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Programme

This year's EIT Innovation Awards Ceremony brings together three flagship EIT initiatives that showcase and celebrate the most promising early-stage innovators, the most successful entrepreneurs, and the most inspiring leaders who have been nurtured by the EIT Community:

  • The EIT Awards - celebrating Europe's brightest entrepreneurs and innovators within the EIT ecosystem,
  • EIT Jumpstarter Grand Finale - after a 7-month pre-acceleration programme, early-stage innovators from moderate and emerging innovation regions will compete for prizes of up to EUR 10.000,
  • EIT Red Kalyna Awards - recognising the extraordinary efforts of Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, educators, researchers, and mentors who are driving innovation and positive change.

 

 

EIT Innovation Awards - Main Stage
11:20
Welcome by the Master of Ceremonies
11:25
Opening remarks

Opening remarks by László Bódis, Deputy State Secretary for Innovation, Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Culture, Antoaneta Angelova Krasteva, Director of DG EAC and Stefan Dobrev, Chairperson of the EIT Governing Board.

11:45
Introduction to EIT Water

Martin Kern, EIT Director, will introduce the 10th Knowledge and Innovation Community, EIT Water together with Representatives of EIT Water: Hero Prins, Interim CEO and Michelle Williams, Vice-Dean Talent Development & Internationalization, Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University.

12:05
Celebrating EIT Champions - EIT Awards Pitching and Ceremony

Nine EIT Awards finalists will pitch in front of the audience. The Awards will be given by Antoaneta Angelova Krasteva, Director of DG EAC and Stefan Dobrev, Chairperson of the EIT Governing Board. 

13:05
Networking lunch
14:05
Cultural Interlude
14:10
Closing the Innovation Gap in Europe

Discussion with Robert Somogyi, Deputy CEO of Hungarian National Innovation Agency, Silvio Scerri, CEO Xjenza Malta and Rana Sanyal, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of RS Research.

Moderated by Martin Kern, EIT Director.

14:35
Signature of Memorandum of Understanding

Martin Kern, EIT Director will sign a Memorandum of Understanding together with Silvio Scerri, CEO at Xjenza Malta.

14:45
Panel Discussion - Why EIT Startups Are Worth Your Capital

Speaker of the panel:

  • Maite Fibla, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Ship2B Ventures
  • Olga Petrovic, CEO at Neofunction
  • Ana Barjasic, CEO of Connectology and EIC Board Member

Moderated by Laurent Roux, Head of Section at EIT Innovation Capacity Section.

15:20
EIT Jumpstarter Grand Finale

Early-stage innovators from moderate and emerging innovation regions will compete for prizes of up to EUR 10.000 across seven categories: Energy, Food, Health, New European Bauhaus, Raw Materials, Urban Mobility and Rebuild Ukraine.

Awards given by Ana Barjasic, CEO of Connectology and EIC Board Member and Evelin Regina Szasz, EIT Jumpstarter Programme Lead.

16:20
Coffee Break
16:50
EIT Red Kalyna Awards - Spotlighting Ukrainian Women innovators

Recognise the extraordinary efforts of Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, educators, researchers, and mentors who are driving innovation and positive change. This initiative honours those who have developed groundbreaking products or solutions, or transformed their businesses into hubs of innovation, embodying resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit in the face of adversity.

Introduction and awards given by: 

  • Oksana Berezhna, Director General of Innovation and Science Liaison with the Real Sector of Economy Directorate at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine
  • Sasha Bezuhanova, Co-Founder at SCION and former EIT Governing Board Member.
17:25
Closing remarks

Closing remarks given by Jan Oravec, EIT Governing Board Member.

17:40
Networking cocktail
Breakout Rooms
8:30
Registration and Welcome Coffee
9:00
EIT Jumpstarter Pitching Finale
  • Room 1: Healthcare category
  • Room 2: Food & Agritech category
  • Room 3: New European Bauhaus category
  • Room 4: Energy & Renewables category
10:15
EIT Jumpstarter Pitching Finale
  • Room 1: Raw Materials category
  • Room 2: Smart Cities & Mobility category
  • Room 3: EIT Jumpstarter Next category
  • Room 4: Rebuild Ukraine category
13:35
Unlocking the hidden value of European research infrastructures​: EIT Infrabooster showcase

Room 2: this session will be moderated by Adam Strzelecki, EIT Food.