European Innovation Council funds three projects coordinated by national bodies

The Pathfinder Open Programme, by the European Innovation Council (EIC), has awarded EUR 7 million to Portugal, which represents a 4% capture rate of the total budget of this European funding instrument and an 8% success rate. There are, in total, 13 Portuguese participants in funded projects, three of which are led by Portuguese institutions: Neurosense, CATCHER and NanoXCAN.

• Neurosense, by i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, of the University of Porto, is a project on a NEUROendocrine sensor for the prediction and prevention of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
• CATCHER, led by NOVA.ID.FST (Faculty of Science and Technology) – Association for FST Innovation and Development, involves creating an innovative technology for converting renewable energy "moisture into electricity" for the sustainable energy challenge.
• NanoXCAN, by IST-ID - Instituto Superior Técnico's Association for Research and Development, is an X-ray microscope for nanoscale virus imaging based on incoherent diffraction.

The Chairman of ANI, Joana Mendonça, highlights that "these EIC Pathfinder results demonstrate that we are on the right track to reach the goal of doubling national participation in Horizon Europe. Portugal achieved an 8% success rate (exceeding the European average success rate of 6%). We were the 3^rd European country with the highest success rate, only surpassed by Hungary and Luxembourg, which demonstrates the excellent work that has been carried out by the innovation ecosystem."

This financial instrument of the European Innovation Council supports the implementation of R&D projects aimed at the development of new innovative, disruptive and revolutionary technologies, at their early stages and in a variety of areas. The tender received a total of 908 proposals from higher education and research institutions, of which 29% are from the private sector and 67% are SMEs.

The EIC Pathfinder programme is part of Horizon Europe's Pillar III - Innovative Europe and, in Portugal, is monitored by ANI within the scope of the PERIN network.