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This call is offering support from EIC Pathfinder Open to realise an ambitious vision for radically new technology, with potential to create new markets and/or to provide solutions for global challenges. EIC Pathfinder Open supports early stage development of such future technologies (e.g., various activities at low Technology Readiness Levels from 1 to 4), based on high-risk/high-gain science-towards-technology breakthrough research (including ‘deep-tech’). This research must provide the foundations of the technology envisioned.
EIC Pathfinder Open may support work, especially if it is highly risky: applicants may set out to try things that will not work; they may be faced with questions that nobody knows the answer to yet; they may realise that there are many aspects of the problem that they do not master. On the contrary, if the approach they want to follow is incremental by nature or known, EIC Pathfinder Open will not support the proposal.
Before applying to this call, potential applicants should verify that their proposal meets all the following essential characteristics (‘Gatekeepers’):
- Convincing long-term vision of a radically new technology that has the potential to have a transformative positive effect to solving a challenge in our economy and society.
- Concrete, novel and ambitious science-towards-technology breakthrough, providing advancement towards the envisioned technology.
- High-risk/high-gain research approach and methodology, with concrete and plausible objectives.
EIC Pathfinder Open involves interdisciplinary research and development. By bringing diverse areas of research together, often with different perspectives, terminologies and methodologies, within individual projects and within a portfolio of projects, really new things can be generated and entirely new areas of research can be opened up.
The expected output of the project is the proof of principle that the main ideas of the envisioned future technology are feasible, thus validating its scientific and technological basis. Project results should include top-level scientific publications in open access. While the vision is expected to be worthwhile because of its potential for future impact, for instance to create new markets, improve our lives, or provide solutions for global challenges, these are not expected to be achieved in the course of your EIC Pathfinder Open project. However, applicants are expected to take the necessary measures in the course of the project to allow future uptake to take place. This includes: an adequate formal protection of the generated Intellectual Property (IP), a plan for future exploitation and an assessment of relevant aspects related to regulation, certification, and standardisation.
In addition, applicants are encouraged to involve and empower in their team key actors that have the potential to become future leaders in their field such as excellent early-career researchers or promising high-tech SMEs, including start-ups. The project should reinforce their mind-set for targeted research and development aimed at high-impact applied results. This will strengthen Europe’s capacity for exploiting the scientific discoveries made in Europe throughout the steps to market success or for solving global challenges. Applicants are particularly encouraged to empower female researchers in the project and to achieve gender balance among the work package leaders.
This call is open for collaborative research. Your proposal must be submitted by the coordinator, on behalf of a consortium including as beneficiaries, at least three legal entities, independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
The Western Balkans are all in the category of “Associated Country”.
The legal entities may for example be universities, research organisations, SMEs, startups, industrial partners or natural persons.
For more details, see the EIC Work Programme 2025.