S3E Start Program: Bridging the Gap from Lab to Market

S3E Start Program: Bridging the Gap from Lab to Market is currently accepting applications. This program is designed to offer comprehensive support to entrepreneurs in Southern Europe who are working on Deep Tech solutions with a strong focus on social and sustainable impact. It caters to three main groups within the innovation ecosystem: research teams and technology transfer offices (TTOs) collaborating on a project, startups in the growth phase, and corporate entities looking to partner with scaleups and SMEs.

S3E Start provides crucial assistance to research teams and TTOs in transitioning their innovations from the laboratory to the market through a well-established Training Program.

Furthermore, S3E Start is a valuable resource for technology transfer officers seeking to acquire a thoroughly tested methodology for promoting science-based entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. The program kicks off with each participating research team proposing a technology in the application form. Over an 18-week period, these research teams will engage in online classes aimed at helping them grasp the essential steps required to create a business case for a product or service based on their proposed technology. This includes two hours of classes every week, webinars (one hour every two weeks) covering relevant topics related to developing the business case, and regular mentoring sessions (one and a half hours every two weeks). Each class will also provide a set of deliverables that serve as the foundation for constructing the business case. In essence, S3E Start offers a hands-on learning experience that equips researchers with the skills needed for knowledge commercialization, enabling them to:

1. Connect scientific knowledge and technology with the needs of the product and market.
2. Improve their ability to communicate scientific concepts to a non-scientific audience.
3. Evaluate the various pathways for bringing their technology to the market.

21 Skills That Every Startup Founder Should Have

Eligibility

To qualify for S3E Start Open Call #2, ensure that you meet the following criteria:

For Research Teams:

• Form a research team consisting of 2 to 5 members, with one designated as the Principal Applicant and the others as Co-Applicants. (Individual researchers are not eligible for application).
• Your proposed project should aim to make a positive impact on one or more Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Be affiliated with research and development (R&D) organizations based in any of the following countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, or Turkey.

For Technology Transfer Officers:

• Submit an individual application with the support of an R&D organization.
• Have a minimum of three years of relevant experience.
• Be a part of a technology transfer office within an R&D organization located in one of the specified countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, or Turkey.

Benefits

S3E Start provides selected researchers and tech transfer offices with an intensive 18-week hands-on experience, which includes:

• Online tutorials focusing on topics related to the development of a business case for a product, service, or process based on the proposed technology. These classes are held weekly and last for one and a half hours.
• Webinars covering various relevant skills such as intellectual property, financials, business development, and venture funding. A total of eight one-hour webinars will be conducted.
• Mentoring by industry experts who guide teams in validating their projects and developing the business case. These mentors have deep tech and entrepreneurship expertise and assist teams in overcoming program-related challenges. Mentor meetings occur every two weeks and last for one and a half hours.
• Networking opportunities with industry leaders and the chance to showcase their work at the S3E Open Day.
• Weekly deliverables that help research teams apply the concepts learned during online tutorials to their technology. These assignments typically require an average of three hours per week.
• Advisory support during the final two weeks of the program to help research teams fine-tune their presentations for the S3E Open Day.
• Pitch Presentations: Teams will make three pitches during the program – one at the beginning to introduce their technology, one in the middle to present the value proposition of their deep tech project, and a final pitch at the S3E Open Day.

Outcomes:

• Participants will complete a training program that results in the development of a business case for a product, service, or process concept based on the proposed technology.
• Teams will present their projects at the S3E Open Day to pre-seed stage investors and corporate ventures.

Application Process

Click here to apply

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