Europe seeks to continue leading in
science and technology

European Innovation Council (EIC) Tech Report 2023: An Overview 

On October 25, 2023, the European Innovation Council (EIC) released a Tech Report aiming to take the lessons from EIC projects funded and assess technologies and sectors trends. The EIC’s mission is to stay ahead in science and technology while identifying potential game-changing developments that originate from the scientific community. To ensure they are on the right path, the EIC uses an anticipatory approach, starting with a comprehensive analysis of their current activity portfolio.  

The report is structured into two comprehensive chapters. 

Chapter 1 – EIC’s Current Portfolio.  

This chapter sheds light on the novel technologies and innovations submitted to the EIC under the Horizon Europe initiative. It places emphasis on early-stage research projects that received funding following rigorous independent expert evaluations, and it also briefly discusses high-quality proposals that have not yet secured funding. The EIC’s selection process primarily hinges on the novelty of the subjects, with no ranking based on potential impacts or comparisons to global technology trends. The methodology employed in the analysis for this chapter incorporates: 

• Using the JRC TIM Analytics tools for text mining and innovation signal detection in EIC data. 
• Expert-based horizon scanning to detect and assess innovation signals and trends. 
• Literature review of third-party reports on innovation signals and trends. 

The project portfolio is categorized into three key areas: Digital, Industry and Space; Cleantech and Health. 

Chapter 2 – The Role of EIC Programme Managers.  

Chapter 2 offers a more in-depth exploration of the specific key areas overseen by EIC Programme Managers. The EIC’s primary objective is to position the EU at the forefront of deep tech innovation, and an integral component of this initiative is the role of EIC Programme Managers. These domain experts identify emerging trends and provide guidance for the EIC’s future actions. Through a portfolio approach, they highlight technologies of particular interest and place them within the broader context of opportunities and associated developments. Their contributions also establish connections, where relevant, between the topics identified in the preceding chapter and specific projects within the evolving EIC portfolios they manage 

 Looking Forward: 

This analysis will guide the EIC’s future explorations, aligning internal EIC data with global trends based on patents, publications, funding, and investments. The goal is to further explore the annual EIC Tech Report’s scope and uncover emerging areas that might inform future priorities at various levels, from the EIC to national and regional dimensions. 

 About the European Innovation Council: 

Deep tech innovations, with their roots in advanced science and technology, hold the potential to address society’s major challenges, like the Green and Digital transitions. Europe is poised to be a leader in deep tech innovation, and to foster this, the European Commission initiated the EIC as part of the Horizon Europe program. With funding exceeding €10 billion, the EIC supports visionary European researchers and entrepreneurs. Their approach encompasses three core schemes:  

1. EIC Pathfinder – for deep tech R&D.
2. EIC Transition – bridging the lab to business.
3. EIC Accelerator – supporting startups to scale. 

Till date, the EIC has received over 10,000 proposals and funded more than 700 projects, focusing on areas vital for Europe’s strategic autonomy and prosperity. This comprehensive Tech Report showcases EIC’s commitment to remaining at the forefront of technological advancements. Through their collaboration with experts and the implementation of rigorous analysis methods, they guarantee that Europe maintains its leadership in the realm of deep tech innovation. 

You can download the full report here: EIC-TechReport-2023-DigitalVersion_0.pdf (europa.eu)