On June 17, 2026, 30 representatives of Pomeranian companies from the SME sector learned about the possibilities of obtaining financing under the European Horizon Europe program and took part in a series of direct networking meetings with potential partners. The event was organized by the Pomerania Development Agency S.A. in cooperation with the Łukasiewicz Centre and Industry Contact Points operating within the Łukasiewicz Research Network: ITECH Institute of Innovation and Technology, Industrial Institute of Automation and Measurements, and Poznań Institute of Technology.
The meeting program focused on the practical opportunities offered by Horizon Europe in areas related to Industry 4.0 and digital technologies.
During the workshop, led by Przemysław Zawodny, an expert at Łukasiewicz ITECH, participants received specific guidance on project preparation and applying for EU grants. Current and upcoming competitions were also presented, especially in the most promising areas such as: automation of production processes, artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, green technologies, digital transformation of enterprises, advanced materials, nanotechnologies and solutions increasing the resilience of the European Union industry. The presentation was also attended by representatives of individual Industry Contact Points and Institutes of the Łukasiewicz Network: Marlena Bator, Agnieszka Możejko, Katarzyna Wiśniewska, Katarzyna Nowak. This allowed entrepreneurs to better assess how their ideas fit into the priorities of European research and innovation programs and how to more effectively plan further development activities.
The second part of the meeting moved from theory to practice. During the organized networking and matchmaking session, several dozen individual meetings took place between event participants. This provided an excellent opportunity to present ideas, share experiences, find a project partner, and discuss any concerns with the experts participating in the meeting.
Thanks to initiatives such as the event in Gdańsk, which combine knowledge about available financing instruments with practical support in building partnerships, entrepreneurs can more quickly transform innovative ideas into specific research and development projects, strengthening the competitiveness of companies and the entire economy.
“Horizon Europe – Industry 4.0 and Digital Technologies” is part of Horizon Europe, the largest-ever EU research and innovation funding program, which focuses on supporting the development of modern industry based on digitalization and advanced technologies. The program’s total budget exceeds €95 billion, of which €14 billion will be allocated this year and next.
More information about the project and opportunities for financial support for innovative solutions can be found on the Industry Contact Points website https://bpkhoryzont.pl/.
