European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder Challenges build on cutting-edge technology in science and engineering to create new market opportunities.

With its five Pathfinder Challenges in 2021, the EIC invites challengers in science to collaborate to develop future technologies. It is looking for early stage high-risk and high-gain research and development projects to support with grants of up to €4 million.

For each challenge, the EIC will support a portfolio of projects that explore different perspectives, competing approaches or complementary aspects of the challenge.

EIC programme managers will focus on the highest risk science-to-technology path with the highest innovation potential.

The challenges are:

• Awareness inside: if successful, this challenge will fundamentally alter the way we engage with technology.
• Tools to measure and stimulate activity in brain tissue: this challenge seeks to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.
• Emerging technologies in cell and gene therapy: this challenge aims to strengthen European consortia, start-ups and spinoffs in cell and gene therapy.
• Novel routes to green hydrogen production: green hydrogen will be essential for achieving Europe’s green ambition. This challenge aims at novel ways to produce green hydrogen on different scales.
• Engineered living materials: this challenge aims to harness the engineering potential of nature for material production.

The deadline for submission of proposals is 27 October.

Apply here.