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Learn how to navigate these top EU programmes designed to push boundaries and drive transformative breakthroughs
European Commission has long been a beacon for scientific excellence and technological innovation, offering researchers and institutions pathways to bring their ideas to life. Among these, the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) stand out as distinctive funding programmes offering unparalleled opportunities to universities, researchers, and institutions, each tailored to support specific types of research.
Yet, the challenge often lies in knowing where an idea fits best. Is yours a ground-breaking idea that could become a project aimed at pushing the boundaries of knowledge in your field? Or is it one to transform a fundamental discovery into disruptive technology? While both embrace risk and ambition, they differ fundamentally in their scope and intent. Understanding this distinction is crucial to unlocking the full potential of these programmes and answer the question: ERC and EIC Pathfinder, which one to choose?
The ERC represents the essence of frontier science and the home of curiosity-driven research. Its mission is to empower the most talented researchers to explore uncharted territories in knowledge. Projects funded by the ERC often stem from a fundamental curiosity to understand the universe, without the immediate pressure of application. Ideas suited to the ERC are inherently ambitious, risky, and transformative, seeking to redefine fields of knowledge.
Imagine a researcher probing the quantum properties of black holes, providing new insights and shedding light on the emergence of pandemic viruses, or uncovering the cognitive pathways of human creativity — these are questions that expand the limits of understanding. “For the ERC, scientific excellence takes precedence up to the point of being the sole evaluation criterion through the assessment by recognized leaders in each field of the originality and transformative potential of the research and the Principal Investigator’s ability to correctly steer high-impact projects in science”, explains Germán Zango, Science & Education Knowledge Area Leader at Zabala Innovation.
The proposed project should therefore run away from incremental approaches confined to the obvious continuation of open research lines. Proposals must clearly articulate the ground-breaking nature of the research question, why it is ambitious enough to challenge the state of the art, and how it is feasible within the given timeframe. Here, in Zango’s words, researchers should ask themselves: “Does my idea fundamentally seek to advance knowledge, irrespective of its immediate utility?”
Moreover, the Principal Investigator’s profile is critical. The ERC funds exceptional individuals who can demonstrate a strong track record, intellectual independence, and capacity to lead transformative research. For that, the ERC’s division of main calls into Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, and Synergy categories reflects its commitment to supporting excellence at every stage of a researcher’s career and fostering innovative collaboration.
“Each call addresses distinct career phases and research dynamics, ensuring that pioneering ideas are not hindered by career seniority or structural limitations”, states Zango. “Starting grants provide emerging researchers with the opportunity to establish their independence, while Consolidator grants support those building on promising early work to create a cohesive research program and a research group/team”, he adds.
Advanced grants empower established leaders to push the boundaries of their fields, and Synergy grants facilitate team-based efforts to tackle complex questions that require interdisciplinary collaboration. This structure embodies the ERC’s principles of promoting intellectual freedom, nurturing potential at all stages, and enabling the pursuit of challenging high-reward research. “By aligning its calls with the varying needs of researchers, the ERC ensures a holistic ecosystem that maximizes scientific creativity and impact”, according to Zango.
By contrast, the EIC Pathfinder Open takes a different route: the one focused on application-driven innovation. It operates at the interface of science and innovation, bridging the gap between fundamental discoveries and technological breakthroughs through ideas that can transform industries and create new markets. “While it shares the ERC’s appetite for boldness and disruptive innovations, the Pathfinder is geared towards the early-stage development of technologies that address pressing societal and industrial challenges”, underlines Javier Uranga, Entrepreneurship consultant and expert of the EIC, of Zabala Innovation.
Think of projects like a new class of bio-inspired robotics, a game-changing energy storage solution, or a quantum computing framework ready to disrupt industries. Unlike the ERC, the EIC Pathfinder prioritizes the transformative potential of the innovation, the devise of clear pathways to societal or industrial application, and collaboration between disciplines to ensure feasibility. So, in this case, for Uranga researchers should ask: “Do I have an ambitious vision for a novel future technology that could make a real difference to our lives or create a market-shaping innovation?”
This emphasis on applicability and future impact sets the EIC Pathfinder apart, requiring interdisciplinary collaboration and detailed planning for potential implementation. Collaborative and interdisciplinary approach is central to the Pathfinder. “These proposals must integrate diverse expertise—engineers, biologists, economists—to show how the project transitions from scientific novelty to disruptive technology with future market potential”, insists Uranga.
Within the EIC Pathfinder, there are also two calls for proposals, an Open call with an open theme that allows for any types of future technologies to apply and a Challenge call, in which EIC experts annually define the main technological challenges in specific fields that are needed to be solved. In this year’s call, these challenges are focused on: Biotech for Climate Resilient Crops and Plant-Based Biomanufacturing, Generative-AI based Agents to Revolutionize Medical Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer, Towards autonomous robot collectives delivering collaborative tasks in dynamic unstructured construction environments and Waste-to-value devices – circular production of renewable fuels, chemicals and materials.
Despite these distinctions, researchers often find themselves at a crossroads. The challenge lies in determining whether an idea is better suited to pushing knowledge frontiers or driving real-world applications. To resolve this, these two experts suggest to consider these guiding questions:
“At Zabala Innovation, we specialize in helping researchers navigate these complexities. Our role is not only to sharpen your proposal but to guide you in identifying the most suitable programme for your idea. This distinction often defines success. For ERC applicants, we help craft narratives that highlight the boldness of the research question and the Principal Investigator’s capacity to deliver frontier science. Our deep understanding of ERC evaluation criteria ensures every proposal resonates with evaluators”, says Zango.
As for EIC Pathfinder projects, “we work alongside researchers to build consortia that bring together the right mix of disciplines and expertise. We ensure the proposal not only demonstrates novelty but also a viable path to disruptive innovation that will bring a new solution to the market”, states Uranga.
Here’s how Zabala Innovation can help you:
By offering tailored support—from proposal development and review to strategic positioning—Zabala Innovation empower researchers to maximize their chances of success. Whether pursuing knowledge for its own sake or envisioning a transformative application, the right guidance can make all the difference.
“In the vast landscape of European funding, choosing between the ERC and EIC Pathfinder is more than a matter of preference; it’s a strategic decision that shapes the future of your research. By understanding the essence of each programme and aligning your vision accordingly, you can embark on a path that not only secures funding but transforms ideas into impact”, concludes Zango.
We are here to help you, write to us and our team will answer you as soon as possible.
News
Framework Programme
The report from the group on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe is aligned with Mario Draghi’s proposals on competitiveness
Opinion
Research
Germán Zango
Líder del área de Ciencia y Educación en Proyectos Europeos
Publication
Universities
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