The European Innovation Council (EIC) has awarded €118 million to 30 groundbreaking projects selected under the 2025 EIC Pathfinder Challenges, aiming to deliver technological breakthroughs across four strategic areas: biotechnology for climate-resilient crops and plant-based biomanufacturing, generative AI for cancer diagnosis and treatment, autonomous robot collectives for construction, and waste-to-value devices for circular production of fuels, chemicals, and materials. These projects were chosen from 647 eligible proposals and will receive an average of €3.93 million each, with participants primarily from higher education institutions, private companies, and research organizations.
Selected projects include INPROBED, which will develop a predictive promoter design platform for tomatoes to enhance crop resilience and nutrition using single-cell data and deep learning. LUMINA focuses on AI-driven precision tools for lung cancer care, providing clinicians, patients, and healthcare providers with proactive self-management and decision-support systems adaptable to multiple cancer types. SITEBOT is advancing modular autonomous robot platforms for timber-based construction, integrating AI-based perception and coordination systems with human–robot collaboration frameworks for safer and more efficient building assembly. PROPEL is creating a scalable platform for producing protein-based materials and biocatalysts using synthetic cells, combining synthetic biology, renewable building blocks, fermentation, and waste valorization to overcome industrial protein production barriers.
EIC Programme Managers played a key role in defining the Pathfinder Challenges and will actively oversee the portfolio of projects to explore diverse approaches, complementary solutions, and maximize impact. Beyond grant funding, selected projects will receive tailored coaching through the EIC Business Acceleration Services and may gain fast-track access to the EIC Accelerator, supporting further development and market readiness.
Projects are now preparing grant agreements, which will formalize funding, marking the start of implementation. The EIC Pathfinder program supports high-risk, interdisciplinary research with potential for radically new technologies, offering grants of up to €4 million for early-stage developments at low Technology Readiness Levels, with follow-up opportunities through the EIC Transition or Accelerator schemes to bring innovations to market.
The EIC has also announced the 2026 Pathfinder Challenges Call, open until 28 October 2026, focusing on advanced materials for miniaturized energy harvesting, biotechnology for healthy ageing, and cognitive AI systems for deep reasoning, abstraction, and planning.
