Innovation Support

This service is tailored for tech start-ups looking to grow and attract investment. It includes a thorough evaluation of your business model, training in ideation methodologies, access to proven templates and best practices for investor pitches, and support in setting up your venture profile on an innovation platform. Once your profile is live, it will be shared with relevant investors and further promoted through targeted dissemination within innovation and business networks.

This service primarily provides information through general innovation consulting. It includes guidance on European funding opportunities, such as the Horizon Europe Standardization Booster which is a top-up funding option available to support R&D projects in aligning with relevant standards. Our consortium database also offers contacts for national standardization agencies to facilitate more in-depth consultations. In addition, we provide tailored Intellectual Property support, featuring patent landscaping studies to analyze existing technologies and IP protection strategies to help secure and effectively manage your innovations.

The training course "Sustainability, innovation and ethics by design" will provide the participating SMEs with a toolbox of methodologies to develop their business in a sustainable way. During this interactive course, the groups will learn how to transform sustainable development practices into coherent strategies for longterm implementation. This will allow a self-assessment and improvement of the participants' business strategies towards a sustainable business model.

Our clusters provide daily support to SMEs seeking collaboration partners. In addition, we offer access to a specialized matchmaking tool that connects you with members across all clusters, ensuring targeted and effective partnership opportunities to accelerate your innovation journey.

This service is especially relevant for university spin-offs and spin-outs. Through our knowledge platform, interested SMEs can explore best practice approaches to successfully balance scientific innovation with entrepreneurial growth.

Start-ups will have the opportunity to learn customer-centered business model development methods. This covers key topics such as the Validation Process, Lean Start-up methodology, Customer Development and Discovery, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and the Business Model Canvas.

SMEs gain exclusive access to the consortium’s comprehensive database of national and international funding opportunities. This unique resource highlights national funding options available to international partners, enabling SMEs with niche products or services to explore new R&D collaborations across borders. Combined with targeted matchmaking, this opens doors to innovative partnerships supported by national funding in multiple countries.