European Innovation Council (EIC) President Michiel Scheffer visited Radboudumc on 14 September to discuss the future of European innovation in health and healthcare. The meeting explored how Radboudumc can further strengthen research strategy, researcher entrepreneurship, grant support, business development, and connections with regional and European innovation ecosystems.
Scientific director Guillén Fernández opened the meeting by highlighting both Radboudumc’s strong overall funding profile and an opportunity for improvement. Success rates in EIC funding schemes remain "painfully low," he noted, leaving considerable potential for Radboudumc researchers and innovators to make better use of the opportunities available.
The EIC is the European Union’s flagship program for developing and scaling breakthrough technologies and innovations. Under Horizon Europe, it has a budget of €10.1 billion for 2021–2027.
From discovery to impact
Scheffer described the "valley of death" between scientific discovery and successful application. "Promising ideas can still get stuck on the way from discovery to application," he says. "The EIC instruments are designed to support innovations across that journey, from breakthrough research to companies that are ready to scale."
The EIC supports different stages of this journey through Pathfinder for breakthrough research, Transition for developing research results toward application, Accelerator for startups and SMEs, and STEP Scale Up for companies ready for major growth.
Beyond funding, EIC Programme Managers identify emerging technological challenges, connect projects, and help build stronger innovation portfolios. Health and healthcare form an important part of the EIC landscape, creating opportunities for researchers working at the interface of science, technology, and clinical application.
More opportunities ahead
The discussion also looked toward the next European research and innovation framework for 2028–2034. The European Commission has proposed a substantial expansion of Horizon Europe, including continued support for high-risk and disruptive innovation through the EIC.
Scheffer emphasized that European strategic autonomy will increasingly shape innovation priorities. "The question is no longer only how we bridge the valley of death," he says. "We also need to ask which technologies Europe needs to develop and retain if we want to remain competitive and strategically autonomous."
Diversity and broader European participation are also receiving greater attention. For researchers preparing EIC proposals, this can have practical relevance. In some schemes, gender balance in scientific leadership and the breadth of countries represented can help prioritize otherwise equally rated proposals. Strong collaboration with excellent partners from currently underrepresented European regions can therefore strengthen a consortium.
The keynote was followed by discussions with Radboudumc researchers and support staff about how to translate these opportunities into stronger proposals, partnerships, and ultimately greater impact from Radboudumc research.
