Lille Metropole is very rich in its innovation eco-systems embodied in its 8 thematic « parks of excellence » dedicated to startups and smes (see our july newsletter focused on our innovation eco-systems).  This rich eco-system could no longer be ignored by Jean David MALO, Director of the new EISMEA agency gathering the former SME executive agency with the newly created European Innovation Council.

A study visit to Lille organized by Lille Métropole EU Office in October enabled him to discover on site the 2 main parks of excellence, Eurasanté and Euratechnologies, to discuss with their managers and with the services of the economic development departments of Lille Metropole and Hauts de France Region and to present to local startups, SMEs and leaders of innovation ecosystems the different ways in which Europe and its newly created European Innovation Council can now massively support disruptive innovation projects . Several startupers took the opportunity to pitch their projects and benefit from the Director’s high level  advices on the best way to approach EU / EIC funding.  A few of them had already presented innovation projects now in the pipeline of the EIC funding schemes.

Among the startups  attending the EIC presentation, The Innovation Loop,  an AI Platform for the design and financing of innovation projects, a startup incubated in Euratechnologies,  who won the European Commission tender for the development of the EIC accelerator plaform, which help startups develop their innovation projects from the idea to the market.