Uncertainties include the extent of defence funding, changes to EIC’s investment role and the fate of its scale-up programme
Michiel Scheffer, president of the European Innovation Council board. Photo: European Committee of the Regions / Flickr
The European Innovation Council (EIC) is “cautiously happy” with plans to triple its budget in the next iteration of Horizon Europe, but questions remain about how that money will be spent.
According to Michiel Scheffer, president of the EIC board, more clarity is needed around how much of the budget will go towards defence projects and the role to be played by the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).
For example, it is currently unclear whether the EIC’s scale-up instrument, which provides equity investments of up to €30 million under the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, will remain in the EIC or be moved to the ECF, where the Commission says future scale-up financing will take place.
The Commission’s proposal for the next Framework Programme foresees future EIC challenge calls being closely aligned with the
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