Project Overview
HARD2SCALE is a Horizon Europe initiative designed to accelerate the growth of digital and deep-tech startups addressing the green transformation of energy-intensive and hard-to-abate industries.
The project establishes a cross-border accelerator that connects startups from emerging ecosystems with leading innovation hubs across Europe. By leveraging collaboration between industry, investors, academia, and policymakers, HARD2SCALE supports startups in scaling their solutions, accessing funding, and entering new markets.
Through this approach, the project strengthens Europe’s innovation capacity while enabling sustainable industrial transformation.
Our Role & Contribution
INNOVA plays a strategic role in HARD2SCALE as a technology transfer and innovation ecosystem expert.
Our contribution focuses on:
- Leading the analysis of innovation gaps and ecosystem needs
- Supporting the development of scaling strategies for startups
- Facilitating collaboration between startups, industry players, and research actors
- Contributing to the design of cross-border acceleration methodologies
Through these activities, INNOVA ensures that startups are not only technologically advanced but also market-ready and investment-ready.
The Challenge
Many innovative startups in Europe—especially in deep-tech and cleantech—struggle to scale due to:
- Limited access to funding and investors
- Fragmented innovation ecosystems across regions
- Weak connections with industry end-users
- Difficulties transitioning from innovation to market deployment
These challenges are even more pronounced in hard-to-abate industries, where high costs, complex regulations, and technological barriers slow down innovation adoption.
HARD2SCALE addresses this gap by creating a structured pathway for startups to move from early-stage innovation to real market impact.
Consultation Process
Impact & Results
HARD2SCALE delivers tangible impact at both startup and ecosystem level:
- Support for 40 deep-tech startups to scale and enter new markets
- Connection of 16 European innovation ecosystems
- Increased access to public and private funding opportunities
- Strengthened collaboration between emerging and leading regions
- Development of market-ready solutions for sustainable industry transformation
In the long term, the project contributes to:
- A more integrated and resilient European innovation ecosystem
- Faster deployment of cleantech solutions
- Increased competitiveness of European startups globally
Project Information :
