Details on the HORIZON EUROPE EXCELLENCE HUBS open call
Within the Horizon Europe program area Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area, the call for the establishment of the Excellence Hubs has been opened. Deadline for applications submission is March 15 2022. Total budget of the call is 50 million EUR.
This is a new initiative under Horizon Europe program, which aims to strengthen innovation ecosystems in scientifically less developed EU and widening countries, and beyond, in order to create better links between academia, the business sector and government, in line with regional or national smart specialization strategies.
Excellence Hubs are aimed at strengthening regional excellence in innovation in place-based ecosystems through cross-border cooperation based on a common strategy and / or value-added chains. Such innovation ecosystems place a key emphasis on geographical proximity, and imply a strong connection of different actors, according to the principle of the quadruple helix, who should join forces to raise the level of innovation and excellence in their region. Unlike traditional cluster models, ecosystems are dynamic networks that involve cooperation between competitive actors in order for all parties to reap the benefits.
The expected duration of the project is up to 4 years, with a budget of 3 to 5 million EUR per project.
The project proposal is submitted by a consortium consisting of at least two innovation ecosystems from two different countries, each of which must have all the components of the quadruple helix (research institutions, private / business sector organizations, government sector, social actors). There must be at least one research institution and one business company in the ecosystem (which has existed for at least 3 years and has proof of active business) that would sign the grant agreement. Although the participation of only widening countries is envisaged, the participation of actors from other countries is also possible, provided that their participation is significant for the implementation of the project and justified for its successful implementation. Also, the recommendation is that the consortium should not be too large, ie not more than 20 partners, in order to facilitate project management.
More details about the call and the conditions of application can be found on the EU Funding and Tender Portal, through which project applications are submitted. In addition, recording of the EC call info day held on July 9 provide specifics of the call.