Last 15 days to participate in the De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025

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Last 15 days to participate in the De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025

The deadline to submit your application for the De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025 is August 15th. This competition is part of the Deep Tech European Venture Builder (De-TECH) project, funded by the EU and within the framework of the EIT HEI program. The contest invites researchers, PhD students, and recent graduates from startups affiliated with the four universities in the consortium to apply for a personalized 10-week training and mentorship program.

 

The goal is to accelerate the market entry of deep tech innovations developed within the university research environment through expert-led training, one-on-one mentoring, and access to a dynamic innovation ecosystem. Participants who complete the program will be eligible to compete for €15,000 prizes.

 

Coordinated by the Estonian Business School, the competition focuses on high-impact, deep-tech innovations with significant market potential or the capacity to generate meaningful social impact. These may include fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, health and biotech, advanced materials, space technologies, or other data- and science-driven domains. To ensure relevance and maturity, technologies must have reached a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 or higher.

 

The deadline for applications is 15 August, and the program will begin in September. Selected participants will be invited to travel to Istanbul on 4 December 2025 for a DEMO DAY with other European competitors.

 

What does the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025 offer?

  • The chance to turn your research into a high-impact innovation project.
  • Practical, market-ready skills tailored to the needs of deep tech spin-offs.
  • Access to a network of experts, companies, researchers, and investors.

 

The De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025, part of the Deep Tech European Venture Builder (De-TECH) project and funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative, invites researchers, postgraduate students, and recent alumni (graduates within the last five years) from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover to apply for a 10-week customised training and mentoring programme.

 

Participants who successfully complete the programme will be eligible to compete for monetary prizes of €15,000 each.

 

Eligible applicants must be working on deep tech innovations developed within these universities, or the technologies must have originated at these institutions, even if their development and commercialisation have since been transferred to a spin-off or startup.

 

Below you will find all the information you need to participate:

– Call for Applications Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025
– Application Form Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025

 

The application deadline is 15 August.

More information: https://detechproject.eu/methodology-activities/

 

What is the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Consortium?

The consortium is coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and includes the Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover. It also involves two industry partners: Technoport, a high-tech incubator based in Luxembourg, and Effectia, a Spanish innovation consultancy, as well as one public sector partner, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The European Union funds the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025 through the EIT HEI Initiative. It is built around four key steps to bring university-based innovation to market:

  1. Identify promising technologies developed within partner universities through collaboration with Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and assess their market potential.
  2. Organise innovation challenges that connect universities and businesses with real-world needs and encourage creative, entrepreneurial thinking among students and researchers.
  3. Launch the De-TECH competition, supported by an intensive startup support program that includes training, mentoring, and financial assistance. Winning projects will receive funding and pitch their ideas to investors at DemoDay events.
  4. Deliver entrepreneurial and technological skills training for students, researchers, and university staff to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and equip participants with the tools needed to lead innovation.

Unlocking opportunities within the HEI Initiative

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Unlocking opportunities within the HEI Initiative

The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) participated on 19 June in the first workshop organized by the European EIT Higher Education Initiative, aimed at strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship capacity within participating higher education institutions.

 

This was the first in a series of workshops designed to support the implementation of Cohort 4 projects developed under the EIT HEI Initiative, led by the EIT and the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The workshops are intended to provide technical support focused on the most pressing implementation needs of the Innovation Vision Action Plans (IVAPs) across Cohort 4 consortia. Throughout the programme, key resources, training sessions, and strategic discussions with experts from the European innovation ecosystem will be offered.

 

Under the title “Unlocking Opportunities within the HEI Initiative,” the event aimed to provide participants with resources and opportunities developed by the Initiative team to help projects meet their goals and KPIs, foster collective learning, share experiences, and build an active community among cohort members. Participants also identified common challenges and opportunities for collaboration through practical working sessions.

The workshop began with a welcoming session and a presentation of the resources available through the EIT HEI Community of Practice.

Next, participants joined parallel thematic breakout rooms, where the most relevant IVAP actions per domain were discussed. These sessions were facilitated by innovation and entrepreneurship experts, who delivered short interventions before opening the floor to attendees. Additionally, two breakout rooms focused on research commercialization, a key topic for many of the ongoing projects.

 

The event concluded with a plenary session summarizing the key takeaways and shared insights. Among the main conclusions were:

 

  • Test, test, and refine: theory alone is not enough; small-scale pilot projects help validate and adapt solutions.
  • Co-create, don’t copy-paste: real impact comes from building tools with partners, not for them.
  • Think in ecosystems: innovation thrives when connected to both local and European networks.
  • Invest in people: mentors, TTO staff, researchers, and students are the real drivers of change.
  • Design for sustainability: embed solutions in institutional strategies from day one.
  • We continue learning, sharing, and co-creating—shaping the future of innovation through European cooperation.

 

About the EIT Higher Education Initiative

The Higher Education Initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT HEI) aims to drive the transformation of European universities by strengthening their role as key players in innovation ecosystems. Through the design and implementation of IVAPs, participating institutions build capabilities, create networks, and accelerate the impact of innovation across Europe.

The De-TECH Project Seeks Open Innovation Challenges from european companies

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The De-TECH Project Seeks Open Innovation Challenges from european companies

written by admin 

The Deep Tech European Venture Builder (De-TECH) project, funded by the EU’s EIT HEI programme, is seeking open innovation challenges from companies connected to the consortium’s universities—Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover.

The aim is to involve these companies in a programme focused on finding innovative, deep-tech-based solutions proposed by students and researchers.

Leibniz University Hannover Leads Open Innovation Programme with Companies under the De-TECH Project

Leibniz University Hannover is coordinating an open innovation initiative with companies as part of the Deep Tech European Venture Builder (De-TECH) project. The project involves three other European universities: UniversidadPolitécnica de Madrid, Estonian Business School, and Istanbul Technical University.

The goal is to identify innovation challenges from companies connected to the partner universities and then launch a programme to develop deep tech-based solutions proposed by students and researchers.

Over the coming weeks, the project will solicit open innovation challenges by inviting companies affiliated with the De-TECH partners to propose specific technological problems that require innovative solutions. These challenges may address the following topics:

  • Climate change and circularity
  • Space and dual-use technologies
  • Bioeconomy and life sciences
  • Digitalisation and artificial intelligence
  • Quantum technologies
  • Social innovation
  • Health

Between three and six challenges will be selected. A call for solutions will then be launched, followed by a series of open innovation workshops in which students and researchers from the participating universities will develop and refine their proposals. This process will include close collaboration with industry experts to enhance the applicability and impact of the proposed technologies.

In December 2025, a final in-person workshop will be held in Istanbul, where participants will present their solutions.

 

What is the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Consortium?

The Deep Tech European Venture Builder Consortium is coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and includes the Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover. The consortium also includes two industrial partners: Technoport, a high-tech incubator based in Luxembourg, and Effectia, an innovation consultancy from Spain. Additionally, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality participates as a public sector partner.

The European Union funds the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025 through the EIT HEI Initiative. It is structured around four key pillars to bring university-based innovations to market:

  1. Identify promising technologies developed at the partner universities through collaboration with their Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs), and assess their market potential.
  2. Launch innovation challenges that connect universities and companies with real-world needs, promoting creative and entrepreneurial thinking among students and researchers.
  3. Run the De-TECH competition, supported by an intensive start-up acceleration programme that includes training, mentoring, and financial assistance. Winning projects will receive funding and present their ideas to investors at DemoDay events.
  4. Deliver training in entrepreneurial and technological skills for students, researchers, and university staff, aiming to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and equip participants with the tools they need to lead innovation.

 

 
 

The De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025 begins!

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The De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025 begins as four European universities seek deep tech startups to launch into the market

On 20 June, the application period opens for the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025, a competition within the EU-funded Deep Tech European Venture Builder (De-TECH) project under the EIT HEI program. The competition invites researchers, PhD students, and recent graduates from startups affiliated with the four consortium universities to apply for a 10-week tailored training and mentoring program.

The goal is to accelerate the market entry of deep tech innovations developed within the university research environment through expert-led training, one-on-one mentoring, and access to a dynamic innovation ecosystem. Participants who complete the program will be eligible to compete for €15,000 prizes.

Coordinated by the Estonian Business School, the competition focuses on high-impact, deep-tech innovations with significant market potential or the capacity to generate meaningful social impact. These may include fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, health and biotech, advanced materials, space technologies, or other data- and science-driven domains. To ensure relevance and maturity, technologies must have reached a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 or higher.

The deadline for applications is 15 August, and the program will begin in September. Selected participants will be invited to travel to Istanbul on 11 December 2025 for a DEMO DAY with other European competitors.

What does the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025 offer?

  • The chance to turn your research into a high-impact innovation project.
  • Practical, market-ready skills tailored to the needs of deep tech spin-offs.
  • Access to a network of experts, companies, researchers, and investors.

The De-TECH Venture Builder Competition 2025, part of the Deep Tech European Venture Builder (De-TECH) project and funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative, invites researchers, postgraduate students, and recent alumni (graduates within the last five years) from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover to apply for a 10-week customised training and mentoring programme.

Participants who successfully complete the programme will be eligible to compete for monetary prizes of €15,000 each.

Eligible applicants must be working on deep tech innovations developed within these universities, or the technologies must have originated at these institutions, even if their development and commercialisation have since been transferred to a spin-off or startup.

Below you will find all the information you need to participate:

– Call for Applications Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025
– Application Form Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025

The application deadline is 15 August.

More information: https://detechproject.eu/methodology-activities/

What is the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Consortium?

The consortium is coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and includes the Estonian Business School, Istanbul Technical University, and Leibniz University Hannover. It also involves two industry partners: Technoport, a high-tech incubator based in Luxembourg, and Effectia, a Spanish innovation consultancy, as well as one public sector partner, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

The European Union funds the Deep Tech European Venture Builder Competition 2025 through the EIT HEI Initiative. It is built around four key steps to bring university-based innovation to market:

  1. Identify promising technologies developed within partner universities through collaboration with Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and assess their market potential.
  2. Organise innovation challenges that connect universities and businesses with real-world needs and encourage creative, entrepreneurial thinking among students and researchers.
  3. Launch the De-TECH competition, supported by an intensive startup support program that includes training, mentoring, and financial assistance. Winning projects will receive funding and pitch their ideas to investors at DemoDay events.
  4. Deliver entrepreneurial and technological skills training for students, researchers, and university staff to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and equip participants with the tools needed to lead innovation.

More information: https://detechproject.eu/

Stay Connected with De-TECH: Follow Our Channels and Partner Networks

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As the De-TECH project moves forward, staying informed and engaged is easier than ever. Whether you’re a student, researcher, mentor, policymaker, or entrepreneur, we invite you to join our growing innovation community through our communication channels and those of our partners.

De-TECH is committed to transparent, dynamic, and inclusive communication, sharing project updates, opportunities, events, and success stories across multiple platforms.

 

 

 

Official Channels of De-TECH

🔹 Website – Your main gateway to all project activities, competitions, training offers, and resources:
🌐 [www.de-tech.eu]

 

🔹 LinkedIn – Follow us for professional updates, news, and event announcements:
🔗 [linkedin.com/company/de-tech-eu] (coming soon)

 

 

 

Stay Up to Date via Our Partners’ Networks

Each De-TECH partner also shares relevant project content through their institutional channels. Follow them to gain additional insights into their local actions and initiatives:

 

Help Us Grow the Community

By following and sharing our updates, you contribute to expanding the reach of De-TECH and bringing more students, researchers, and innovators into the deep tech ecosystem. Tag us, use the hashtag #DeTECH_EU, and stay tuned for upcoming competitions and events!

 

 

 

De-TECH Project Kicks Off with a Clear Roadmap Across Work Packages

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The De-TECH (Deep Tech European Venture Builder) project, funded by the EIT HEI Initiative, has officially launched with a structured work plan built around six coordinated Work Packages (WPs). The project’s mission is to strengthen the role of European higher education institutions (HEIs) in fostering deep tech innovation and supporting the creation of research-based startups.

Over the next three years, seven partners from five countries will collaborate to equip universities with the tools, networks, and expertise needed to bring cutting-edge technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum science to market.



 

Work Package Overview

🔹 WP1 – Coordination and Management (Led by UPM)
This package sets up the project’s governance and ensures smooth coordination across partners. It also includes the design of long-term sustainability strategies, both financial and ecosystem-based, beyond the project’s funding period.

🔹 WP2 – Technology Scouting and Valorization (Led by UPM)
WP2 analyzes current tools and practices used by partners for identifying marketable research. It aims to define a shared scouting and valorization mechanism and train Technology Transfer Office (TTO) staff to apply it across the consortium.

🔹 WP3 – Open Innovation Tech Challenges (Led by LUH)
This package organizes three rounds of open innovation challenges, in which companies present real-world problems for students and researchers to solve. The goal is to bridge academia and industry and accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies.

🔹 WP4 – De-TECH Competition and Spin-off Support (Led by EBS)
WP4 runs a 10-week venture-building program in two editions, supporting selected technologies with expert mentoring, tailored training, and seed funding. The program ends with DemoDay events connecting teams to potential investors.

🔹 WP5 – Entrepreneurship and AI Education & Mentoring (Led by ITU)
WP5 delivers cross-disciplinary entrepreneurship training for bachelor’s, master’s, PhD students, and staff. It builds a European mentoring network and opens AI courses developed by LUH to the full De-TECH ecosystem.

🔹 WP6 – Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation (Led by Effectia)
Responsible for outreach and stakeholder engagement, WP6 runs monthly digital campaigns, open information events, and a long-term strategy to position HEIs as key players in Europe’s innovation landscape.



 

 Key Early Milestones (Months 1–4):

  • Establishment of the governance structure and project website launch.

  • Publication of the impact and dissemination plan.

  • Design of the entrepreneurship education program.

  • First Open Innovation Tech Challenge call launched.

  • Mapping of scouting tools across partner institutions.



De-TECH is a transformative initiative that aims to turn academic excellence into entrepreneurial impact. By the end of the project, partner universities will be positioned as self-sustaining innovation hubs with long-lasting influence on Europe’s tech-driven future.

More information: [www.de-tech.eu]


De-TECH Launches: A European Project to Turn University Innovation into Market Solutions

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The European project De-TECH (Deep Tech European Venture Builder) has officially launched with a clear mission: to bridge the gap between academic research and market-ready innovation. Funded by the EIT HEI Initiative and coordinated by the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), De-TECH aims to turn scientific breakthroughs in deep tech into high-impact startups.

Despite Europe’s strength in scientific research, many innovative ideas remain within university walls. De-TECH addresses this challenge by focusing on deep tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, and space technologies, helping academic teams bring their innovations to the real world.

The project brings together a consortium of seven partners: four higher education institutions (UPM, LUH, ITU, and EBS), one tech incubator (Technoport), one innovation consultancy (Effectia), and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM).




Main Objectives of De-TECH

  • Train over 1,000 students, researchers, and staff in entrepreneurship and innovation through cross-disciplinary programs.

  • Build a pan-European mentorship network, linking experienced professionals with emerging entrepreneurs.

  • Organize Open Innovation Tech Challenges, connecting universities with industry to solve real-world problems.

  • Run the De-TECH Competition, a 10-week program to support early-stage technologies with mentoring, training, and seed funding.

  • Launch at least 4 research-based spin-offs, promoting economic resilience and sustainable growth.




Running from 2025 to 2027, De-TECH is structured in three phases: design and pilot, implementation and expansion, and full institutionalization. The project aims to establish universities as self-sustaining innovation hubs, fully integrated into the European entrepreneurial ecosystem.

More information: [www.de-tech.eu]



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