of the industrial value chains and the creation of new ones, creating interlinkages, increasing the SMEs capabilities, fostering cross-sectoral and cross-regional collaborations with corporates and Midcaps, scaling-up early stage businesses.  

The EPICENTRE project has identified two challenges per topic or Innovation Action Lines: 

·       Topic 1: Fostering Cross-Sectoral innovation in Digital and Fintech (EPICENTRE -DIG-FIN)

 

Digital-Fintech Challenge 1: How to apply digital finance solution (fintech) to cross- sectoral fields (data science, AI, blockchain, machine-learning, cybersecurity)

 

Digital-Fintech Challenge 2: Digital Payment and Digital Identity (block chain, data sharing, digital transformation,  gamification)

·       Topic 2: Fostering Cross-Sectoral innovation in Agrifood (EPICENTRE-AGF)

 

Agrifood Challenge 1: Monitoring the health status of food production and shelf life extention (security)

 

Agrifood Challenge 2: New packaging materials and smart use of resources (sustainability, automation and security)

·       Topic 3: Fostering Cross-Sectoral innovation in Health (EPICENTRE -HEA)

 

Health Challenge 1: Development of new digital solutions in the learning and behavioural sphere that can be used by patients and families (virtual care and new products)

 

Health Challenge 2:  New therapeutic solutions derived from natural products and organic extractions (sustainability and new products)

Projects are not limited to the referred technologies, but a clear demonstration of the impact in solving the challenge is required.

 

The main impact is to encourage cross-sectoral collaborations by signing long-term agreements between Corporates-Midcaps and SMEs. This fact will increase the competitiveness of the participating SMEs, facilitating the adoption of new or improved processes and technologies that improve the value chains’ efficiency in the use of resources, open markets for green technologies and services and uptake of digital solutions.