Event partners

The main partners of the Horizon4Poland’23 are 12 European Partnerships: Made in Europe, 2Zero, CCAM, Photonics21, EIT Health, Built4People, EIT Food, EIT Urban Mobility, Batt4EU, ERA4Health, IHI, THCS. Their activities are focused on key areas for Europe’s development, including sustainability, digitalization, industry, climate, energy, mobility, construction, lithium-ion batteries, photonics, food and health.

What are European Partnerships?

European Partnerships bring the European Commission and private and/or public partners together to address some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through concerted research and innovation initiatives. They are a key implementation tool of Horizon Europe, and contribute significantly to achieving the EU’s political priorities.

By bringing private and public partners together, European Partnerships help to avoid the duplication of investments and contribute to reducing the fragmentation of the research and innovation landscape in the EU.

Find out more about our event partners:

1. Made in Europe

The Made in Europe Partnership is the voice and driver for sustainable manufacturing in Europe. It boosts European manufacturing ecosystems towards global leadership in technology, circular industries and flexibility. The Partnership contributes to a competitive, green, digital, resilient and human-centric manufacturing industry. It is the centre of a twin ecological and digital transition, both a driver and subject to these changes.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - ORGMASZ at which the Industry Contact Point Coordinator is operating. 

2. Towards zero emission road transport

Towards zero emission road transport (2Zero) is a co-programmed Partnership funded under the Horizon Europe program and aiming at accelerating the transition towards zero tailpipe emission road mobility across Europe.

The 2Zero partnership is dedicated to all types of vehicles, with the special focus to electric or hybrid electric propulsion systems.

Partnership is based on 4 pillars:

• Vehicle technologies and vehicle propulsion solutions for BEV and FCEV
• The integration of BEV into the energy system and related charging infrastructure
• Innovative concepts, solutions and services for the zero tailpipe
• LCA and circular economy approaches for sustainable and innovative road mobility solutions

The 2Zero partnership promotes and facilitates pre-competitive research and innovation on road transport mobility by identifying the research needs. The aim of the Partnership is to achieve the targets set in European transport, energy and environmental policies.

Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation, coordinator of the Industry Contact Point Clean and Smart Mobility supports participation of research agencies and companies in the Partnership

3. Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility Partnership

Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility Partnership (CCAM) - co-programmed Partnership under European Commission and Horizon Europe Program, with goal to reach the objectives of UN Sustainable Development, Vision Zero, the European Green Deal, Europe fit for the Digital Age and the Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy.

General objectives of the CCAM Partnership:

• Increasing safety in road transport.
• Ensuring inclusive mobility and access to goods for everyone.
• Strengthening the competitiveness of European industries.
• Reducing the negative impacts from road transport on the environment.
• Capitalizing knowledge to accelerate development and deployment of CCAM solutions

Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Aviation, coordinator of the Industry Contact Point Clean and Smart Mobility supports participation of research agencies and companies in the Partnership

4. Photonics21

Photonics21, an European Technology Platform, is a partnership established to promote and advance photonics research and innovation in Europe. It is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that brings together over 3 800 members from industry, academia, and research organizations to collaborate on photonics-related projects and initiatives. Photonics21 aims to establish Europe as the leader in the development and deployment of photonics technologies within the various application fields such as ICT, lighting, industrial manufacturing, life sciences, safety as well as in education and training.

Photonics21 is recognized by the European Commission as the representative platform for photonics in Europe. It provides a forum for stakeholders to define research and innovation priorities, develop roadmaps, and advocate for photonics within the European Union's research and innovation programs. The partnership contributes to the development of policies and funding strategies for photonics research and innovation at the European level.

The partnership plays a significant role in the Horizon Europe program, which is the European Union's framework program for research and innovation for the period of 2021-2027. Photonics21 actively contributes to shaping the photonics-related research and innovation activities within Horizon Europe by providing strategic guidance, advocacy for photonics in work programs, proposal evaluation and selection, collaboration and networking as well as technology transfer and commercialization.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP at which the Industry Contact Point Industry 4.0 is operating.

5. Built4People

Built4People Partnership - People-centric sustainable built environment it is a co-programmed partnership in Horizon Europe’s Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) that bring together the European Commission and two leading associations: Europe Regional Network of WorldGBC (World Green Building Council) and ECPT (European Construction, built environment and energy efficient building Technology Platform) who together represent thousands of stakeholders and perspectives across the built environment – from research & innovation institutes to construction companies (large and SME’s).

The partnership aims to catalyze the transition to a people-centric, climate-neutral, sustainable and low-emission smart buildings. The partnership will accelerate people-centric innovation in the built environment that drives the transition towards a sustainable society and economy, relying on the active engagement of its partners and a European network of Innovation Clusters. The built environment refers to all types of buildings and housing assets, as well as infrastructures in its broad inception (encompassing district heating and energy infrastructures, water supply and sanitation, flood defense, all types of transport infrastructures, etc.). In order to tackle the challenges, the partnership will pursue three general objectives: first of all, scientific- to generate holistic innovation towards sustainability; secondly, economic - to revitalize the sector through decarbonization and sustainability transition; and last but not least: societal - to induce lasting behavioral change towards sustainable living.

Built4People Partnership has been launched in 2021 for a 7-year period with nearly €400 million of EU funding to innovation in the sector and leverage of an equivalent amount of private investment. The innovation catalyzed will help ensure the built environment plays a key role in delivering the European Green Deal, sustaining the ambitious objectives of the Renovation Wave, and aligning with the bold aims of the New European Bauhaus.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Warsaw Institute of Technology at which the Industry Contact Point Low-emission Technologies and Clean Energy is operating.

6. EIT Food

EIT Food is a community which has come together to respond to the biggest issues in the food system affecting our lives. The main objectives of the community are:

• to educate to engage, innovate and advance by providing ‘food system’ skills for students, entrepreneurs and professionals through advanced training programs;
• to enhance sustainability through resource stewardship by developing solutions to transform the traditional ‘produce-use-dispose’ model into a circular bio-economy
• to catalyze food entrepreneurship and innovation by fostering innovation at every stage of business creation;
• to build a consumer-centric connected food system by developing a digital food supply network with consumers and industry as equal partners;
• to create consumer-valued food for healthier nutrition by enabling individuals to make informed and affordable personal nutrition choices;
• to overcome low consumer trust by supporting European citizens in the transition towards a smart food system that is inclusive and reassuring.

Within the community network we enjoy the cooperation of 168 partners and over 350 organizations all over the world. EIT Food has already allocated 50 M EUR for grants and investments, has supported over 360 start-ups and has launched 15 innovations.

Additionally, for the countries in our region it offers, among other things, programs that:

• create agri-food start-ups on the basis of collaboration with outstanding technologists;
• connect start-ups with farmers and test farms, and
• support the development of women's entrepreneurship in the industry.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Poznań Institute of Technology at which the Industry Contact Point Digital Transformation is operating.

7. EIT Urban Mobility

EIT Urban Mobility is an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Since January 2019 it has been working to encourage positive changes in the way people move around cities in order to make them more liveable places.

EIT Urban Mobility is a network that brings together key players across the mobility value chain. This community includes more than 300 organizations in 33 countries across Europe.

The goals of the EIT Urban Mobility Community are:

• Enabling change: addressing the challenges of urban sustainability as well as congestion in the transportation network;
• Capacity building: training the next generation of urban mobility practitioners;
• Creating opportunities: harnessing and upgrading ideas for implementation through innovative projects;
• Delivering solutions: enabling and activating Europe's brightest start-up teams to consider new applications, business model systems and data to advance the world of urban mobility.

EIT UM operates in the field of education by supporting, among other things, the implementation of master's and doctoral programs and the building of Competence Hubs. The community offers programs to support the development of innovation and startups.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Poznań Institute of Technology at which the Industry Contact Point Digital Transformation is operating.

8. Batt4EU

Batt4EU is a European Partnership for the industrial value chain in the battery sector. This Partnership was established on the 23rd of June 2021 by the European Commission and the Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA), with €925 million from Horizon Europe.

Batt4EU activities are focused on the topics related to Cluster 5 of Horizon Europe – Climate, Energy, and Mobility, in particular in the field of battery materials, cell design, production, and battery recycling, as well as research and development of innovative battery and battery technologies and the implementation of sustainable solutions for clean mobility and energy storage.

The vision of the Partnership is to create the world's best sustainable and competitive battery value chain in Europe by 2030, which will contribute to the transformation towards climate neutrality.

Batt4EU aims to lead the battery industry along the entire value chain, create economic growth, and create jobs in the circular economy, but also achieve zero pollution by providing safer batteries and more sustainable processes.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, at which the Industry Contact Point Sustainable Economy is operating. 

9. EIT Health

EIT Health is a network of best-in-class health innovators with approximately 130 partners and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. We collaborate across borders to deliver new solutions enabling European citizens to live longer, healthier lives.

As Europeans tackle the challenge of increasing chronic diseases and multi-morbidity and seek to realise the opportunities that technology offers to move beyond conventional approaches to treatment, prevention and healthy lifestyles, we need thought leaders, innovators and efficient ways to bring innovative healthcare solutions to the market.

EIT Health addresses these needs. We connect all relevant healthcare players across European borders – making sure to include all sides of the “knowledge triangle” so that innovation can happen at the intersection of research, education and business for the benefit of citizens.

One of the Partnership is the Łukasiewicz Research Network - PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, at which the Industry Contact Point Medical Technologies and Health is operating.

10. ERA4Health

Era4Health Partnership gives the opportunity to increase European transnational collaborative research funding by creating a funding body for joint programming in priority areas addressing European public health needs.

ERA4Health Partnership brings together 32 entities and 27 funding organisations from
21 countries, with the common goal of addressing public health needs, ensuring that combined financial resources are used in the most effective and efficient way, best practices are shared, knowledge is created, disseminated and used for the benefit of all key stakeholders.

Consortium partners are a mix of ministries, national and regional funding agencies, non-profit intergovernmental organizations and foundations. A number of the current consortium partners have been involved in previous ERANETs.

Through cross-national joint calls for proposals and making the most of interregional and international cooperation, ERA4Health aims to provide influential contributions as well as
a sustainable model of funding for ground-breaking translational research in the health domain across Europe and beyond.

11. Innovative Health Initiative

The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) is a public-private partnership between the European Union and industry associations representing the sectors involved in healthcare, namely COCIR, EFPIA, Vaccines Europe, EuropaBio, and MedTech Europe. By supporting projects that bring together these industries as well as universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, patients, regulators and others, IHI aims to pioneer a new, more integrated approach to health research. Their approach moves the focus from disease care to health care, starting with disease prevention, and covering diagnostics, (personalised) treatments, and disease management.

Innovative Health Initiative's (IHI) goals are to translate health research and innovation into tangible benefits for patients and society, and ensure that Europe remains at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary, sustainable, patient-centric health research. Health research and care increasingly involves diverse sectors. By supporting projects that bring these sectors together, IHI will pave the way for a more integrated approach to healthcare, covering prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and disease management.

12. Transforming Health and Care Systems

The general objective of the European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) is to contribute to the transition towards more sustainable, efficient, resilient, innovative and high-quality people-centred health and care systems equally accessible to all people.

The partnership represents a unique strategic opportunity to bring together stakeholders, create synergies, coordinate Research and Innovation actions, facilitate the digitization of health and care services and support the transformation of health and care systems with innovative solutions driven by knowledge and evidence.

The THCS gathers partners with relevant knowledge and expertise from a total of 64 organisations established in 23 Member States and HE Associated Countries, including
9 regions, and 3 non-EU Countries, Switzerland, UK and the United States and 1 region, Scotland. It includes Ministries representatives, Research and Innovation Funding Organisations and Research Performing Organisations. The diverse competencies of the THCS Partners bring in a broad range of expertise and disciplines required to address the different activities the Partnership will perform.