As part of SFF-DT, so-called “STEM Valleys” are being established around seven European universities and two industry partners. They are intended to combine regional strengths—such as AI, cybersecurity, smart manufacturing, and clean technologies—with entrepreneurship and technology transfer. Over the next two years, the initiative aims to:
- more than 5,000 students, researchers, and university staff will receive training in entrepreneurship
- an Open STEM Incubator will support 35 startups over two funding cycles
- at least 12 new companies will be established
- technology transfer offices at universities will use common tools for the commercialization of research and intellectual property
The first training sessions will begin in November 2026. In early November, the first call for applications will also open for research teams and startups wishing to participate in the first round of the Open STEM Incubator. This will begin in January 2027. The two funding cycles will culminate in Demo/Investor Days in Athens (June 2027) and Munich (June 2028), where the teams will present their solutions to investors and industry partners.
With this project, the SFF Initiative is further expanding its European collaboration. Funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative (EIT HEI), the project has a budget of approximately 2 million euros and will run from September 2026 to August 2028. For the SCE, the initiative offers the opportunity to contribute its many years of experience in university start-ups and entrepreneurship transfer to a European network and to jointly develop new pathways from research to start-ups. Other partners include: ACE | AUEB, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Edinburgh Napier University, International Burch University, University of Ljubljana, Unknown University of Applied Sciences, and Heirloom Labs.
© Image: Start for Future