Businesses: ENEA allocates €1 million for industrial development through the PoC program

ENEA has launched a new call for proposals for its Proof of Concept (PoC) program, with a budget of over €1 million, aimed at companies interested in commercializing technologies or processes developed by ENEA. The initiative aims to demonstrate the feasibility of transferring technologies or products developed in the laboratory to an industrial scale, thereby reducing the risks and costs associated with research and development investments.

Companies interested in applying could choose between two primary paths, Open and Challenges.

The Open program, with a budget of 500,000 euro, supports initiatives in any scientific, technological, or applied field, selected from 71 technologies developed in ENEA laboratories. For each project, the maximum ENEA grant limit is 60,000 euro, with a minimum co-financing contribution from the industrial partner equal to 10% of the direct costs.

The Challenges line, with an equal budget of €500,000, is specifically dedicated to the aerospace, agrifood, and advanced materials sectors. In this case, the maximum ENEA contribution can reach up to €250,000 per project, with a minimum co-financing contribution from the industrial partner equal to 30% of the direct costs.

For both intervention lines, the industrial partner is granted an option right for an exclusive license on the project results.

“Fostering the integration of scientific expertise and industrial needs from the earliest stages of technological development is a critical strategy for boosting the competitiveness of the production system and generating tangible benefits for society” pointed out Gaetano Coletta, Head of Operational Management for Technology Transfer at ENEA. “The ENEA PoC Program,” he concluded “is a strategic tool for promoting partnerships between public research institutions and businesses, leveraging research results and accelerating their application in the market.”

Launched in 2018 with the aim of creating strategic partnerships for innovation and accelerating technology transfer, ENEA PoC program has already co-funded over 50 projects carried out in collaboration with industrial partners, with a total of 2.6 million euro. The technological maturity achieved through these projects has led to the granting of exclusive licenses to the partners involved and the creation of new technology-intensive businesses, like the spin-off ENEA Ascanio srl, owned by both the partner company and ENEA researchers.

For further details and how to participate: opportunita.enea.it 

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