EUREKA Xecs Cluster for Electronic Components and Systems Call for Projects
Support for international consortia of industrial, research and academic organisations to conduct R&D projects to develop state of the art electronic components and systems across a range of key application areas for industry and digital society.
Xecs is the Eureka Cluster for electronic components and systems (ECS). Its objective is to accelerate the pace of sustainable industrial innovation in the ECS community through the creation and funding of industrially driven international collaborative projects supporting sustainable digital transformation.
Xecs supports the formation of innovation partnerships along the ECS value chain by bringing together organisations active in the RD&I sector – large enterprises, SMEs, research and technology organisations, and universities – to collaborate on mid-sized projects (€2 million to €80 million) normally lasting three years. Projects will focus on rapid, application-focussed technological development and exploitation of the technology advances and related applications and services.
Outline applications are invited for the second annual Xecs Call for Projects. Support is available for international consortia based in two or more Eureka member countries seeking to undertake RD&I projects to develop innovative, application-focussed technological development to advance the state of the art in electronic components and systems. Project consortia can include large enterprises, SMEs, research and technology organisations, and academic institutions.
Proposals are invited in all areas of the Execs ECS Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).
Key Application Areas of the Xecs SRIA include:
- Mobility
- Energy
- Digital industry
- Health and wellbeing
- Agrifood and natural resources
- Digital society
The Cross-Section Technologies that apply across the Key Application Areas include:
- Edge computing and embedded artificial intelligence
- Connectivity
- Architecture and design: methods and tools
- Quality, reliability, safety and cybersecurity
Applicants should also consult their national funding agency to determine if any RD&I priorities have been set for their respective country.
Approved projects are awarded the Xecs label, which is an internationally recognised endorsement which confers a competitive edge upon participants in their dealings with financial, technical and commercial partners. The Xecs label confirms that the project is technically sound, innovative, well planned and organised and is likely to lead to a commercial product or service.
Following a successful project approval, project partners are directed to their respective National Funding Agencies with a recommendation for support through an appropriate national funding programme or funding mechanism.
The National Funding Agencies from 23 European and non-European countries have indicated that they will provide dedicated support for the Annual Call of the Xecs programme.
Calls follow a two-stage application procedure: submission of a project outline followed by a full project proposal for selected applicants.
Project outlines for the 2022/23 call for projects must be submitted by the deadine on 23 February 2023.
(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)