Multi-million funding: EURECA-PRO comes out on top with ‘EURECA-SPARK’

The ambitious two-year initiative, in which Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (HSMW) and TU Bergakademie Freiberg are playing a key role, is set to begin in September 2026. It will receive funding of up to 2 million euros to fundamentally transform the transfer of research findings into the business sector and the teaching of entrepreneurship across Europe.

Alexander Knauer, Professor of Future Technologies and Entrepreneurship, is overseeing the project at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. He says:

I am looking forward to sharing our expertise in entrepreneurship with the EURECA-PRO community, which comprises more than 130,000 people. Within our alliance, we have already established an initial ‘deep-dive’ programme for students on innovation and entrepreneurship. With EURECA-SPARK, we are taking knowledge transfer activities to a new level and connecting the laboratories of nine European universities directly and effectively with the business world.

EURECA-SPARK was selected following a highly competitive call for proposals, which attracted a record number of 138 consortia. It is one of just 17 funded projects in a dedicated funding strand of the EIT, which aims to build long-term, structural bridges between European university alliances and the EIT’s vast innovation ecosystem.

At the heart of EURECA-SPARK is the development of a fully digital, multi-component ‘MicroDegree’ in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The curriculum, which comprises at least ten standalone microcredentials (short certificates), is being developed jointly by universities, research centres and industry partners. Students and researchers will tackle real-world challenges from industry whilst acquiring skills in the areas of intellectual property management, market validation and responsible resource management.

Furthermore, the project is establishing a dedicated start-up pathway that seamlessly links student and academic innovations with regional incubators and high-calibre accelerator programmes. This is achieved through close collaboration with the EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities EIT RawMaterials and EIT Climate-KIC. The initiative will focus strongly on forward-looking global sectors, including critical raw materials, digital technologies, the circular economy and climate technologies.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation: 

Europe’s universities produce world-class knowledge, but too many promising ideas never make it out of the laboratory. By bringing together students, researchers, entrepreneurs and businesses, we can help turn research into innovation and innovation into economic growth.

EURECA-SPARK draws on a powerful network of leading European higher education institutions and industry hubs. The core universities driving the initiative include:

• Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Germany)
• University of León (Spain)
• Technical University of Crete (Greece)
• University of Lorraine (France)
• Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (Germany)

The network of EURECA-PRO universities is complemented by strategic project partners, including companies and institutes from Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands. The project contributes directly to the European Union’s overarching goal of training around 200,000 STEM students and staff in entrepreneurship by 2028. The aim is to ensure that the next generation of innovators has the practical tools to set up competitive start-ups and strengthen the global position of European industry.

EURECA-PRO (The European University on Responsible Consumption and Production) is a strategic alliance of higher education institutions dedicated to promoting responsible consumption and sustainable production. Through deeply integrated teaching, research and innovation, the alliance empowers students and researchers to tackle the pressing environmental and economic challenges of our time.

The EIT Higher Education Initiative (HEI) is a key initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). It aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial and innovative capacity of higher education institutions across Europe. By integrating higher education institutions into Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, the EIT helps to translate cutting-edge research into effective commercial outcomes.