Based on a detailed analysis of the situation of UA Innovation Ecosystem after Russian invasion, partners (6 Ukrainian partners and 11 partners from 11 other EU member States with an extensive outreach capacity spanning across key EU and global markets) have put together a proposal aimed at providing support to counteract the harm done to Ukrainian startups and deep tech SMEs in the short term, building a framework that supports the Ukrainian Government’s goal of becoming a ‘start-up nation’, and increasing the role of innovators and the deep tech industry in driving growth. This will be achieved through a comprehensive portfolio of support services that combine cascade funding (10k-25k-50k grants), access to finance actions (connecting to public funds and private investors, training on EIC, EIT and other cascading opportunities etc.), deep-tech-focused incubation and acceleration programmes, and market access initiatives (targeting 10+ countries, soft landing in 10 key sectors/verticals, and working spaces in 50+ locations across Europe). Pan-European integration – which brings UA innovation closer to investors, accelerators, potential buyers, innovation agencies and peers - will also be a key component of this project. The Consortium is led by FBA (PL-based and leader of FSTP management) with key support from USF, Ukraine’s public agency to support SMEs, which will invest its own resources and guarantee synergies with UA. Other partners key to guarantee services delivery and wide impact are: EITH (KICs), PNP (investors), LXI (EU innovation stakeholders), CORKBIC (BIC network), IHS (Impact Hub Network), IOP (EEN in UA). Circa 1,000 innovators, start-ups and deep tech SMEs located in UA or created by Ukrainian citizens in other EU countries after 24.02.2022 will benefit from said support, with at least 400 expected to gain a mix of financial and non-financial support, and many others expected to access non-financial support while seeking other sources of funding.

Preserving Europe’s cultural heritage requires advanced digital tools that enable seamless collaboration among curators, conservators, and scientists. These tools must preserve primary data referenced to digital representations and twins and maintain documentation of analysis and reasoning processes. They must also preserve “raw” primary data to ensure accuracy and integrity and support future analysis techniques as the methods evolve. Colour, a key element of cultural heritage, is critical to understanding the historical and artistic significance of artefacts. However, its preservation faces challenges such as fading, alteration or loss. Events like the Notre Dame fire highlight the need for adaptive collaborative environments, while public reaction to the Sistine Chapel restoration highlights the importance of tools that predict and communicate restoration results. Building on 2 years of research and development conducted under PERCEIVE, the project aims to make a major contribution to the digital transition of cultural heritage conservation and restoration by developing integrated colour analysis and restoration tools tailored to diverse artefacts, including polychrome sculptures, paintings, textiles, historic films and photographs. These tools, fully interoperable with the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage, will provide high-precision analysis, simulate restoration results with perceptual accuracy, and support interdisciplinary collaboration through hybrid spaces that merge virtual and physical environments. These spaces will enable real-time interaction with the digital twins , fostering inclusive decision-making among conservators, curators, and scientists, while ensuring accessibility for remote participants. In addition, the project seeks to enhance public engagement by leveraging mixed reality technologies and digital storytelling to showcase restored colours and convey the authenticity of artefacts, promoting a deeper appreciation of CH.

Through the SKIES project, the consortium partners will provide PhD and 1st year postdoctoral researchers in the field of astronomy with a new set of skills integrating open science, innovation and entrepreneurship, thereby equipping them for a career that allows them to fulfill their potential and contribute to society and economy. A Train the Trainer programme builds the capacity of the teaching staff, so that they have the training and tools to continue the programme beyond the life of the project. Online training will be made available to support the partner as well as other organisations interested to run similar courses.