Clusters and topics:
Cluster 4 (Digital/Industry), Digital Europe, EIC and Research Infrastructure. More information in detail below.
Programme
- RVO Speakers: Wout Lamers & Betoel Al-Hassaan (Cluster 4, EIC, Digital Europe) and Anna Goedhart (Research Infrastructure)
- 12:00-14:00: RVO presentations, including lunch
These meetings will be presented by the representatives (National Contact Points) of the HE Clusters and Programmes. As such this is a good opportunity to connect with them for your grant application.
We would like to remind you that if you plan to submit a Horizon Europe proposal as a coordinator, please contact IXA-GO, VU Grants Office for additional support from grant advisors, impact managers and business developers: subsidiedesk@vu.nl
Cluster 4 strengthens Europe’s leadership in digital, industrial, and space technologies, ensuring competitiveness and resilience across key sectors. It supports advances in advanced materials, AI, robotics, next‑generation internet, quantum technologies, Big Data, and clean/circular industry. The cluster promotes secure, sustainable supply chains—including critical raw materials—while fostering Europe’s open strategic autonomy. Its actions accelerate both the green and digital transitions and encourage ethically aligned, human‑centred technology development.
The Digital Europe Programme accelerates Europe’s digital transformation by funding large‑scale deployment of key digital capacities such as supercomputing, AI, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and the uptake of digital technologies across economy and society. It bridges the gap between digital research and market deployment, helping businesses—especially SMEs—benefit from digital tools. DIGITAL enhances Europe’s digital sovereignty by reducing dependencies in critical technologies, including semiconductors under the Chips for Europe initiative. It complements Horizon Europe and other EU programmes to reinforce resilience, security, and technological leadership.
The European Innovation Council supports breakthrough, market‑creating and deep‑tech innovation across the full lifecycle—from early‑stage research to commercialization and scale‑up. Its three main instruments—EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and EIC Accelerator—fund cutting‑edge science, technology validation, and business growth for start‑ups and SMEs. The EIC Fund provides equity investments to help innovators scale and attract co‑investment from private capital. Guided by an independent EIC Board and specialised Programme Managers, the EIC proactively steers portfolios toward technological breakthroughs. Overall, the EIC drives Europe’s leadership in transformative technologies and supports visionary entrepreneurs.
Research Infrastructures are world‑class facilities, resources, and services—from major scientific equipment to data infrastructures—that enable frontier research and innovation. They provide open access for top researchers across Europe and beyond, supporting scientific excellence and cross‑border collaboration. RIs underpin Open Science through the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), high‑performance computing, and data‑driven research. They play a critical role in enabling the green and digital transitions, health research, and evidence‑based policymaking. Horizon Europe’s RI programme strengthens and expands the European infrastructure landscape, supporting innovation, training, and long‑term sustainability.