Pillar 3 aims to stimulate innovative technologies that have the potential to create new markets and support innovation. It also aims to identify groundbreaking solutions by gathering diverse players and financing high-risk, high-reward ideas that strive to bring unprecedented benefits to society. The European Commission's most ambitious objective is to bring to market innovative enterprises, mainly scale-up firms and global leading scientists and innovators. Participation is generally limited to European Union (EU) Members States and associated countries under Pillar 3. In some cases, third countries to Pillar 3, including Canada, participate in programs such as the European Innovation Council (EIC), Pathfinder, and the Accelerator programs.
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Overview
Pillar 3, also known as Innovative Europe, supports European innovation by focusing on disruptive and market-creating innovations, and helping bring these innovations to market.
It includes three funding instruments:
- European Innovation Council (EIC): This organization offers a range of activities from supporting breakthrough technologies to bringing these innovations to the market and scaling up to provide them to a larger audience. This support is provided through a combination of various forms of financing, including capital investment.
- European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): This independent EU organization is responsible for building and strengthening innovation ecosystems.
- European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE): Is an overarching framework designed to foster and strengthen innovation across Europe.
For more information, visit the Publications Office of the European Union "Horizon Europe, pillar III – Innovative Europe" page.
European Innovation Council (EIC)
The EIC aims to enhance Europe's ability to identify and bring to market new disruptive innovations that can generate unprecedented markets. The EIC's main role is to accelerate the growth of established companies. It also acts as an incubator by providing support for very early-stage ideas. The EIC helps inventors, innovators, and investors develop promising ideas with real-world applications, while supporting the scaling up of innovative startups, firms, and companies. It plays a key role in fueling and deploying breakthrough innovations wherever they originate from, with a focus on those stemming from other Horizon Europe Pillars. Under the EIC, there are three main support systems:
Under the EIC, there are three main support systems:
- EIC Pathfinder: Designed to fund high-risk, high-reward research projects that aim to radically innovate and bring disruptive technologies to the market. It focuses on early-stage development, with an emphasis on breakthrough ideas in science and technology.
- EIC Transition: Is designed to help bring innovations closer to market readiness by supporting the scaling of innovative technologies, business models, and commercialization plans. It bridges the gap between research and the market, helping innovations from the EIC Pathfinder or other research programs move toward commercialization.
- EIC Accelerator: Focuses on funding and supporting breakthrough innovations with high commercial potential.
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
The EIT is an independent EU body established in 2008 to promote innovation, strengthen Europe's ability to compete globally, and support sustainable economic growth. The EIT fosters collaboration between businesses, higher education institutions, and research organizations, aiming to drive innovation and accelerate the commercialization of research and technology in Europe.
European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)
The EIE is an overarching framework that fosters and enhances innovation across Europe by creating a supportive environment for startups, scale-ups, universities, research organizations, and businesses. It aims to connect these diverse players, enabling them to collaborate and drive innovation, create new markets, and tackle Europe's societal and technological challenges. The goal is to establish a more integrated, inclusive, and sustainable innovation landscape across Europe.
Access to Pillar 3 for Canadian entities
In general, only EU Member States and associated countries under Pillar 3, which includes countries such as the United Kingdom and Norway, can participate in Horizon Europe Pillar 3 calls. Canadian entities may be eligible for limited participation in very specific, targeted calls for proposals where the European Commission is looking for niche expertise or resources that are not readily available within the EU. This requirement will be clearly stated in the call's eligibility conditions.
Of the three funding instruments, Canadians are only eligible to participate through the EIC.
EIC Pathfinder
For the EIC Pathfinder, Canadian entities such as universities, research organizations, SMEssmall- and medium-sized enterprises, and large companies, can collaborate as third-party participants in joint projects with EU-based organizations. However, as Canada is a third-country, Canadian organizations cannot directly receive Horizon Europe funding.
EIC Transition
Canadian entities are eligible to participate in the EIC Transition program, but they must collaborate with EU-based lead organizations. However, as Canada is a third country, Canadian organizations cannot directly receive Horizon Europe funding.
EIC Accelerator
In general Canadian entities are not eligible to participate in this funding program. However, an exception exists for applicants from third countries allowing them to relocate their company to an EU Member State to become eligible. However, this must be completed before submitting the full application.