ICENT's Nuqleus secures €1.1...

The Innovation Center Nikola Tesla (ICENT) and the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth have signed a contract to implement a project to build a Croatian startup ecosystem worth 1.1 million euros. The agreement was signed within the framework of the "Digital, Innovative, and Green Technologies (DIG-IT)" project, through which the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, with the support of the World Bank, seeks to improve the conditions for research, development and innovation, and thus Croatia's position in the digital and green transition.

The main backbone of this project will be ICENT’s research entrepreneurship program, Nuqleus, known for its success in uniting the scientific community. Currently, in addition to researchers from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, the program also includes researchers from 14 partner scientific and research institutions, such as the Ruđer Bošković Institute, the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin, the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, the Institute of Economics in Zagreb, and others. Now, with this new support, ICENT plans to significantly expand the scope of activities aimed at launching and developing deep-tech startups.

"The Nuqleus program has so far 'produced' 16 spin-offs that have collectively raised over 1.8 million euros for their business development and growth,” noted Matija Srbić, coordinator of ICENT’s Nuqleus program. "Alongside our ongoing goal of educating as many researchers as possible about the process and opportunities for commercializing the results of scientific research, through this collaboration, we have the opportunity to take a major step towards achieving our vision of building a functional deep-tech ecosystem.

"Through the DIG-IT project, valued at 105 million euros, the Ministry of Science, Education, and Youth, in collaboration with the World Bank, supports a comprehensive structural reform of the research and innovation system. We want to achieve transformative effects on research excellence, enhance economic productivity through deep-tech entrepreneurship, and, in the long term, establish a green, digital, and globally competitive economy. We promote technology transfer practices such as technology scouting programs and the establishment of ecosystems for creating and developing deep-tech startups. This second initiative focuses on building ecosystems for the creation and development of deep-tech startups by providing support to students and researchers in bridging the ‘valley of death’ and successfully transitioning research results into marketable products, services, or processes. Through our partnership with Nuqleus, formalized through a funding agreement with the Innovation Center Nikola Tesla, founded by FER, a two-year program will be implemented, offering structured education, mentorship, and industry collaboration,”  said Hrvoje Meštrić, Director-General of the Directorate for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth.

“ICENT, through its Nuqleus program, seeks to break down barriers. In doing so, we are talking about imaginary walls, technological, investment and mental ones, and to remove obstacles that hinder the transfer of top-notch research from academic institutions to the business world. Development and innovations are key to the progress of the business side of Croatia, and are of crucial importance in creating an ecosystem in which all stakeholders are constantly learning, developing and adapting. In doing so, they shape an environment in which Croatian innovations are not only scientifically excellent, but also actively contribute to the growth and prosperity of the business sector. Through its new DIG-IT project, ICENT’s Nuqleus program will achieve exactly that – encourage a new way of thinking and create an innovative environment that supports the growth and development of business start-ups in Croatia," said Tomislav Capuder, Acting Director of the Innovation Center Nikola Tesla.

The project involves several new initiatives. Srbić announced the organization of regular events titled “Deep-Tech Talks,” which will specialize in deep-tech topics. Their focus will be on presenting exciting themes from the scientific community and industry to encourage collaboration between the two worlds, both in Croatia and globally. Additionally, training sessions in the form of multi-day bootcamps will be conducted to help startup teams better approach investment acquisition. Such a bootcamp was already tested this year through the Nuqleus program, bringing together five mentors from the U.S. who spent a week working with Nuqleus startups to prepare their investment plans.

The project also plans to test models for commercializing scientific research results by connecting research teams with business development and sales experts in specific industries. In this way, strong interdisciplinary teams can be built that excel equally in technology and business. The goal is to attract individuals with extensive experience in business development and sales across various industries, who will work with startup teams and explore potential long-term collaborations.

One significant element of the project will be ICENT’s new workspace, dedicated to developing startups and networking teams within the innovation community.

Author: Petra Škaberna
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