EIC Accelerator grants €166 million to 36 companies fighting coronavirus

The European Commission awarded nearly €166 million, via the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Pilot, to 36 companies set to combat the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, over €148 million will be granted to another 36 companies set to contribute to the recovery plan for Europe, bringing the total investment from Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation programme, to €314 million in the round that was announced in June 2020.

The selected 36 companies that will contribute to the fight against the coronavirus will work on pioneering projects, such as on expanding the production of bio-decontamination wipes, developing ventilation monitoring systems that provide first aiders with real-time feedback on the quality of the ventilation given to the patient, developing an antibody platform to treat severe cases of infection, and many more.

A record number of almost 4000 start-ups and small and medium businesses (SMEs) applied to the EIC Accelerator pilot in March, of which over 1400 proposed innovations relevant to the coronavirus outbreak. The start-ups and SMEs selected for support come from 16 countries, including 12 EU Member States, the UK and 3 associated countries.

To know more about this, please read the official press release on the EC’s website, here: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1007