InfraBooster
EIT InfraBooster promotes effective use of publicly-funded research infrastructures owned by universities or research institutes and relevant to R&D efforts of private sector companies and startups.
EIT InfraBooster is a joint initiative of the EIT Communities: EIT Culture and Creativity, EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, EIT Food,EIT Health, EIT Innoenergy, EIT Manufacturing, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Urban Mobility.
Unlocking the hidden value of European research infrastructures
EIT InfraBooster is a modular training program for representatives of scientific organisations that own research infrastructures. It offers capacity building and support in designing infrastructure-based services that could be offered for companies.
InfraBooster will bring you closer to the industry, increasing the collaboration, international exposure and innovativeness of your institution, and help you establish new sources of revenue.
You will be able to leverage the existing assets: commercially-relevant research infrastructures, skills and knowledge of research teams.
Methodology
The program is delivered asynchronously online, accommodating participants globally. It helps develop Technology management and Critical thinking skills. It is based on the methodology and experiences of EIT Food RIS Research Infrastructure Network, implemented in 2021-2022 by University of Warsaw, which has led to the successful development of 16 new commercially available services, offered by universities and research institutes from Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain.
Eligibility
Since 2023 the EIT Infrabooster programme is implemented together with EIT Food, EIT Health, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Climate-KIC with the special focus on the Western Balkans economies (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo) and neighbouring countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Moldova.
Key objectives
- Identification of “sleeping beauties” – hidden values of research infrastructures and pockets of excellence in scientific organisations, enhancing their access to European markets
- Establishing new commercialisation pathways for scientific institutions, complementing the traditional technology transfer and spinoff creation;
- Increase in science-industry collaboration (universities and research institutes initiating collaboration with large industry players, startups/scaleups and international companies);
- Innovative services, based on research infrastructures of scientific organisations, will be designed and offered to commercial clients (companies);
- Improved efficiency of public investments in R&D / research infrastructures;
- Implementing the EIT’s mandate to “increase the entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of higher education across Europe by promoting and supporting institutional change in HEIs and the integration of HEIs in innovation ecosystems”;
- Synergies with regional/national smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) and EU-level programs aimed at increasing the effective use of research infrastructures, as well as international initiatives aimed at promoting long-term sustainability of research infrastructures (EU/OECD).