--- eventsindex_id: EI-01632 slug: eic-summit title: "EIC Summit" title_alt: ["European Innovation Council Summit", "EIC Summit 2026"] canonical_url: https://eventsindex.org/events/eic-summit.html next_edition_dates: "2026-06-03 to 2026-06-04" next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: 2026-06-03 date_end: 2026-06-04 venue: "Tour & Taxis" city: "Brussels" country: "Belgium" organiser: "European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)" organiser_url: "https://eic.ec.europa.eu/" b2b: true vector: sector: [ia-data] audience: [startup, investor, LP-institutional, policy-maker] format: [summit, networking] purpose: [fundraising, networking, policy] geography_scope: [pan-EMEA] season: summer meta_description: "Annual deep-tech summit in Brussels hosting 3,000 founders, investors, policymakers, and researchers advancing European breakthrough technologies." editorial_take: "Europe's primary policy-aligned deep-tech gathering, bridging innovation funding with private capital mobilisation." generated_by: "enrich/generators/fiche_md.py" last_verified: "2026-05-10" schema_version: "v6.0" language: en --- # EIC Summit > *The annual gathering of the European Innovation Council, bringing together deep-tech founders, EU policymakers, investors, and researchers to advance the scaling of breakthrough technologies and mobilise private capital across Europe.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | 3–4 June 2026 | Tour & Taxis, Brussels, Belgium | European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA) | ~3,000 (organiser figure) | ## Definition The EIC Summit is the flagship annual event of the European Innovation Council, held over two days in Brussels. It convenes EIC-funded startups and scaleups alongside policymakers, investors, and corporate partners to discuss the scaling of breakthrough technologies and the mobilisation of private investment in support of European deep-tech competitiveness. The event operates at the intersection of innovation policy and private-sector engagement, carrying direct influence on EU-level funding and regulatory debates. ## What makes the EIC Summit distinct on the European deep-tech circuit? The EIC Summit sits at the crossroads of European innovation policy and deep-tech commercialisation. Its Brussels location and direct organisational link to the European Commission give it immediate relevance to funding decisions under programmes such as the EIC Accelerator and EIC Pathfinder. The 2026 edition is the fifth instalment, and the event's format combines plenary policy sessions, structured investor matchmaking, and exclusive workshops reserved for EIC beneficiaries, offering participants both strategic visibility and practical access to EU funding pathways. Free attendance, conditional on registration, lowers barriers for founders and researchers across the continent. ## Who attends EIC Summit - EIC Accelerator and EIC Pathfinder beneficiaries: startups and scaleups funded through European Innovation Council programmes - Researchers and technology transfer professionals working on commercialisation of EU-backed projects - Investors active in deep-tech, including venture capital and corporate venture arms - Policymakers and officials from the European Commission and European Parliament - EIC Board members and programme managers - Corporate partners and industrials seeking collaboration with frontier-technology companies - Academics and university spinout founders in health, climate, digital, and advanced materials ## What EIC Summit covers programmatically - Deep-tech innovation and breakthrough technology development - Scaling strategies for European startups and scaleups - Investment readiness and access to private capital - Technology transfer and commercialisation frameworks - Intellectual property strategy for deep-tech ventures - Defence technologies and dual-use innovation - Health innovation across digital and pharmaceutical domains - Sustainability and climate-technology applications - Digital transformation and advanced materials sectors ## Programme tracks and special formats - **Leaders Stage:** plenary sessions featuring EU commissioners, MEPs, and senior EIC figures on European innovation policy and competitiveness - **Exclusive workshops:** sessions reserved for EIC beneficiaries covering funding, scaling, and business development topics - **Exhibition area:** showcase of projects funded by the European Innovation Council across all EIC programmes - **Awards ceremony:** presentation of the European Prize for Women Innovators as part of the main programme - **Structured B2B matchmaking:** pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings via the b2match platform between startups, investors, and corporate partners - **Satellite events:** adjacent programming organised around the main summit dates The 2026 edition features five stages in total. ## Notable speakers - Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, European Commission - Christian Ehler, Member of European Parliament - Sorin Moisa, EIC Board Member; Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Skyy Holdings Pty Ltd - Maria Victoria Hernandez-Valcarcel, EIC Board Member and Active Angel Investor - Agnieszka Stasiakowska, Head of Sector, EIC Business Acceleration Services, EISMEA - Denisa Perrin, Head of Unit for the EIC Accelerator, EISMEA - Susana Getman, Programme and Call Manager for EIC Accelerator, EISMEA - Ioana Mihai, Head of Unit, EIC Accelerator, European Investment Bank - Paola Lo Bue Oddo, Policy Officer, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission - Sheng Qi, Chair of Pharmaceutics, University of Liverpool School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences And 2 additional named speakers across the programme (Antonios Fysekidis, Mihaela Diana Rucinschi). ## Awards programme The EIC Summit 2026 hosts the **European Prize for Women Innovators** as part of its main programme. This prize, organised under the European Commission umbrella, recognises women-led innovation across Europe. The awards URL and submission deadline are not publicly disclosed as of verification. ## Networking and engagement The EIC Summit uses **b2match** as its official networking and digital platform. Advance scheduling of one-to-one meetings is available, enabling attendees to identify and connect with investors, partners, and peers before the event opens. Structured B2B matchmaking sessions are embedded into the programme. Replay access is not available. The organiser distributes an ad-hoc newsletter to keep stakeholders informed ahead of the event. ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### What is the EIC Summit and who organises it? The EIC Summit is the flagship annual event of the European Innovation Council, organised by EISMEA (European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency), an executive agency of the European Commission established in 2021. It serves as the central convening moment for the EIC community across all funding instruments. ### Is the EIC Summit open to attendees who are not EIC-funded? Yes. Registration is open to all and attendance is free of charge, subject to registration. Certain sessions, notably dedicated workshops, are reserved exclusively for EIC beneficiaries. Investors, corporates, researchers, and policymakers without an EIC funding relationship are welcomed into the main programme and matchmaking activities. ### What sectors does the EIC Summit address? The 2026 programme covers climate and energy, health, digital technology, advanced materials, defence, and dual-use innovation. The thematic scope reflects the EIC's portfolio across Accelerator, Pathfinder, and Transition funding instruments. ### Who is EIC Summit NOT designed for? - Practitioners seeking a sector-specific deep dive with no interest in EU policy or funding frameworks - Investors focused exclusively on late-stage or buyout strategies with no appetite for deep-tech or early-stage risk - Startups outside or ineligible for European Commission funding programmes who have no cross-border scaling ambitions - Marketing or brand professionals attending primarily for consumer-facing product exposure - Delegates seeking a purely commercial trade-show environment without engagement with public-sector stakeholders ## The venue: Tour & Taxis Tour & Taxis is a large-scale event and heritage complex located at Havenlaan 86C in Brussels, Belgium. Originally built as a customs and postal hub in the early twentieth century, the site has been repurposed as a conference and cultural venue accommodating events at scale. Its location in the Brussels inner ring provides convenient access from Brussels-Midi, Brussels-Central, and Brussels-Airport, as well as proximity to the European Quarter where EU institutions are headquartered. ## The organiser: European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency EISMEA (European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency) is a public agency of the European Commission, established in 2021 and headquartered in Brussels. With a staff of between 201 and 500 employees, the agency is responsible for implementing several EU funding programmes, including the European Innovation Council, SME support instruments, the single market programme, consumer policy initiatives, and interregional innovation investments. Beyond the EIC Summit, EISMEA organises the EIC Applicants Day and EIC Info Day, which together form a calendar of touchpoints supporting deep-tech founders at different stages of their relationship with EIC funding. The agency's mandate positions it as the primary operational bridge between EU innovation policy and the startups and scaleups that receive EIC grants and equity investment. --- ## Editorial take *The EIC Summit holds a structurally unique position on the European deep-tech circuit: as the official convening event of an EU funding body, it grants Brussels-based policy weight to discussions that at other conferences remain purely commercial, making it a priority date for any European deep-tech founder navigating Phase 3 financing.* ## How to register and what it costs Attendance is free of charge for all registered participants. Registration is open and can be completed via the b2match platform. No early-bird deadline or tiered pricing applies. ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### How do I register for EIC Summit 2026? Registration is handled through the b2match platform at the URL listed in the Resources table below. No fee applies. ### Are workshop sessions open to all registered attendees? Exclusive workshops are reserved for EIC beneficiaries. Plenary sessions, the exhibition, awards ceremony, and B2B matchmaking are open to all registered participants. ### Is content available to watch after the event? Replay access is not available, according to current event information. Attendees wishing to access session content should plan to attend in person. ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://eic.ec.europa.eu/ | | Register | https://www.b2match.com/e/eic-summit-2026 | | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-innovation-council/ | | Programme | not disclosed | --- **Last verified:** 2026-05-10 **Next review:** 2026-06-09 **Notes:** Speaker list, programme details, and awards deadline reflect data available at verification date; figures for 2026 attendees are organiser projections and full edition history is limited to a single documented edition. **Variables:** 38/50 **Concept definition:** not applicable