4:14 28 November 2025
EU boosts innovation funding
The European Commission has approved the 2025 European Innovation Council (EIC) program, unlocking more than €1.4 billion to help companies turn high-risk ideas into marketable technologies. Funding will be available through five streams: EIC Pathfinder (€262m) for early-stage research; EIC Transition (€100m) to turn scientific results into applications; the new EIC Advanced Innovation Challenges (€6m) supporting deep-tech ventures; EIC Accelerator (€634m) for SME and startup scale-ups; and EIC STEP Scale Up (€300m) offering €10–30m equity for digital, clean-tech, resource-efficient, and biotech projects.
According to Monika Gruszecka of Crido, the program prioritizes breakthrough technologies with global potential. She notes that major procedural changes—shorter EIC Accelerator applications, faster evaluations every two months, and increased Pathfinder grants of up to €4m—will help applicants devote more time to technology and business development. Despite high expectations for originality, she expects more firms to pursue international grant competitions.
