Press Release Archives - META Group https://www.meta-group.com/tag/press-release/ Knowledge to Market Fri, 12 Jan 2024 14:17:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.meta-group.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/favicon_30th-e1704732147652-100x100.png Press Release Archives - META Group https://www.meta-group.com/tag/press-release/ 32 32 “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels”: Nurturing and Stimulating Angel Investing in Europe https://www.meta-group.com/news/esil-next-gen-angels-nurturing-stimulating-angel-investing-europe/ Wed, 03 Jan 2024 15:04:01 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ 2024 sees the launch of a major new two-year initiative to build and empower the next generation of European Business Angels that are younger, more gender diverse, and located in the less developed Angel markets, with a view to significantly boosting Europe’s innovation and investment ecosystems.   The “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels” programme, …

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2024 sees the launch of a major new two-year initiative to build and empower the next generation of European Business Angels that are younger, more gender diverse, and located in the less developed Angel markets, with a view to significantly boosting Europe’s innovation and investment ecosystems.  

The “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels” programme, funded by the European Union through the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency, EISMEA, is being delivered by a consortium of three of the most experienced partners in the Angel and early-stage finance ecosystem: META Group, Business Angels Europe and Bpifrance. Furthermore, the Consortium is supported by a range of leading players across the European finance and Innovation ecosystem including, InvestEurope, EURADA, INSME, EBN, EuroCrowd, National Promotional Banks and Innovation agencies, VC Funds and National Angel Federations and Networks.

A successful European Innovation Council depends on a high-quality and permanent deal flow, and Business Angels play a crucial role in coaching research projects, startups and scaleups emerging from Horizon Europe.

This important new programme is based on the recognition that the key challenge for the future growth of the European Angel market is that there is not a level playing field for entrepreneurial finance across Europe and there are several regions of Europe, where Angel investment remains unexploited.  Actions will target the whole Europe, with a focus on six key EU member states where the angel market is currently lagging, but where there is huge potential to build and mobilise the next generation of angel investors and create the conditions to build dynamic and connected business angel communities.

A dynamic European angel community

A key focus of “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels” will be to ensure that these new angel communities reflect the diverse demographics of the European Union, addressing the need for a much more gender diverse angel community across Europe. To achieve this, the ESIL partnership has formed a major new Women Angel Leaders Task Force, drawing on women angels from across Europe including the emerging economies, also supported by women in leading roles in the project management and legal and financial support and who will be leading the efforts to recruit and mobilise many more women angel investors across Europe whilst increasing the level of investment in women founders.

The Consortium Partners will bring their expertise alongside local players working on the ground to identify and establish new Angel syndicates, providing mentorship, support, and skills to enable individuals to take leadership. Education and knowledge transfer will be at the core of the work of the “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels” programme and this will include  both delivery of  courses for new angels on the ground in the target countries, but also the development of a new bespoke Angel Investment Open E-learning course (MOOC) covering all aspects of the Angel investment process available online, across the whole of the European Angel community both to support new angels and support the professionalism of existing angels.

Ensuring greater connectivity across the European Angel market will be a key approach in the work being done and to ensure long term sustainability of the work of the “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels” programme. This will include a strong focus on creating partnerships between existing and new emerging angel communities and especially working with BAE’s Club of leading Angel groups around Europe.

There will be specific attention to building transnational investment opportunities creating a strong platform to share deals and co-invest, supported by Bpifrance, whilst, at the same time, drawing on META Group’s and BA Networks experience to explore the potential of developing Co-investment Angel funds. This work will also be supported by a new European Legal Task Force led by Monard Law, to develop a set of bespoke legal documents and templates to facilitate cross border Angel investments and address differing legal and regulatory barriers.

Finally, the “ESIL – Next Gen of Angels” programme will benefit from a strong communication framework to continue to build extensive awareness, promote exchange of good practice, highlight role models and successes and provide strong market intelligence throughout the whole two-year delivery and beyond.

The importance of this programme for a Europe-wide boost of the angel market is undeniable. All elements in the programme are mutually reinforcing, ranging from the focused individual approach  on six less developed angel economies,  providing top-level guidance to them by experts from more mature angel markets, over the roll-out of the lessons learned and an E-learning platform throughout Europe, to the legal working group with its detailed legal documents set for cross-border investments. All these elements together form an all-in approach that we at BAE and our partners are excited to be delivering  under this new ESIL- Next Gen of Angels programme. Furthermore, through our BAE Club, we can roll out the red carpet for these emerging new angels and transnational investment opportunities  to offer them direct access to our high-quality angel communities across Europe. This programme builds on the knowledge that has been built up within BAE under both the ESIL programme and the specific gender-focused programs that we have been running across Europe”. Reginald Vossen, President, Business Angels Europe.

Business Angels Europe (BAE)

As the European Confederation of angel investing, Business Angels Europe represents national angel associations and leading angel clubs. BAE represents both the most developed national angel markets and many of the growing angel markets across Europe. BAE also brings together the most active Angel Networks through its BAE Club to provide a core community for exchange of investor knowledge, experience and connections.

With the principle of subsidiarity as its core leading principle, BAE aims to add value and reinforce the role of the National Associations and Networks, acting as the voice of angel markets to ensure a supportive and efficient policy and operational framework for the growth of angel investment in Europe and supporting the exchange of experience and knowledge.

BAE has extensive experience in the development of angel investing and the entrepreneurial eco-system in countries where the market is yet underdeveloped. BAE also dedicates substantial resources to support startups to scaleups growth across Europe by connecting them to relevant angel groups and networks and enabling them to interface with internationally minded groups and networks.

www.businessangelseurope.com

Contact: reginald.vossen@businessangelseurope.com

META Group (META)

META operates internationally to shape Research and Innovation (R&I) projects from idea to start-up and scale-up stages. It has been selected by several EC Directorates General to coordinate and implement large service contracts for the deployment of capacity building and support actions on R&I, Entrepreneurship and Finance. Today META is leader in bringing research results funded by the European Commission’s Framework Programmes to market. In Horizon Results Booster, HRB, META supported over 8500 organisations and completed 570 capacity building services. In InvestHorizon 2.0 META assisted international scale-ups, with over 500 companies accompanied to private investors.

Since 1993, META is active in the field of Innovation Service from Strategy to Capacity Building and Investments. META provides DG Regio and DG Grow with technical assistance for Smart Specialisation Strategies and Interregional Investment partnerships S3P. META also designs and implementing public and private equity financial instruments, which have so far resulted in more than €100 million investments with positive returns in several EU countries.

www.meta-group.com

Contact: l.valeriani@meta-group.com

EuroQuity by Bpifrance

EuroQuity, operated by Bpifrance, serves as a matchmaking platform fostering connections between entrepreneurs and their business partners, and in particular investors. Established in 2008, the platform’s expansion has been fueled by collaborations with European Commission projects and major global organizations, cementing its status as a leading matchmaking hub bridging the European and African ecosystems.

Bpifrance, France’s national public investment bank, is the one-stop shop for entrepreneurs. Actively engaged at the European level and deeply integrated into the European financing industry, Bpifrance plays a pivotal role in driving the nation’s economic growth, fostering innovation, and nurturing essential entrepreneurship connections.

EuroQuity, a key player of ESIL1, boasts a robust track record of fostering strong relationships with national and international Business Angel networks. Notably, it has initiated ‘The Big Angels Day,’ an event showcasing the influential role of business angels across Europe and Africa while facilitating matchmaking between entrepreneurs and business angels. Additionally, EuroQuity channels collaborative efforts to develop crucial tools that facilitate knowledge transfer and drive cross-border initiatives.

www.euroquity.com www.bpifrance.com

Contact: jana.drzkova@ext.bpifrance.fr

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IMPAC3T-IP: a new European project to support scenario-based IP licensing  https://www.meta-group.com/news/impac3tip-european-project-support-scenario-based-ip/ Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:52:58 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ The European Commission is funding the development of a new IP Tool-box. This will support licensing that goes beyond classical scenarios and embrace new technology trends in digitalisation of licensing tools. The initiative will benefit licensing professionals, researchers. innovative enterprises and policy makers.   The IMPAC3T-IP project  will develop a modern ‘tool-box’ to support licensing …

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The European Commission is funding the development of a new IP Tool-box. This will support licensing that goes beyond classical scenarios and embrace new technology trends in digitalisation of licensing tools. The initiative will benefit licensing professionals, researchers. innovative enterprises and policy makers.  

The IMPAC3T-IP project  will develop a modern ‘tool-box’ to support licensing with a focus on 3 main scenarios: 

  • Classical+ – licensing beyond the traditional industrial rights for inventions (patents and trademarks), into more modern bundles of rights needed to license digital technologies, including IoT, AI and ML and mobile technologies e.g. data sharing and standards essential patents (SEP) as well a ‘long tail’ licensing (high volume low price). 
  • Crisis – supporting rapid voluntary licensing under different legislative regimes and standard and non-standard conditions e.g. through voluntary royalty free licensing in times of medical crises, natural disasters and geopolitical conflict. 
  • Co-creation – supporting licensing of intellectual assets that have been created through complex partnerships with multiple owners and diverse licensing objectives. Increasingly encountered when responding to societal challenges. 

IMPAC3T-IP Academy 

Take-up and use of the IP-tool box will be supported by the IMPACT3T IP Academy. This will offer a fully subsidised training courses for individuals across Europe wanting to become a certified IMPAC3T-IP ‘user’ and ‘trainer’, including as part of a recognised Knowledge Transfer Professional qualification. 

Special Interest Groups (SIG) 

Development of the IP tool-box will take place with the support of three Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These will advise on the three scenarios as well as emerging technology trends in licensing e.g. increasing use of AI and Block-chain technologies. SIGs will have an early opportunity to test the tools and to join the subsidised training program through IMPAC3T-IP Academy. 

About IMPAC3T-IP  

IMPAC3T-IP is an EU-funded project that addresses scenario-based licensing for stakeholders in the IP value chain. The project is developing a toolbox and an associated training program to support licensing in three key situations:  

  • Classical+ – licensing beyond the traditional industrial rights for inventions, into more modern bundles of rights needed to license digital technologies.  
  • Crisis – supporting rapid voluntary licensing under different legislative regimes and standard and non-standard conditions.  
  • Co-creation – created for complex partnerships with multiple owners and diverse licensing objectives. 

The IMPAC3T-IP project is a 3-year action funded by the European Commission and starting in December 2023. META Group is in charge of the management and coordination of the project as well as of the communication, dissemination and sustainability work package.

IMPAC3T-IP Partners: 

META Srl (IT), Universidad de Alicante (ES), University College Dublin (IE), Demola (FI), Areopa (BE), Atrineo (DE), ASTP (NL). 

Associate Partner: e-Lucid (UK) 

Keywords: 

  • IPR management 
  • Scenario based licensing 
  • IP tool-box 
  • Crisis management 
  • Intellectual Property digitalisation 

Contact

Lisa Cowey
Technical Coordinator, T3I 

l.cowey@t3i.co.uk  

Clémence Contant
Communication Manager, META Group 

c.contant@meta-group.com  

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PRIMA’s New Horizon: FUTURE4PRIMA project paves the way for a resilient Mediterranean https://www.meta-group.com/news/future4prima-project-paves-way-for-resilient-mediterranean/ Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:31:14 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ In a region grappling with unprecedented challenges, where climate change, resource management, and global disruptions have struck congregationally, the need for collaborative research and innovation efforts became increasingly  recognized as crucial and urgent. In this challenging environment, characterized by obstacles and difficulties, but also moments of inspiration and a collective resolve to work together, the …

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In a region grappling with unprecedented challenges, where climate change, resource management, and global disruptions have struck congregationally, the need for collaborative research and innovation efforts became increasingly  recognized as crucial and urgent.

In this challenging environment, characterized by obstacles and difficulties, but also moments of inspiration and a collective resolve to work together, the FUTURE4PRIMA project shines as a beacon of action, hope and a catalyst for profound transformation.

A collaborative journey

The recently granted FUTURE4PRIMA project, led by PRIMA Program, will be embarking on a collaborative journey starting on January 2024, with 21 partners across the Mediterranean. This coalition includes R&I Ministries as well as universities and research organizations, uniting their expertise and dedication to a common cause.

Strengthening collaborations for a resilient future

FUTURE4PRIMA is set to reinforce and expand collaborations between national R&I funding institutions, particularly in the areas of sustainable agri-food systems and water management in the Mediterranean.

Building upon the legacy of the Horizon 2020 Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), this project aims at extending the Program’s activities to widening countries and, crucially, reaching out to third countries bordering the Mediterranean.

This expansion aims to pool resources, focus on shared priorities, and address emerging challenges in the region, aligning with the European Green Deal’s objectives and the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

FUTURE4PRIMA seeks to add an integrated approach to resource management, encompassing ecosystems, energy, and health, thereby broadening PRIMA’s original focus on sustainable water management and agri-food systems.

Charting a path forward

FUTURE4PRIMA outlines four key objectives that underpin its mission:

  1. Creating an Enabling Environment: The project seeks to establish an environment conducive to cross-sector R&I collaborations and strategic coordination among research funding organizations. This is vital for addressing resource efficiency and climate change challenges on a global scale.
  2. Fostering Policy Uptake: FUTURE4PRIMA aims to foster the adoption of improved regulatory aspects that facilitate R&I cooperation, strengthening the international dimension of the European Research Area.
  3. Accelerating Market Uptake: To drive innovation ecosystems and market uptake in widening and southern neighborhood countries, the project will support the adoption of innovations.
  4. Providing Access to Information and Tools: FUTURE4PRIMA will offer access to information and tools to measure progress towards achieving the EU Green Deal and the SDGs.

Over the course of 48 months, FUTURE4PRIMA will:

  • Develop shared R&I strategies among national funding agencies.
  • Establish strategic orientations for the renewed PRIMA partnership within the next EU Framework Programme.
  • Overcome implementation obstacles, streamline procedures, and harmonize national R&I processes.
  • Bridge gaps in the EURO-MED project portfolio, promoting research uptake that addresses market and social needs while unlocking innovation potential.

This collaboration lays the foundation for a comprehensive update of the PRIMA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), offering a promising path towards a brighter and more sustainable future for the Mediterranean and beyond.

Regarding META Group’s involvement in FUTURE4PRIMA, Adelaide Moscatelli, Project Manager, highlighted that: “We are very pleased to participate in FUTURE4PRIMA. By validating the innovation potential of the projects, we will ensure that the benefits they ought to generate effectively reach the Mediterranean region. This approach will allow to profit from the long-term impact of these ambitious initiatives”.

 

FUTURE4PRIMA in a nutshell:

Starting date: January 2024
Project end date: 31 December 2027
Duration: 48 months
Budget: 2 176 793.75€ (funding rate 100%)
Countries: Spain, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Malta, Israel, Egypt, Germany, Morocco, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Tunisia, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France

Consortium:

  • FONDACIÓN PRIMA (PRIMA) ES
  • MINISTERO DELL’UNIVERSITÀ E DELLA RICERCA (MUR) IT
  • TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMU (TUBITAK) TR
  • THE HIGHER COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (HCST) JO
  • MINISTRY FOR EDUCATION, SPORT, YOUTH, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (MCST) MT
  • MINISTRY OF INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MOST) IL
  • ACADEMY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY (ASRT) EG
  • DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT – UND RAUMFAHRT EV (DLR) DE
  • MINISTERE DE L’ENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR, DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE ET DE L’INNOVATION (MESRSI) MO
  • FUNDACAO PARA A CIENCIA E A TECNOLOGIA (FCT) PT
  • CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE DI ALTI STUDI AGRONOMICI MEDITERRANEI (CIHEAM-IAMB) IO
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI SIENA (UNISI) IT
  • MINISTARSTVO ZNANOSTI I OBRAZOVANJA (MZO) HR
  • MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (MHESR) TU
  • META GROUP SRL (META) IT
  • GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION (GSRI) EL
  • AGENCIA ESTATAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN (AEI) ES
  • AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS (CSIC) ES
  • MINISTRY OF INNOVATION AND GROWTH, (MIG) BU
  • THE CYPRUS INSTITUTE (CYI) CY
  • CENTRE DE COOPÉRATION INTERNATIONALE EN RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT (CIRAD) – FR

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CircularInvest: Investment Opportunities for Circular Economy Projects https://www.meta-group.com/news/circularinvest-opportunities-circular-economy-projects/ Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:58:41 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ In a world increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability and circular economies, the CircularInvest project is back for its second call. CircularInvest is set to bridge the gap between circular economy project developers and investors across Europe. With its tailored services and a mission to make circular projects investment-ready, CircularInvest is one of the …

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In a world increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability and circular economies, the CircularInvest project is back for its second call. CircularInvest is set to bridge the gap between circular economy project developers and investors across Europe. With its tailored services and a mission to make circular projects investment-ready, CircularInvest is one of the first Project Development Assistance (PDA) projects operating under the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) of the European Union.

Bridging the Gap: CircularInvest’s Mission

Circular economy projects have the potential to revolutionise the way we think about resource management and sustainability. Yet, the path from concept to realisation can be challenging, particularly when seeking financial support. CircularInvest is on a mission to change this.

CircularInvest is a dynamic initiative run by four organisations – INOVA+, META Group, Circle Economy, and ICLEI Europe. This consortium possesses the right combination of competences, experience, and a vast network of experts to offer unique and effective services to circular economy project promoters.

The core objective of CircularInvest is to help circular economy projects reach maturity and become investment-ready, thereby increasing their chances of securing the necessary financial resources for implementation. Projects that CircularInvest supports should exhibit a minimum viable product or a scalable prototype (Technology Readiness Level 6 or higher), have a clear business and financial model, and demonstrate strong economic potential. They should also be innovative, providing distinct advantages over existing alternatives and generating positive environmental, economic, and social impacts in one or more eligible territories.

Empowering Circular Economy Project Promoters

CircularInvest offers a comprehensive suite of services to empower circular economy project promoters:

  1. Tailored Mentoring Sessions: Experienced experts provide personalised mentoring sessions to enhance the circularity of supported projects. These sessions also help in developing robust business plans and securing funding.
  2. Peer-to-Peer Workshops: Project promoters can participate in peer-to-peer online workshops, enabling them to learn from and collaborate with other circular economy developers.
  3. Pitch Sessions: CircularInvest provides opportunities to pitch projects to potential investors, both online and in live settings.
  4. Knowledge Transfer and Networking: Participants can engage in knowledge transfer events and expand their networks through a Community of Practice.
  5. Promotion: CircularInvest offers a platform for project promoters to showcase their projects through various channels.

It is important to note that while CircularInvest does not provide direct financial resources to selected projects, it does offer invaluable support and networking opportunities.

Project developers are encouraged to apply by 15 December 2023. To find more details and access the application portal, click here.

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PHIRE: Transforming Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment https://www.meta-group.com/news/phire-transforming-bladder-cancer-diagnosis-treatment/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:36:36 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ We are proud to announce the start of PHIRE project in the framework of the EIC Transition new funding scheme in Horizon Europe. This is the first project of its kind under coordination by OSR led by Massimo Alfano (group leader of Extracellular Microenvironments Unit), as Principal Investigator, from San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, Italy).  The …

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We are proud to announce the start of PHIRE project in the framework of the EIC Transition new funding scheme in Horizon Europe. This is the first project of its kind under coordination by OSR led by Massimo Alfano (group leader of Extracellular Microenvironments Unit), as Principal Investigator, from San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, Italy). 

The EIC Transition scheme is a new and competitive funding scheme in Horizon Europe with the aim of supporting innovation activities that go beyond experimental proof of principle in the laboratory and to support the maturation and validation of new technologies demonstrated in relevant environment. 

It starts with the outcomes obtained from EDIT project, an initiative that proposed transformative technology for the early detection and management of bladder cancer. This time, PHIRE aims to bring close to market a novel high-resolution theranostic medical device effective in the clinical applications for cancer lesions smaller than 1 mm. It will be ready for application in human bladder cancer and effective both in male and female patients. 

Bladder cancer is the 10th most common cancer globally, with more than half million new cases every year. At the same time, it is the most expensive cancer to be treated with an expenditure of 9 billion dollars every year. The reason for such high expenditure is due to the fact that the current diagnostic imaging techniques do not allow detection and thus surgical removal of bladder tumor smaller than 1 millimeter, and in particular when they are flat. Second, half of the bladder cancers are resistant to the therapy. Because of these diagnostic and therapeutic limitations about 200.000 patients every year, and for many years after diagnosis, have tumor relapse and undergo multiple surgical and therapeutic interventions. 

PHIRE: improving patient’s quality of life while reducing the costs of cancer management

The PHIRE consortium coordinated by San Raffaele Hospital is composed by interdisciplinary partners. Among them, a public university as the University of Bologna, a small-medium enterprise as Ascend Technologies LTD, a company as META Group, and the industrial partner Fujifilm Visualsonics. 

META Group will be the partner in charge of exploitation, dissemination, and communication. “Thanks to its long track record and wide experience in exploiting research results and maximizing impact, META Group will ensure that the main solutions developed through the project will be adopted. PHIRE will contribute to reducing the frequency of bladder tumor relapse and the number of patients with relapsing tumors. This will have a drastic positive impact on the quality of life of patients and reduce the social cost of patient management”, said Marco Franchin, META Group’s expert and project manager. Regarding the partners that will work on this initiative, he highlighted “the strengths of the consortium, which is made up of organisations which are leader in their area of expertise, such as Ospedale San Raffaele, the University of Bologna and Fujifilm Sonosite. They have already worked together in previous research projects.” 

The future perspectives of this study are the application of the PHIRE platform in clinical trials, to improve the quality of life of patients while reducing the social costs of bladder cancer management. 

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4 free workshops to maximize the impact of your startup https://www.meta-group.com/news/4-free-workshops-maximize-impact-startup/ Mon, 16 Oct 2023 10:12:35 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ Looking for investment is never easy. However, it can become increasingly difficult when we’re a startup. If you are an emerging entrepreneur or part of a new startup and you are willing to raise capital for your initiative, keep reading. The EU-funded RAISE project, in collaboration with META Group, has organized a series of workshops …

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Looking for investment is never easy. However, it can become increasingly difficult when we’re a startup. If you are an emerging entrepreneur or part of a new startup and you are willing to raise capital for your initiative, keep reading. The EU-funded RAISE project, in collaboration with META Group, has organized a series of workshops free of charge dedicated to improving your skillset. Starting from October 18th and until December 5th, we will cover a wide range of aspects that will help you to maximize the impact of your business.

  • The Lean Canvas – 18th October. One of the main failure for early-stage startups is that there is no market needs towards the products/services they are developing. Thus to avoid to fall into this statistic, it is important early-stage startups explore the Lean Canvas as a strategic planning tool. 
  • The Unique Value Proposition Canvas – 6th November. The first goal in adopting the Lean Canvas is to reach the Problem-solution fit which is basically when a startup is developing a solution for a specific need(s) for the customers. In order to reach this goal, startups need to use the UVP as a strategic tool. 
  • Approaching risk capital investors – 21st November. High-growth early stage startups need money to scale and boost their activities. It is important that the founders understand which are the kind of investors in the market and which is the best way to approach them. 
  • How to master your pitch – 5th December. The first approach to investors is the key to increase the odds to get the funds. Thus, preparing a great pitch is crucial to achieve this first step.

A problem oriented approach

This Business Partnership Action consists of four 90-minute online workshops, each including both theoretical and practical aspects. It also offers the participants the opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, exchange best practices, ideas and perspectives, and leverage lessons learned from their journey. 

The workshops will be guided by META Group’s senior expert and coach, Lorenzo Valeriani. He has an educational background in Technology management from Unicusano University and in quantitative finance from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Lorenzo has been part of META Group since 2016. Over the years, he focused in the financial domain, particularly within META Ventures, where he worked as analyst on supportingportfolio startups across Italy. Lorenzo continues to work closely with early-stage startups, aiming to provide them with the expertise and tools necessary to secure crucial financial backing to boost their fast growth. He combines these activities with his involvement in several EU projects. 

Regarding the value that the participants will find in these workshops, Lorenzo said: “We’re trying to orient them to tackle a concrete problem. Giving to the founders, in a seed phase, a problem oriented approach will help them to have a higher chance of success. In our experience, having the right strategic mindset plays a crucial role in increasing the survival rate of early-stage startups. This is exactly what we are looking to transmit during the first two workshops. By provinding the participants with this toolkit, startups will follow a strategy which can stick better to the target customers.  

A workshop to help you navigate the ecosystem of investment 

When asked about the appointments on 21st November and 5th December, Lorenzo explained that “the last two are more focused on how to present the project to the investors and to navigate in the ecosystem of investment. Fast growing startups need money to rapidly scale and thus it is important for them to immediately look around and understand how the risk capital industry works” 

This initiative is open to start-up founders and representatives who are looking to enhance their understanding of business partnerships actions. If it resonates with you and want to improve your chances of finding investors for your company, click here and register now 

The Region Alliance for Interconnected Startup Ecosystems – RAISE – project aims at developing a new and sustainable integrated support framework to foster startup growth and scale-up across Europe. It targets companies that have already achieved first results, possibly supported by regional programmes and are now aiming to grow. In this framework, the project partners are required to implement several pilot actions, among which there are training, mentoring, and networking sessions which will help startup promoters to get in contact with the appropriate mentors and trainers who can help them gain access to their target markets. 

 

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iEPB: a new approach for the energy performance in building sector https://www.meta-group.com/news/iepb-new-approach-energy-performance-building-sector/ Fri, 06 Oct 2023 09:02:07 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ The building sector has a crucial role in achieving the legally binding target of EU’s climate neutrality by 2050 and the increased ambition of a 55% cut in net emissions by 2030. This means that the building sector should promote the adoption of energy performance criteria and the implementation of solutions that contribute to emissions’ …

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The building sector has a crucial role in achieving the legally binding target of EU’s climate neutrality by 2050 and the increased ambition of a 55% cut in net emissions by 2030. This means that the building sector should promote the adoption of energy performance criteria and the implementation of solutions that contribute to emissions’ reduction.

The upcoming recast of the EPBD is part of the comprehensive policy package to enable action to meet this increased ambition. Member States have struggled in the past to transpose EPBD provisions, causing relevant instruments (i.e., EPCs) to be implemented with significant gaps and deficits.

iEPB is a LIFE project funded under LIFE Clean Energy Transition programme, which aim is to upgrade the energy performance of the EU’s building stock by increasing the synchrony between multiple EPB (Energy Performance of Building) assessments, notably between existing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and other complementary instruments, like the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) and energy renovation recommendations.

Such integration will be made by developing a common data model for EPB Assessments, which could be further expanded and scaled in the future to enable the integration of additional assessments. This new data model should become common and applicable across the EU, increasing coherence and harmonisation among Member States.

The proposed action will support the Member States in reacting to the upcoming EPBD recast provisions while tackling existing deficiencies of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) design and implementation (top-down approach). It is also geared toward supporting the market up-take of EPB Assessments’ instruments, notably EPC and Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) by fostering the implementation synergies between them and providing added value to key stakeholders (bottom-up approach).

iEPB consortium

iEPB is coordinated by the Instituto Valenciano de la Edificación (IVE) and the consortium is made up of experts in relation to EPBD policy at EU level and national/regional implementation; experts in official EPC software, who will manage the digital tool development; companies with expertise in marketing and exploitation of research-to-market results and European outreach.

According to Eva Lucas Segarra, project coordinator: “The most interesting part of this project is that it considers all the relevant stakeholders related to the energy performance of buildings. It will enhance the current EPB Assessment’s value chain by improving cost-effectiveness of practice for EPB assessors allowing them to harvest all the relevant building data for any EPB assessment in a one single visit, reflecting new systems and innovative technologies from product manufacturers, supporting Member States in the implementation of the upcoming EPBD recast provisions and, what really makes the difference, improving the understanding, use, accuracy and trust of EPB Assessments by end-users.”

The added value of the proposed approach for building professionals, product manufacturers and end-users will be demonstrated in three different operational ecosystems: Spain, Netherlands and Austria.

The piloting countries have been selected to represent different degrees of EPBD implementation notably regarding EPCs, building stock characteristics, diverse market structure and culture.

In each ecosystem, representatives of key value chain stakeholders have been identified and engaged to ensure the involvement of real actors and access to actual building data to validate iEPB’s solutions.

Expected outcomes from iEPB

One of the main outcomes of iEPB will be development of a digital tool – iEPB web app – with two interfaces, one for building professionals and the other for end-users. The former will be geared to facilitate the data gathering process in on-site visits to buildings by EPB assessors and independent experts, proving the added value of iEPB schema’s multi-EPB assessment integration. On the other hand, the end-user interface will enable end-users to access the joint multi-EPB assessments’ results in a flexible, interactive, and understanding manner. Both interfaces will be adapted to each national context.

The project started officially on October 1st and was launched during the Kick-off Meeting that took place in Valencia, Spain, on October 3rd and 4th. In iEPB, META is the work package leader for the exploitation of project results. “iEPB has an outstanding potential for making a concrete change in the European building sector. META supports the achievement of the iEPB impact and designs effective exploitation strategies. Exploitation is one of the pillars leading to a real use of more EU-compliant, consistent, and accurate Energy Performance Building Assessments.” remarks Maddalena Lukasik, Project Manager at META Group.

 

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Pioneering the Hydrogen Future: NAHV Project Receives Green Light https://www.meta-group.com/news/pioneering-hydrogen-future-nahv-receives-green-light/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:00:10 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ With the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) project, lead partner Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE), META Group and the entire consortium of 37 partners, drawn from Slovenia, Croatia and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy are proud to position their macro-region firmly ON THE HYDROGEN FUTURE MAP!  Rome, 24 July 2023 – HSE, …

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With the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley (NAHV) project, lead partner Holding Slovenske Elektrarne (HSE), META Group and the entire consortium of 37 partners, drawn from Slovenia, Croatia and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy are proud to position their macro-region firmly ON THE HYDROGEN FUTURE MAP! 

Rome, 24 July 2023 – HSE, the lead partner in the NAHV project, on behalf of the entire consortium, including META Group, last week signed with the Clean Hydrogen Partnership Joint Undertaking, a contract on the co-funding of the NAHV project, involving EUR 25 million in grants. This act served as the official green light for the implementation of this transnational European project as part of the Horizon Europe programme, which is aimed at establishing a dedicated hydrogen valley. The project will be implemented as of 1 September 2023, will last 72 months and will feature seventeen pilot projects across all three partner territories.  

META Group, as communication and dissemination partner in the project, will be responsible for mobilizing outcomes amongst the early adopters of NAHV KERs, promoting best practices in renewable hydrogen for the benefit of European citizens, governments and industry players, and raising general awareness.  

The partnership features a total of 37 organisations (34 partners and 3 associate partners): companies, universities, institutes and other public institutions from three territories: Slovenia, Croatia and the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy. The concept of the project encompasses the entire chain of the use of renewable hydrogen, from its production, storage and distribution to its end use in various sectors, mainly industry and land and maritime transport. The project received the highest evaluation of all Hydrogen projects presented for the call and was hailed by the European Commission as a Flagship Initiative  

Decarbonizing Industries and Creating Green Jobs

Industrial stakeholders from all three countries will develop pilot projects to produce more than 5,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year from renewable energy sources and its storage, distribution and use. One of the most important objectives of the project is to create a renewable hydrogen market, both in terms of demand and supply, which would make it a competitive energy product of the future. By introducing advanced technologies for the utilisation of hydrogen and by developing know-how and infrastructure, the project also pursues other key objectives of the European Green Deal.

In particular, it concerns the decarbonisation of major industrial sectors, such as steel and cement production, as well as sustainable transport solutions to reduce the carbon footprint. In this way, the NAHV project begins to create a comprehensive ecosystem for the transition to the use of renewable hydrogen, which includes production and service activities to meet the needs of households and citizens, thus creating the jobs of the future by planning the required skills and competencies. 

This ambitious initiative not only aims to make hydrogen a competitive energy solution but also leads the charge in decarbonizing major industries and fostering sustainable transport solutions, all while paving the way for a greener future and creating the jobs of tomorrow. “The significance of this project was underscored by Ursula von der Leyen in her opening speech during the Hydrogen Week, where she highlighted NAHV as a shining example for other potential hydrogen valleys across Europe” remembered Marco Franchin, Project Manager at META Group. “NAHV will contribute to cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve the energy and economic efficiency, security and resilience of the energy system. Moreover, it will support the creation of a hydrogen market, and consequently, the creation of green jobs”. 

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META Group Strengthens Its Operations in Central Europe with META Circularity https://www.meta-group.com/news/meta-group-strengthens-its-operations-in-central-europe-with-meta-circularity/ Fri, 12 May 2023 07:00:26 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news/ The Company becomes a Shareholder of the Ljubljana-based firm Giacomelli Media. META Group extends its regional operations in Central Europe by acquiring equity stake (25%) in the Slovenian company Giacomelli Media, which becomes “META Circularity.” This new partnership is the result of our ongoing collaboration with the advisory firm based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and is a strategic step towards …

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The Company becomes a Shareholder of the Ljubljana-based firm Giacomelli Media. META Group extends its regional operations in Central Europe by acquiring equity stake (25%) in the Slovenian company Giacomelli Media, which becomes “META Circularity.”

This new partnership is the result of our ongoing collaboration with the advisory firm based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and is a strategic step towards the development and roll-out of key innovative actions in the fields of the circular economy and sustainability. Ultimately, it will enable META Group to increase its contribution to key European research and innovation programmes in the region.

 
Strengthening the collaborations between the two companies means creating a solid foundation to support regional innovation with a full range of solutions and expert assistance in developing circular economy business models,” said Alessia Melasecche, CEO of META Group. 
 
Switching to circular economy is a strategic EU priority. The transition is expected to reduce pressure on natural resources, create sustainable growth and jobs. However, many innovation initiatives related to key industrial sectors and value chains across the EU including the shift to renewable energy sources are facing challenges on their exploitation path to technology maturation and investor readiness, which represents a key focus of this strengthened alliance between META Group and META Circularity.
 
This development represents the maturation of a year-long cooperation with META Group. It will sharpen our positioning as an innovation protagonist at the international scale dealing with business model design and corporate transformations for circularity and sustainability,” said Jurij Giacomelli, CEO of META Circularity.  
 
META Group has been present in Slovenia working with several startup accelerators including Inkubator Sezana and Incubatore Creativo Istria as well as research, innovation and ecosystem partners such as Jozef Stefan Institute, Technology Park Ljubljana and TECOS, providing capacity building support for the advancement of emerging technologies and training for scale-up and growth of early-stage knowledge-intensive startups. META Group and META Circularity are jointly part of the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley initiative.
 
For more information, visit www.meta-circularity.eu 

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Partnership between META and AESIS https://www.meta-group.com/news/partnership-between-meta-and-aesis/ Wed, 26 May 2021 09:00:15 +0000 https://www.meta-group.com/news// AESIS, the Network for Advancing and Evaluating the Societal Impact of Science and META signed a collaboration agreement to boost the use of research results and their impact in the Social Science and Humanities domains “The collaboration aims at further developing methods and tools to support the use of R&D results in Social Sciences and …

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AESIS, the Network for Advancing and Evaluating the Societal Impact of Science and META signed a collaboration agreement to boost the use of research results and their impact in the Social Science and Humanities domains

“The collaboration aims at further developing methods and tools to support the use of R&D results in Social Sciences and Humanities and boost their impact. Despite the strong potential of this research, it is not considered in the same way as STEM disciplines when it comes to funding, attention to its results and their adoption outside the academia” said META’s vice-president Andrea Di Anselmo.
The International Network for Advancing and Evaluating the Societal Impact of Science (AESIS) is an organisation that aims to connect science with society. They bring together stakeholders from the academic world, government, business, and civil society to exchange best practices and expertise on the impact of science on the economy, culture, the environment, societal wellbeing, and more.

The AESIS Network is convinced that advancing societal impact: 

  • can only be robust if based on a well-balanced insight on how the impact of science on society can be measured;
  • should investigate the impact of the humanities, the social sciences and the hard sciences in one comparable approach for accountability;
  • should preferably include both the societal impact of scientific research and university education.
This aligns with META’s vision of driving knowledge to use – not only STEM knowledge but also the one stemming out from social sciences and humanities. META helps researchers to transform their expertise and results into impact, achieving long-lasting effects on the community and society at large.
META is an expert in exploiting the results of research activities, especially those from EC funded programmes. For over 25 years, META supported in using research results more than 5.000 SMEs, research and technology organizations, and coached and tutored 20.000+ R&D projects participants.
SSH research will play a more important role in the new Horizon Europe Framework going forward and it will be essential to maximise the returns to society from this investment.
  • Currently, META is leading Horizon Results Booster, the support service for dissemination, exploitation and valorisation of research results, supported by the European Commission. The goal of the Horizon Results Booster is to elicit meaningful impact from the excellent research being funded by the European Union.
Social sciences and humanities research projects funded under H2020 and HorizonEurope are more than welcome to avail of these services – fill out an application form today! 
For more information on this project or META’s other initiatives, please contact us META at: info@meta-group.com.

 

 

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