EIT Digital launches SPIN: RISE to address Europe’s research-to-market gap

EIT Digital is launching today SPIN: RISE, a comprehensive technology transfer programme addressing Europe's persistent failure to commercialise research despite leading global scientific output. 

SPIN: RISE targets researchers at all career stages, with particular focus on early-career scientists including PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows. Applications are open to both individuals and teams, and no prior entrepreneurial experience is required. 

The programme combines online training, personalized coaching, and intensive bootcamps in European innovation hubs. Unlike traditional entrepreneurship courses, SPIN: RISE focuses on multiple commercialization pathways including licensing, industry partnerships, and venture creation. 

Participants will learn IP valorization strategies, business model development, and stakeholder communication while building practical skills for research commercialization across multiple pathways.  

Four specialized tracks cover critical technology domains, each hosted by leading partners at vibrant European hubs:

• Smart Manufacturing and Digital Factories, led by Bocconi University in Milan
• Digital Health and AI-Driven Wellbeing, coordinated by Applejack Lab, Instituto Pedro Nunes, and PitchBob.io in Lisbon
• Cyber-Resilient Societies and Trustworthy AI, organized by SIBB in Berlin
• Dual-Use Technologies for Civil and Security Applications, hosted by Verhaert in Brussels

The first SPIN: RISE programmes will start in September 2025. 

The programme expands EIT Digital's SPIN: Explore initiative, which attracted 117 participants from 29 countries and 50% female participation, addressing gender disparities in tech entrepreneurship.  

The technology transfer gap represents substantial economic losses for Europe. While EU innovation performance increased 0.5 percentage points between 2023 and 2024, the continent continues losing competitive ground to regions with more effective commercialization systems.  

The result? European-born innovations frequently find their way to market through American or Asian companies, while European researchers watch from the sidelines as others reap the rewards of their intellectual labor. 

"European research excellence is world-class, but we continue to face challenges in translating scientific breakthroughs into market success," said Federico Menna, CEO of EIT Digital. "SPIN: RISE addresses this critical gap by equipping researchers with practical tools to navigate commercialization." 

The launch of SPIN RISE comes at a critical time for European innovation, as the region faces increasing global competition in Deep Tech areas including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced materials.  

By creating a commercialization pipeline that begins at the research stage, EIT Digital is working to ensure that European scientific excellence translates more directly into market leadership and economic value.