ATTRACT concluded its second phase bringing together for two days some of Europe’s brightest minds and leading innovators.
Last 02 and 03 of July ATTRACT Phase 2 participants held together in Brussels to wrap up projects, share pioneering scientific and technological achievements and the personal journeys and collaborations that brought them to life. Over the course of two days, attendees explored real-world applications of the ATTRACT model and its growing impact on research, industry, and society at large.
The event served as a vibrant platform to showcase the accomplishments and influence of all key stakeholders involved in ATTRACT Phase 2. It underscored ATTRACT’s pivotal role in accelerating deep-tech innovation, bridging the divide between frontier research and commercial deployment, and enhancing Europe’s position on the global stage. Participants gained in-depth insights into the implementation of the ATTRACT model, delving into its core mechanisms such as co-innovation strategies, collaborative frameworks, and innovation pathways.
Throughout the conference, critical questions at the heart of Europe’s innovation landscape were explored. Through the ATTRACT Academy, students presented original and disruptive ideas, offering a glimpse into the potential of young talent. A panel featuring representatives from academia and the European Commission further debated how to retain and empower this next generation of innovators.
Other sessions focused on overcoming the notorious ‘Valley of Death’ in deep tech, with researchers and entrepreneurs stressing the importance of sustained support for early-stage innovation. A practical workshop titled “From Deep Tech to Deep Impact,” facilitated by European XFEL, Esade, and the University of Bologna, challenged participants to connect breakthrough technologies with pressing societal needs such as health, sustainability, and education.
In the closing plenary, speakers from the European Investment Bank, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the European Commission, and Esade highlighted the necessity of continued investment in research infrastructures, the development of entrepreneurial competencies among graduates, and strengthening the links between innovation and finance. In this sense, a notable highlight was the Q&A session with Victor Negrescu, Vice President of the European Parliament, who emphasized the vital role of public policy in fostering a robust innovation ecosystem across Europe.
Among the 18 R&D&I projects, HYLIGHT was also present to showcase its
success story, supported by the spin-off LUMIRIS. Anna Ferrer from the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia presented a poster exposing the project breakthrough technology that combines deep tech and AI to bring to the IVF clinic a whole new light. It was a great opportunity to connect to other researchers and people from the entrepreneurship world, to increase and consolidate a valuable network to impulse even more this technology to the market.
“I was grateful to present the amazing results of the HYLIGHT project, a device able to fast and non-invasively extract the metabolic profile of embryos and oocytes”, concludes Anna Ferrer, HYLIGHT member at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC).
