The European MPowerBIO project has officially started after holding its kick-off meeting telematically. Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA) and Sustainable Innovations are the Spanish partners of this project, which has a budget of 1.5 million euros and a duration of 30 months to help European SMEs in the bioeconomy sector to find investment.
The project will train EU bio-based clusters to be better adapted and help SMEs to overcome the “valley of death”, i.e., to get investors to get from idea to business.
MPowerBIO will create an online platform with digital tools aimed at improving the capture of investment. In addition, online training modules and 10 regional trainers’ events will be organized to train SMEs and select the best projects.
The best SME projects from these events will be selected by investors, and invited to one of two European finals, which are based on the European Bioeconomy Venture Forum model, run by several of the consortium members. At the final, the selected companies will present their ideas to a panel of investors and experts from large organisations and venture funds in Europe, with the aim of attracting capital to grow and develop their business. The MPowerBIO project will train and support 90 clusters and 350 SMEs to achieve this goal.
About the project
MPowerBIO (eM-POWERing SME Clusters to help SMEs to overcome the valley of death) has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 887501.
The 10 international project partners are
- Agro Business Park (lead partner) – Denmark
- Tech Tour Global – Bulgaria
- Cluster Industrielle Biotechnologie 2021 EV – Germany
- Consorzio Italbiotec – Italy
- Foodscale Hub Entrepreneurship and Innovation Association – Serbia
- EIT Food – Belgium
- Irish Bioeconomy Foundation – Ireland
- Q-Plan International Advisors PC – Greece
- Technological Corporation of Andalusia – Spain
- Sustainable Innovations Europe – Spain
