The EIC Pathfinder Challenges Info Day, organised by TÜBİTAK within the framework of the “Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe Project”, implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Technology under the Competitive Sectors Programme and co-financed by the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye, was held online on 24 August 2026.
Coordinated by TÜBİTAK EIC/EIE/EIT National Contact Points Tarık Şahin and Erencan Bal, the event brought together more than 150 participants. The 2026 EIC Pathfinder Challenges were addressed not only in terms of their scope, but also through the strategic and practical elements that are critical to transforming a strong scientific idea into a competitive and fundable EIC Pathfinder proposal.
The event opened with remarks by Erencan Bal, TÜBİTAK EIC/EIE/EIT National Contact Point. Throughout the day, expert sessions covered different dimensions of the application process, ranging from the logic of the EIC Pathfinder programme and the evaluation process to the portfolio approach of the Challenges and the development of project ideas.
The 2026 Challenge Topics Examined in Detail
The Info Day focused on the three EIC Pathfinder Challenges identified for 2026:
Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems
Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
DeepRAP: Deep Reasoning, Abstraction & Planning towards trustworthy Cognitive AI Systems
Dedicated sessions were held for each Challenge, combining a detailed reading of the call scope with expert assessments of the project portfolio that the EIC aims to build under the respective Challenge. This enabled participants to consider not only whether their project ideas fit the scope of the call, but also how their proposals could be positioned within the envisaged portfolio.
From Call Text to a Competitive Project Proposal
The expert sessions highlighted the EIC’s “science-to-technology breakthrough” approach and its expectation for a long-term vision. The importance of positioning projects appropriately on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Business Readiness Level (BRL) scales was discussed in relation to project design, work planning and the Impact section.
Differences between the EIC Pathfinder Open call and the EIC Pathfinder Challenges, together with the portfolio approach, were also examined through real-case examples. The structure of the project proposal and the evaluation process were among the core topics addressed during the sessions.
The project development part of the programme focused on key elements of EIC Pathfinder applications, including the formation of interdisciplinary consortia, the high-risk/high-gain approach, deep tech, gender mainstreaming, intellectual property, and the treatment of risks within the proposal.
Experiences from Türkiye and Lump Sum Funding
During the “Success Stories from Türkiye” section of the Info Day, experiences gained in EIC Pathfinder projects were shared with participants. Drawing on successful project cases, the sessions explored how an ambitious research idea can be developed in line with EIC Pathfinder expectations and transformed into a competitive project proposal.
The final part of the programme focused on the lump sum funding model applied in EIC Pathfinder projects. Participants were introduced to the key principles of the lump sum approach, the tools and working processes used, and how the financial approach should be reflected in the project work plan.
The technical sessions were delivered by Eva García Muntión, who has more than 25 years of experience in the design and coordination of collaborative R&D projects funded by the European Commission.
The EIC Pathfinder Challenges Info Day contributed to strengthening the knowledge and project development capacity of researchers and innovation actors in the Turkish Research Area, while enabling participants to assess the 2026 Challenges from a holistic perspective, from project idea development to portfolio positioning.
Event Materials
You can access the event evaluation survey here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5NZ8C8K
You can access the training presentations here:https://turkiyeinhorizoneurope.org/Main/DigitalResourceDetail?ebBmLXfFD%252fB8X%252b%252fBfDC2NA%253d%253d=ntXZc%252fWDn4u7GkkJPFR1zg%253d%253d
You can access the training recording here:https://youtu.be/naOPvOmoBTQ?si=JziTZWVGCo-Zt8mo