Seize the Opportunity: 2024 EIC Challenges.
As 2023 drew to a close, the European Innovation Council (EIC) revealed its Work Programme for 2024, introducing new Challenge calls.
A main change in the WP is the decision to remove Challenge calls from the EIC Transition programme. This article provides a quick look at the challenges in the Accelerator and Pathfinder programs.
2024 EIC Accelerator Challenges to scale your project.
The EIC Accelerator Challenge call is for projects that align with certain predetermined themes, called “Challenges”.
🟠BUDGET: The total budget allocated for the EIC Accelerator challenges in 2024 amounts to €300 million, and each of the 6 challenges has a budget of 50 million.
🟠DEADLINES: There are two cut-offs for the EIC Accelerator Challenges; 13 March 2024 & 3 October 2024.
1. Human Centric Generative AI
- Foster a human-centric approach to AI, developing models embodying EU values.
- Address transparency deficits and trust inadequacies, ensuring EU sovereignty in AI.
2. Virtual Worlds and Augmented Interaction, Including Support to Industry 5.0
- Enable the use of HiFi virtual worlds in high-impact markets, aligning with Industry 5.0 principles.
- Scale up innovations for platforms, middleware, tools, and devices, promoting sustainability and resilience.
3. Enabling the Smart Edge & Quantum Technology Components
- Promote the development of novel semiconductor components for next-gen edge devices.
- Lead the EU in cutting-edge quantum computing, simulation, sensing, and communications.
4. Food from Precision Fermentation and Algae
- Support food production from precision fermentation and algae, decoupling it from soil and environmental conditions.
- Improve sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of the European food supply chain.
5. Monoclonal Antibody-Based Therapeutics for Emerging Viruses
- Support the development of mAbs-based therapeutics against new variants of emerging pathogens.
- Enhance EU pandemic response through rapid detection and analysis of virus variants.
6. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Their Whole Value Chain
- Scale up different RES and their supply chain to reduce EU dependency on imports, including critical raw materials.
- Contribute to Net-zero industry and Critical raw materials acts, ensuring the EU’s open strategic autonomy in the energy sector.
2024 EIC Pathfinder Challenges for Transformative Solutions.
Here’s a glimpse into the EIC Pathfinder challenges for 2024, with funding of up to 4 million euros per project in 5 new Challenge calls.
🟠BUDGET: The total budget allocated for the EIC Pathfinder challenges in 2024 amounts to 120 Million.
🟠DEADLINE: The EIC Pathfinder Challenges deadline will be 16 October 2024.
1. "SOLAR-TO-X" Devices
- Propel advancements in synthetic fuels and chemical technologies by integrating all conversion steps into a single device.
- Solely and directly driven by solar energy, this challenge seeks transformative breakthroughs.
2. Towards Cement and Concrete as a Carbon Sink
- Rally behind breakthrough innovations and alternative pathways for decarbonized and carbon-negative cement and concrete.
- This challenge envisions a sustainable future for construction materials with reduced carbon impact.
3. Nature-Inspired Alternatives for Food Packaging and Films
- Foster interdisciplinary research for sustainable alternatives in food packaging and agricultural production.
- Aimed at replacing fossil-carbon-based plastics, this challenge aligns with EU policy goals for a circular, resource-efficient economy.
4. Nanoelectronics for Energy-Efficient Smart Edge Devices
- Explore solutions with a significant impact on reducing power consumption in smart edge devices.
- Focus areas include Edge Processing and Memories, Edge Sensing and Imaging, Edge Communication, and Edge Power Management.
5. Strengthening the Sustainability and Resilience of EU Space Infrastructure
- Support the development of innovations to enhance the protection of EU space infrastructure.
- Explore technologies for space debris mitigation, active debris removal, and concepts for in-space recycling.
