SFF DEEP CONNECT

SFF DEEP CONNECT addresses Europe’s challenge of having strong scientific excellence in STEM fields but limited capacity to transform it into scalable innovation. While entrepreneurship initiatives exist, they often remain fragmented and disconnected from STEM education systems, reducing their overall impact. In addition, regional innovation ecosystems are not sufficiently connected, limiting collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the diffusion of best practices across Europe. As a result, the link between knowledge generation and commercialisation remains weak, slowing the transition from research and ideas to market-ready solutions.

The project’s vision is to reposition Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as structural, system-level innovation actors rather than simply talent factories. It aims to move beyond ad-hoc entrepreneurship initiatives towards embedded, scalable, and continuously internationalised innovation pathways, building a more resilient and interconnected European deep-tech innovation system starting from universities.

To achieve this, SFF DEEP CONNECT is structured around five strategic objectives. First, a STEM Talent Programme will train 4,500 students, professors, researchers, and academic staff to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurial skills across the academic system. Second, Asset-Matching Living Labs will create a new bridging unit connecting research institutes, Technology Transfer Offices, and incubators, enabling the launch of 10 new ventures. Third, the SFF Open Incubator 2.0 will establish a joint digital pre-incubation and incubation framework across partner HEIs, supporting the creation of 30 startups. Fourth, the SFF EIT HEI Founder Passport will provide a structured mobility and cross-ecosystem access framework, validating 10 ventures through enhanced exposure to different innovation environments. Finally, a Sustainability & Scale component will define a 5-year business model and operational plan to ensure long-term continuity and expansion, engaging 10 new partners into the ecosystem.