EIT Digital is intensifying its efforts to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial innovation with the launch of a structured entrepreneurial education initiative called SPIN: Explore, a specialized 9-hour online course designed to transform how researchers and scientists approach commercialization.
The program, scheduled to run from June 9 to June 25, 2025, specifically targets innovations in areas of strategic importance including, but not limited to, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Robotics, Electronics, Sustainable Energy solutions, and aims to equip participants with fundamental business skills and foster a mindset conducive to bringing Deep Tech innovations to market.
The course has been strategically structured into three modules focusing on innovation assessment, intellectual property rights, and effective communication with stakeholders.
Each module features sessions led by recognized experts in their respective fields. Eva Halén, Business Development Coach at KTH Innovation, will guide participants through the KTH Innovation Readiness Level Model, which offers a structured approach to innovation development used by over 2,000 organizations worldwide. Linn Kretzschmar from CERN will share insights on technology transfer processes and the CERN Venture Connect Programme, while intellectual property specialists Michele Dubbini and Claire Fritz from the European IP Helpdesk, as well as Enrico Luzzatto from the European Patent Office, will cover essential IP protection strategies for researchers.
The program culminates with sessions on effective communication with non-scientific audiences, led by Maria Witte, who has secured over €50 million in funding for Deep Tech innovations, and insights into investor priorities from Arianna Tibuzzi, Partner at Obloo Ventures, who specializes in early-stage investment management for Deep Tech ventures.
Applications for SPIN: Explore close on June 3, 2025, with EIT Digital reviewing submissions on a rolling basis. Successful applicants will receive detailed information about accessing the online sessions, and those who maintain the required attendance rate (missing no more than one session) will receive an EIT Digital certificate upon completion, including the EIT Label, a quality seal awarded to top entrepreneurial education programmes.
The pilot run of SPIN: Explore in 2024 demonstrated significant interest and engagement, with 102 participants maintaining a 72% average attendance rate. The program also showed promise in addressing gender disparities in tech entrepreneurship, with 48% female participation. Participant satisfaction ratings averaged 4.2 out of 5, indicating strong reception of the curriculum and delivery format.
The SPIN:Explore initiative comes at a critical time for European innovation, as the region faces increasing global competition in Deep Tech areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced materials. By creating a commercialization pipeline that begins at the research stage, EIT Digital is working to ensure that European scientific excellence translates more directly into market leadership and economic value.
"European research excellence is world-class, but we continue to face challenges in translating scientific breakthroughs into market success," said Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital. "SPIN: Explore addresses this critical gap by equipping researchers with the entrepreneurial mindset and practical tools needed to navigate the complex journey from laboratory to marketplace. Our vision is to create a new generation of scientist-entrepreneurs who can drive Europe's digital transformation while maintaining our technological sovereignty."
