European Early Innovators Initiative

The Danube Region Project.

European Early Innovators Innitiative (EEII) is a project mainly funded from Danube Strategic Project Fund, initiated by competent actors from 4 countries (Romania, Italy, Ukraine and Slovakia) and which resulted as an opportunity to diminish gaps in the current situation from Danube region when it comes to innovation and research in terms of market needs.

EEII tackles some grand challenges of the Danube Region:

  • Young people are not much interested in studying STEM (science, technology, enineering, mathematics).
  • Young researchers are not enough encouraged or supported to become entrepreneurs.
  • Research does not result in innovation.
  • Scientists are not used to analyse markets or to take into account the needs of the industry.
  • Germany’s and Austrian’s best practice in promoting innovation is insufficient known and implemented by other economies in Danube Region.
  • The success rates of applications for European funds is very poor in the Eastern part of Danube Region.

Components of EEII:

  • A guide-analysis of start-ups and spin-offs, initiatives, available facilities. The document will show how young entrepreneurs and researchers can benefit from existing programs or facilities.
  • Two networking and pitching evens to exhibit innovative ideas, prototypes and products to potential financial and industrial partner (linking research and industry). One in Italy, one in Romania.
  • A study/paper on recommendations to bring most suitable solutions in guiding youth to STEM or in stimulating young researchers to work market oriented.
  • A research on identifying and evaluating funding programs from national, regional and EU institutions.
  • A benchmark analysis of existing sulutions in Germany and Italy regarding private-public partnerships for supporting the future strategic project and recommendations for fostering PPP in DR
  • Two events in Slovakia and Ukraine to present PPP as option for funding projects.
  • Support to 9 young scientists from universities in 3 countries (RO, SK, UA) and coaching them to present proposals to potential investors.

Pre-selected by PAC 8 and finally chosen for funding by PAC 10:

Danube Strategic Project Fund (DSPF) supports the implementation of 12 projects which have potential to become strategic projects. EEII, managed by STM, is the single project in this program with Romanian lead partner.

Project Partners:

  • Steinbeis Transfer Management S.R.L., RO-Bucharest (lead partner)
  • AREA Science Parc, I-Trieste
  • Common Regions, SK-Kosice
  • Steinbeis Transfer Management Ltd., UA-Uzhgorod

Project duration: January 2018 – January 2019

Budget: Funding by Danube Strategic Project Fund