CYBERFORUM EV

Their core work

CyberForum is a Karlsruhe-based high-tech business network and innovation association that connects SMEs, startups, corporates and research institutions across emerging industries. Based on their H2020 portfolio, they specialize in designing and running cross-border innovation programs — bringing together digital enterprises, clusters and technology parks to tackle challenges in personalised medicine, smart cities, health tech and greentech. They act as orchestrators: building consortia, running challenge-based and participatory innovation methods, and channeling SMEs toward new value chains rather than doing bench research themselves.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (PERMIDES, 2016-2018) they coordinated an effort at the intersection of digital enterprise solutions and personalised medicine — helping biotech and ICT SMEs find common ground. By 2021-2024 with URBAN TECH the focus broadens from a single vertical into a portfolio of emerging urban industries: Smart City, Health Tech and Greentech, framed around value chains and technology parks. The shift is from deep-dive digital/medicine matchmaking toward multi-sector, city-scale ecosystem building with explicit participatory methodology.

They are moving from single-sector digital innovation coordination toward multi-sector, city- and cluster-level value chain programs — a useful partner if your consortium needs participatory methodology across Smart City, Health Tech or Greentech.

How they like to work

They have played both lead and supporting roles — coordinator of PERMIDES (a EUR 3.3M consortium) and participant in the later URBAN TECH. With 17 unique partners across 10 countries from just two projects, their consortia are broad rather than tight-knit, consistent with an association whose role is to connect diverse actors. Expect them to operate as a network-builder rather than a technical deliverer.

17 distinct partners across 10 countries from only two projects indicates a deliberately pan-European network posture, with a German (Karlsruhe) anchor and reach into multiple EU innovation ecosystems.

What sets them apart

Most H2020 associations either run local SME support or produce policy output; CyberForum has shown it can coordinate a multi-million-euro cross-border consortium (PERMIDES) at the intersection of digital enterprise and personalised medicine. Their value lies in convening and methodology — challenge-based, participatory formats that many associations do not offer — rather than in lab research. For a consortium that needs a credible German cluster anchor with proven coordination experience and SME reach, they are a strong fit.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PERMIDES
  Their only coordinator role and by far their largest project (EUR 3.29M) — an ambitious crossover between digital enterprise solutions and personalised medicine SMEs.
• URBAN TECH
  Signals their recent pivot toward multi-sector emerging industries (Health Tech, Smart City, Greentech) using explicit challenge-based and participatory methods.