Igniting Innovation:
The EURECA-PRO Flagship Debut
- News
On 25 September 2025, the Technical University of Crete (TUC) hosted the “Igniting Innovation: The EURECA-PRO Flagship Debut” event on its Chania campus, with both on-site and online participation. Organised under the WP4 Coordination Committee, this event was the final in a series of four held between September 2024 and September 2025, marking a key milestone in the development of the first EURECA-PRO Flagships.
Nearly 90 participants attended, including academics, researchers, PhD students, administrative staff from all partner universities, and four external stakeholders. The event showcased the achievements of the initial core groups and officially presented the first proposals for the creation of Flagships.
Workshops & Presentations
Introduction to the Flagship concept and its links with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) Programme: Presentation of the overall concept of the Flagship and its possible connections with the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Programme, highlighting how both initiatives can complement each other in fostering collaboration, innovation, and impact across the EURECA-PRO Alliance.
Presentation of the Flagship concept (Université de Lorraine): Addressing What is a Flagship? Why do we need Flagships? How to create a Flagship? while highlighting expected outputs in Research, Education, Innovation, and Third Mission for genuine co-construction across the Alliance.
I&E Programme (Technical University of Crete): Overview of past two years’ activities, including Short Lecture Series, Deep Dive Intensive Courses, and Entrepreneurship Courses, along with discussions on future collaborations to enhance the impact of Flagships.
Workshop on Sustainable Materials for Building (Technical University of Crete, Silesian University of Technology, Hasselt University): Nine speakers from academia and industry explored sustainable construction and architecture, including insights on the New European Bauhaus, emphasizing interdisciplinary and human-centred approaches for inclusive and sustainable environments.
The afternoon sessions allowed core group members to present their Flagship proposals, followed by parallel sessions dedicated to each Strategic Challenge.
The five Flagship proposals presented were:
- Sustainable Materials for Buildings
- Sustainable Mining & Resources
- Social Sciences and Humanities for Transition(s)
- Carbon & Hydrogen Synergies
- Energy Transition and Sustainable Energy Management
These proposals provide a solid foundation for the first EURECA-PRO Flagships.
Work is ongoing to develop proposals for Strategic Challenge D (Industry 4.0, including Technology, Organisation, and Human Perspectives) and Strategic Challenge E (Impacts of Transitions on Global Health). The parallel sessions were instrumental in reinforcing existing dynamics, refining proposals, and identifying obstacles related to incentives, resources, and prospects.
The event successfully highlighted the collaborative spirit and innovative potential of the EURECA-PRO Alliance, setting the stage for transformative, cross-border research initiatives across Europe.
