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The EURECA-SPARK project (Stimulating Partnerships, Applied Research and Knowledge Transfer in EURECA-PRO) has been selected for funding under the EIT Higher Education Initiative, following the 2025 Call for Proposals, within Topic 2: Building Synergies. The Principal Investigator is Professor Panagiotis Partsinevelos, Director of the Laboratory of Geodesy and Geoinformatics (SenseLab) at the School of Mineral Resources Engineering of the Technical University of Crete.

With a total budget of €1,999,716, a duration of 24 months, and a planned start date of September 2026, the project is coordinated by the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Germany). The Technical University of Crete participates as a full project partner, contributing to the advancement of innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge transfer at the European level.

The consortium also includes Université de Lorraine, University of León and Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, together with research organisations, companies and innovation stakeholders from Germany (Additive|Drives GmbH, ERZLABOR Advanced Solutions GmbH, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and MiViA GmbH), Greece (MONOLITHOS Catalysts & Recycling Ltd.), France (WEEEMET), Italy (RINA Consulting – Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (RINA-CSM)), Sweden (New Energy Institute) and the Netherlands (RJB Renewable Holdings B.V.). The project is further supported by the Associated Partners: Hasselt University (Belgium), PLASTIKI GROUP CO (Greece), Silesian University of Technology (Poland), Technical University of Leoben (Austria) and Universitatea din Petroșani (Romania), strengthening the consortium with complementary expertise in higher education, research, innovation and industry collaboration.

EURECA-SPARK aims to strengthen the innovation capacity of the EURECA-PRO European University on Responsible Consumption and Producation, creating an integrated ecosystem that connects higher education, applied research, industry collaboration and entrepreneurship. The project focuses on strategic priorities including critical raw materials, sustainability, digital transformation, climate technologies, and the translation of research results into societal and economic value.

At the heart of the project is the development of a fully digital and flexible MicroDegree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, consisting of at least ten microcredentials. The programme will be jointly designed by universities, research organisations, industry partners and innovation support organisations, offering challenge-based learning built around real research and market needs.

In parallel, EURECA-SPARK will establish a comprehensive start-up pathway, connecting education with incubators, innovation hubs and the business acceleration services of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Through close collaboration with the EIT RawMaterials, 28DIGITAL and EIT Climate-KIC Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), the project will strengthen EURECA-PRO's role as a European innovation hub while promoting digital mobility, widening participation and equal access to entrepreneurship education.

About the EIT Higher Education Initiative

EURECA-SPARK is funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative, with the support of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, aimed at boosting the entrepreneurial and innovation capacity of higher education institutions across Europe. 

For more information: https://eit-hei.eu/funded-projects/explorer/eureca-spark/