Portugal has achieved its best results to date in the EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2023, a European funding instrument supporting advanced, innovative, and disruptive R&D technologies. This program targets early-stage projects with the potential to create new markets and address global challenges.

The results of the EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2023 competition, which closed in October, are being announced. From a total of 372 project proposals, 43 were funded, and Portugal secured financing in four out of five challenges.

Portugal secured funding in four of the five challenges: 2 projects in the Nutrition challenge with the participating entities I3S and CCMAR; 1 project in the challenge related to sustainable electronics with the participating entity Almascience: 1 project in the challenge related to solar energy capture solutions in space with the participation of UNINOVA and 1 coordination led by U. Porto in the challenge for clean and efficient cooling solutions. Coordinated by University of Porto (U.Porto), with involvement from University of Aveiro (U.Aveiro) and six other European partners, predominantly academic. The project, titled “MAGCCINE”, exemplifies Portugal’s leadership in this domain.

In total, Portuguese institutions submitted 58 proposals, of which 5 received approval, reaching a success rate of 11.6% – above the European average. These achievements represent Portugal’s best performance in the EIC Pathfinder Challenges since the start of the Horizon Europe program.

6 national entities involved in 5 funded projects and a 2.8 M€ fundraising for R&D in new technologies