EUROPEAN BUSINESS AND INNOVATION CENTRE NETWORK AISBL

Their core work

EBN is the pan-European association of Business and Innovation Centres (BICs), operating as an intermediary that helps SMEs access finance, markets, and innovation support. They run acceleration programs, investment readiness training, mentoring, and matchmaking between startups, investors, and research organizations. Their core function is bridging the gap between EU-funded research and commercial uptake — they don't do research themselves but orchestrate the ecosystem that turns research outputs into business opportunities. They also manage international innovation cooperation programs connecting European entrepreneurs with partners in Brazil, China, Africa, and the US.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014-2018, EBN focused heavily on financial ecosystem building — investment readiness training, crowdfunding, coaching entrepreneurs, and pitching programs (InvestHorizon, FET2RIN, ESIL). They also invested significantly in international R&I diplomacy with Brazil, China, and Eastern Partnership countries. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward Digital Innovation Hubs, industrial applications (packaging, automotive, advanced materials), and EU-Africa cooperation, reflecting the EU's own pivot toward digital transformation infrastructure and the African innovation agenda.

EBN is moving from general entrepreneurship support toward sector-specific Digital Innovation Hub operations and EU-Africa innovation corridors — expect them to seek partners with deep domain expertise in manufacturing, agritech, or electronics.

How they like to work

EBN is almost exclusively a partner rather than a coordinator (27 of 30 projects as participant, only 2 as coordinator), which reflects their role as a network organization that adds value through reach and ecosystem access rather than scientific leadership. With 499 unique consortium partners across 56 countries, they operate as a super-connector — one of the most broadly networked organizations in H2020. Their typical contribution is dissemination, business support services, and SME engagement rather than technical R&D, making them an ideal partner when a consortium needs to reach industry or demonstrate market impact.

EBN has collaborated with 499 unique partners across 56 countries, making it one of the most connected intermediary organizations in H2020. Their network spans all of Europe plus significant bilateral links to Brazil, China, the US, Eastern Partnership countries, and Africa.

What sets them apart

EBN's differentiator is scale of network access: as the umbrella association of 150+ Business and Innovation Centres across Europe, they can mobilize local SME support infrastructure in dozens of regions simultaneously. Unlike a single incubator or accelerator, partnering with EBN gives a consortium a ready-made dissemination and business engagement channel across multiple countries. Their track record in international cooperation (Brazil, China, Africa, US, Eastern Partnership) also makes them a rare bridge organization for consortia targeting non-European markets.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AEDIB|NET
  Largest single EC contribution to EBN (EUR 553,250) — flagship EU-Africa digital innovation bridge, reflecting their growing role in intercontinental tech transfer.
• SmartAgriHubs
  Major Digital Innovation Hub project connecting agriculture and digital transformation — shows EBN's ability to operate at the intersection of sector-specific industry needs and innovation infrastructure.
• WeHubs
  One of only two projects EBN coordinated — focused on women web entrepreneurs, demonstrating their capacity to lead targeted entrepreneurship programs at European scale.