An ANI programme to promote ideas and start-ups of academic origin
ANI was honoured in Paris for its BfK – Born from Knowledge programme in the first edition of the Startup Ecosystem Stars Awards, promoted by the ICC – International Chamber of Commerce and Mind the Bridge.
The meeting, which was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria and former European Commissioner for Innovation, Mariya Gabriel, honoured public bodies whose programmes have stood out in promoting innovation.
The distinction was awarded to BfK – Born from Knowledge, the programme to promote and enhance ideas, projects and start-ups “born from knowledge” in science and technology, which have a positive impact on society and the development of the economy. Created in 2016, BfK today has four strands: BfK Ideas, a national competition for business ideas from researchers and students at Portuguese universities and polytechnics; BfK Rise, an acceleration programme for science and technology-based projects with commercialisation potential; the BfK Awards, a set of distinctions, in partnership with different companies and organisations, to reward ideas and projects that stand out in collaborative research and development activities; and the BfK Community, a community made up of entrepreneurs, researchers and students with an interest in scientific and technological entrepreneurship.
Alongside ANI, public, regional, national and EU organisations were honoured, such as the EIC – European Innovation Council. In his speech of thanks, Michiel Scheffer, Chairman of the EIC Board, highlighted ANI’s work in promoting the EIC Accelerator, where Portugal, in this investment round, not only has the highest percentage of approved applications (23 per cent), but is also the second European country with the most funding in absolute terms, after France and just ahead of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Since its creation, BfK – Born from Knowledge has honoured more than 80 projects and start-ups from academia, out of a total of more than 700 applications involving more than 300 researchers and student entrepreneurs and more than 90 partner organisations.
Since 2021, the EIC Accelerator has funded 13 national technology companies, with an aggregate amount of 73 million euros, so that they can turn disruptive technologies into global market solutions. One of these companies, iLof, illustrates the transversal work carried out by ANI, having won the BfK Award in 2019 and then €6 million in funding from the EIC Accelerator in 2023 (€2.5 million in non-repayable grants and €3.5 million in capital investment).
Sílvia Garcia, ANI’s director, emphasised the “importance of recognising the work done by ANI in terms of science and technology-based entrepreneurship, taking the opportunity to congratulate the BfK team and everyone at ANI who works every day to ensure that the collaborative knowledge produced in Portugal is transformed into added-value solutions for the economy and society”.
