Welcome to the July - August 2026 of the “Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe” Project newsletter!
Horizon Europe, the world’s largest civilian research and innovation programme, continues to shape Europe’s scientific and technological future. The 2026–2027 Work Programme introduces key priorities such as the Clean Industrial Deal to accelerate industrial decarbonisation, increased investment in AI in Science through initiatives like RAISE (Resource for AI Science in Europe), and continued support for EU Missions, green and digital transitions, and Europe’s technological resilience. Additional emphasis is placed on research careers, talent attraction and research infrastructures, including new opportunities under MSCA such as the Choose Europe for Science initiative. With a budget exceeding €14 billion, these priorities are set to accelerate innovation, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and support Europe’s green and digital transformation.
Strategic Ally for Turkish Stakeholders
The “Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe” Project supports the Programme by strengthening national capacities and promoting effective participation of Turkish stakeholders with targeted trainings, proposal development support, and networking activities. In July - August 2026, the Project continued to mobilise researchers, entrepreneurs, public institutions, local authorities, industry representatives and support organisations around new funding opportunities, policy priorities and partnership-building activities linked to the 2026–2027 Work Programme.
The Information Multipliers (IMs) Club Enters Its Second Phase
The IMs Club, developed as a branded evolution of the existing Information Multipliers System (IMS) under the Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe Project to expand the reach and impact of Horizon Europe awareness and capacity-building activities across Türkiye, has successfully completed its first implementation period and is now entering its second phase. Through a growing network of organisations acting as local multipliers, the scheme continues to strengthen the dissemination of Horizon Europe opportunities, foster stakeholder engagement and support wider participation in the programme.
The IMs Club currently brings together 61 member organisations representing a diverse range of actors within Türkiye’s research and innovation ecosystem, including Knowledge & Research Institutions (20), Innovation Intermediaries (11), Public & Territorial Authorities (11), Business Representation Organisations (7), Civil Society Actors (4) and Development Agencies (8). During the first phase, members actively contributed to outreach, information-sharing and community-building efforts, with Middle East Technical University (METU), Bilkent University and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality EU Relations Directorate ranking highest in the IMS Club’s KPI-based performance assessment for January - June 2026. Building on this momentum, the second phase of the IMS Club will continue to strengthen collaboration, knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement across Türkiye’s Horizon Europe ecosystem. For more information about the IMS Club and the full list of members, please visit: https://ufukavrupa.org.tr/en/information-multipliers-turkiye
July - August 2026 Highlights at a Glance
July featured a broad range of awareness-raising, capacity-building and partnership-oriented activities across Türkiye’s research and innovation ecosystem. From national information days and thematic webinars to city-focused cooperation programmes and energy ecosystem meetings, the month’s agenda offered stakeholders practical guidance on Horizon Europe opportunities, hands-on insights for proposal development, and new spaces to exchange ideas, build partnerships and align with Europe’s green and digital transformation priorities.
🗓️ WIDERA Hop-on Facility Information Webinar, 20 July 2026, (Online)
The webinar brought together more than 400 participants from Türkiye’s research and innovation community for a comprehensive look at the WIDERA Hop-on Facility call. The session covered application requirements, consortium entry strategies and European Commission evaluation perspectives, complemented by a Turkish success story from ODTÜ GÜNAM and an interactive Q&A addressing more than 60 questions.
🗓️ From Lab to Market: Preparing Horizon Europe Knowledge Valorisation Proposals, 22 July 2026, İstanbul
Reflecting the cross-cutting nature of knowledge valorisation in Horizon Europe, the training brought together several relevant 2026–2027 funding opportunities within a common lab-to-market perspective.
The training “From Lab to Market: Preparing Horizon Europe Knowledge Valorisation Proposals” was held at the Commercialization Center of Istanbul (BTM) in Istanbul under the Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe Project. Bringing together researchers, Technology Transfer Offices, universities, SMEs, startups and innovation professionals, the programme focused on Horizon Europe’s emerging Knowledge Valorisation priorities and the 2026–2027 funding opportunities. Combining interactive sessions with hands-on exercises, participants gained practical insights into proposal development, consortium building, IP management, market validation, business models, exploitation pathways and evaluation criteria, supporting stronger pathways from excellent research to real-world impact.
🗓️ Impact-Oriented Project Development Training with the Information Multipliers (IMs) Club, 23July 2026, İstanbul
Equipping Information Multipliers with practical tools to better guide stakeholders in developing impact-oriented Horizon Europe proposals is an important part of strengthening their role within the national support ecosystem.
The third physical training of the Information Multipliers Club was held at the Commercialization Center of Istanbul (BTM) in İstanbul, bringing together multipliers for a hands-on programme focused on strategic Horizon Europe call analysis and impact-driven project design. Information Multipliers worked with the Impact Canvas, a practical methodology for structuring project ideas around expected impacts, stakeholder needs, implementation pathways and sustainability. Through group work, scenario-building exercises and peer feedback, they applied the methodology to concrete project ideas while strengthening their capacity to support stakeholders in translating promising ideas into more impact-oriented project concepts.
🗓️ National Info Day in Edirne, 28 July 2026
Around 80 stakeholders gathered at Trakya University for the Horizon Europe National Info Day organised under the Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe Project. The event provided an overview of Horizon Europe funding opportunities, national support mechanisms and innovation-focused programmes under EIC, EIE and EIT, while also offering practical training on proposal development, consortium building, budgeting and project management. During interactive sessions and expert guidance, participants strengthened their capacity to engage in Horizon Europe and develop new collaborations within the European research and innovation ecosystem.
🗓️ EIC Pathfinder Challenges Info Day, 24 August 2026
The online info day brought together more than 150 participants and helped researchers and innovators better understand how to turn early-stage deep-tech ideas into competitive EIC Pathfinder proposals. Focusing on the three 2026 Challenges (energy harvesting materials, healthy ageing biotechnology, and trustworthy cognitive AI), the expert sessions clarified the programmes’ science-to-technology breakthrough logic, portfolio-based evaluation approach, TRL/BRL positioning, project idea development and lump sum funding model. By combining strategic guidance with practical proposal-development insights, the event supported participants in assessing call fit, sharpening their long-term vision, and positioning their ideas more effectively within EIC Pathfinder portfolios.
🗓️ Focus Group Training on Horizon Europe Cluster 3 – Civil Security for Society, 26-27 August 2026, İstanbul
The training helped participants move from the Cluster 3 policy landscape and Work Programme intelligence to stronger proposal concepts for Civil Security for Society calls. It focused on reading calls strategically, understanding the evaluator’s perspective and translating project ideas into convincing Excellence, Impact and Implementation sections. Through concept note development, group exercises and elevator pitches on selected Cluster 3 topics, participants gained practical guidance on positioning their organisations earlier in the proposal process, building credible proposal logic, and testing their ideas in the line with programme expectations.
Updates & Collaboration Opportunities
🤝 ICTürkiye 2026 Brokerage Event Opens New Pathways for European Collaboration
International networking and matchmaking activities under the “Technical Assistance for Türkiye in Horizon Europe” Project continue to support Turkish stakeholders in connecting with European research and innovation actors, identifying potential partners and developing stronger collaboration pathways for upcoming calls. As part of this ongoing effort, the ICTürkiye2026 International Brokerage Event will serve as one of the next opportunities to bring together organisations around partner search, project pitching and bilateral meetings in key thematic areas. Stakeholders interested in joining these activities and benefiting from future cooperation opportunities are encouraged to register through the B2Match platform, which will continue to support networking before, during and after the events.
Read more and register the platform
🚀 EIC Accelerator Support Programme Continues to Strengthen Türkiye’s Innovation Pipeline
The EIC Accelerator Support Programme continued to strengthen Türkiye’s pipeline of high-potential innovators seeking access to Horizon Europe funding. A total of 104 applications were received under the programme, with 14 companies selected to participate in the support process. The selected companies were matched with six experienced mentors and received tailored guidance on proposal development and application strategy. While several participants completed their proposal preparation activities, the remaining companies were expected to finalise their applications during August and September. In parallel, targeted outreach activities involving venture capital networks, technology parks and other innovation ecosystem actors were carried out to expand awareness of the programme and engage new high-potential applicants.
📄 Project Writing Manual for Collaborative Projects Now Available
The officially published “Project Writing Manual for Collaborative Projects” is now available to support Turkish researchers and organisations in preparing stronger Horizon Europe applications. Tailored especially for Pillar II collaborative projects, the manual offers practical guidance on building high-impact consortia, addressing the Excellence, Impact and Implementation evaluation criteria, and navigating key financial considerations such as the Lump Sum funding model. By highlighting common proposal writing mistakes and providing actionable expert tips, the resource aims to help stakeholders improve proposal quality, reduce administrative and legal risks, and better translate research and innovation ideas into competitive European projects.
Read more and download the manual
💡 Türkiye Highlights Dual-Use Research Access Ahead of FP10
Speaking to Science|Business, Ahmet Halit Hatip, Director General for EU and Foreign Affairs at Türkiye’s Ministry of Industry and Technology, underlined that Türkiye’s exclusion from several dual-use and defence-related Horizon Europe calls no longer reflects the country’s rapidly expanding cooperation with EU member states in defence and high technologies. His key message was that, as Türkiye’s bilateral partnerships with EU countries deepen, FP10 should adopt a more inclusive approach to strategic calls and better align programme access with the realities of current cooperation.
🌐 Japan’s Association to Horizon Europe Officially Finalised
As of 30 July 2026, Japan has become a fully associated country to Horizon Europe's Pillar II, opening a €52.4 billion budget to Japanese researchers and institutions on equal terms with EU members.
🤝 Clean Industrial Deal B2Match Platform Open Until September 2027
The Clean Industrial Deal Brokerage Event brought together 625 registered participants from across the European research and innovation ecosystem. The event facilitated 379 bilateral meetings, providing a structured platform for networking, partner identification and consortium building. To further support collaboration and partnership development for upcoming Horizon Europe calls, the B2Match platform will remain open until 15 September 2027.
Stay tuned for upcoming international brokerage and matchmaking opportunities under the Project.
🎯 SolarHub SYNERGIES Open Innovation Challenges: Application Deadline Extended
Following strong demand, applications for the SolarHub SYNERGIES 2026 Open Innovation Challenges - connecting innovators in solar PV, agrivoltaics and grid integration with a €5,000 award - have been extended to mid-September 2026.
Upcoming Events
🗓️ National Info Day in Çanakkale
📌 4 September 2026, Çanakkale
Read more and pre-registration
🗓️ General Training on MSCA Doctoral Networks (DN)
📌 7 September 2026, Ankara
🗓️ Processes4Planet (P4Planet) Partnership Info & Networking Day
📌 8 September 2026, İstanbul
Read more and pre-registration
🗓️ UK Technical Mission on Research Infrastructures
📌 13-17 September 2026, United Kingdom
🗓️ Focus Group Training (FGT) #14 Excellence Hubs
📌 16-17 September 2026, İstanbul
🗓️ The ICTürkiye2026 International Brokerage Event
📌 29 September 2026, Online
Read more and pre-registration
🗓️ Spain Technical Mission on Cluster 1
📌 5-9 October 2026, Spain
🗓️ National Advisory Group Meeting #5 – Made in Europe
📌 13 October 2026, Ankara
🗓️ Spain Technical Mission on Cluster 5
📌 19-29 October 2026, Spain
🗓️ Italy Technical Mission on Cluster 4
📌 19-23 October 2026, Italy
🗓️ National Advisory Group Meeting #6 on - Rare Diseases– ERDERA
📌 23 November 2026, Ankara
Why Your Participation is Strategically Critical
Joining our events provides unique advantages that go beyond simple information gathering:
🔹 Direct Interaction with Experienced Experts:
Engage with highly experienced national and international experts in Horizon Europe proposal development, evaluation processes, and successful project implementation through info days, focused group trainings, and project writing camps, enabling direct exchange and practical, first-hand technical feedback.
🔹 Evaluator-Oriented Proposal Development:
Gain insights into Horizon Europe calls from an expert’s perspective through general and focused group trainings, as well as hands-on project writing camps designed to align project ideas with evolving policy directions, emerging priorities, and key programme novelties.
🔹 Strategic European Networking and Study Visits:
Connect with leading European research and innovation actors through info days, National Advisory Group meetings, brokerage and matchmaking activities, and international study visits, supporting the development of strategic partnerships and stronger positioning in upcoming Horizon Europe opportunities.
Explore Event Highlights - Access All Materials
Digital resources related to our past events – including agendas, presentations, and video recordings- can be accessed through our website's digital resources portal:
🔗 https://turkiyeinhorizoneurope.org/Main/DigitalResources
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Contact Us
📩 If you have any feedback or need more information, you can reach us at: horizoneurope.events@sistemglobal.com.tr