After wrapping up a very successful first edition of the S3E Program, the South3E consortium has launched the Open Call 2 to continue supporting deep tech innovation in Southern Europe and contribute to bridge the lab-to-market gap. As you may have heard by now, the S3E Program is built around three tracks of bespoke services, tailored to the needs of different groups; in this article, we hear from Claudia Barbosa and Cristina Simoes from HiSeedTech, the team behind the S3E Start track, on how this program can help research teams and technology transfer offices (TTOs) turn their deep tech solutions into commercially viable products or services.
Hi Claudia! Tell us, what is the mission behind S3E?
We set up this project between the four partners with a clear mission — to boost deep tech innovation coming from Southern Europe.
To reach this, the S3E consortium designed three clearly defined tracks: S3E Start, a hands-on training program on technology commercialisation for research teams and tech transfer offices (TTOs); we also have S3E Charge, which is a mentoring and networking program for growth startups to help them develop an investment-ready business plan; and last, but not least, S3E Reverse is our brokering program that matches corporate challenges with SMEs as solution providers.
Who is the S3E Start track for?
For S3E Start specifically, we’re looking for research teams based in Southern Europe, with 2 to 5 members, currently working on a deep tech project that tackles one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
To comply with the S3E Start criteria, these deep tech products, processes or services must be rooted on scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation and be capable of fulfilling market needs across any sector or industry.
For the first open call, we selected 14 research teams and 12 TTOs from different countries, including: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Romania and Turkey. To learn more about the type of projects we support, I’d encourage anyone interested in applying to download the that features all the participants form the first cohort.
Cristina, as the head of training for S3E Start, can you explain what participants can expect from this program?
We offer an 18-week immersive experience that involves weekly online tutorials to guide the research teams in the development of a strong business case for their technology, and a series of webinars on diverse topics to help them build up relevant skills in key topics such as intellectual property, technology commercialisation, how to pitch for funding, etc.
Each team will have a dedicated mentor who will guide them through the market validation for their deep tech research project, offering 1-1 support for the development of their business case. The participating researchers will also receive bespoke advice to fine tune their final presentations for the S3E Start Open Day, an online pitching session with international investors to mark the end of the program.
What is the application process to join the S3E Start Program?
For those research teams and TTOs interested in applying, the first step is to check all the information about the Program available on the Apply Now section of the S3E website. Then, they need to and make sure to read them carefully before starting filling up their application on the F6S online platform, using this link for research teams and this link for TTOs.
Once we receive all applications, our panel of experts will review them; the selected teams will be publicly announced at the end of January 2024 and the program will officially start on 6 February.
If you and your research team believe your innovation can contribute towards building a better and more sustainable future for all, we’d love to welcome you into the S3E Start Program. Apply before the 12 January 2024 and join the Southern European Deep Tech revolution!
Do you have any questions you’d like to ask Claudia or Cristina directly? Come along to one of our Info Webinars! Check all the upcoming sessions and register via Eventbrite.