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Open Calls

Cypriot SMEs And Startups To Engage With Global Innovators At MWC Open Innovation Challenge 2026

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Invitation For Strategic Collaboration

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Cyprus, in partnership with the local Chamber of Commerce, has extended a distinguished invitation to small and medium‐sized enterprises and startups to participate in the MWC Open Innovation Challenge 2026. This significant initiative, organized by ACCIÓ, a key department within the Catalan Government’s Ministry of Enterprise and Labour, is set to attract industry leaders and emerging innovators alike.

Global Forum For Innovation

The event is designed to convene corporates, investors, and technology providers in a dynamic setting to co-create solutions addressing real-world technological challenges. Participants will have the opportunity to connect during the MWC and 4YFN Barcelona congress, where breakthrough ideas and collaboration strategies will be spotlighted.

Flexible Participation Formats

Attendees can choose from physical, online, or hybrid formats tailored to their schedules and business objectives. The in-person B2B engagements are scheduled to occur from March 2, 2026, to March 5, 2026, at the 4YFN Congress in Barcelona, specifically at the ACCIÓ Stand in Hall 8. These sessions, structured as focused 30-minute meetings, are exclusively reserved for corporate representatives presenting challenges and technology providers offering strategic solutions.

Digital Engagement For Global Reach

For those unable to travel, online B2B meetings will be facilitated via the b2match platform from March 9, 2026, to March 13, 2026. This digital format ensures that participants, including Cypriot startups, can seamlessly connect with large international companies and public entities eager to explore innovative technologies.

Streamlined Registration And Matchmaking

The challenge is open to technology and solution providers free of charge. Interested businesses must register on the platform by completing a comprehensive company profile. This profile should include a succinct pitch, a professional biography, and a detailed outline of the firm’s technological capabilities. Registration is limited to one participant per company, although additional representatives are welcome to attend the B2B meetings. Once validated, participants can begin scheduling meetings based on corporates’ published challenges, with final acceptance determined by the respective corporates.

Business-Driven Agenda

Participants will receive a personalized meeting agenda through the digital platform, ‘My Schedule’, which will detail all confirmed meeting times and sessions. This structured approach ensures that every interaction is geared toward harnessing commercial potential and driving actionable collaborations.

The MWC Open Innovation Challenge 2026 represents a landmark opportunity for Cypriot enterprises to forge key international partnerships and propel forward-thinking technological solutions. For further details and to register as a technology or solution provider, please visit the official registration page.

EU Opens Health Research Funding Calls: Three Opportunities To Apply

by News Editor

The European Commission has opened new Horizon Europe funding opportunities for research into chronic diseases, independent living for people with disabilities and the effects of climate change on human health.

The three calls are part of the EU’s Horizon Europe Cluster 1: Health programme, which supports research and innovation aimed at improving healthcare, disease prevention and public health.

The opportunities are relevant to research institutions, universities, healthcare innovators and other organisations in Cyprus interested in participating in European research projects, subject to the eligibility requirements of each call.

The deadline for submissions is 17 February 2027, with one programme operating a two-stage application process.

What Funding Opportunities Are Available?

The three calls address different areas of health research and innovation.

1. Innovative Healthcare Interventions for Non-Communicable Diseases

This call focuses on developing innovative healthcare interventions for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including long-term conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.

Non-communicable diseases account for more than 80% of Europe’s disease burden, according to the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).

The funding opportunity aims to support research into effective treatment and disease management approaches, improving the quality of care for patients when prevention strategies have not been sufficient.

Application deadlines:

  • First stage: 17 February 2027
  • Second stage: 16 September 2027

The call follows a two-stage application process, with proposals progressing to the second stage subject to selection.

View the official funding call and application requirements.

2. Supporting Independent Living for People with Disabilities

The second call addresses the challenges faced by people with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory disabilities, focusing on improving independent living and social inclusion throughout their lives.

Research may explore new approaches to accessible and person-centred support, including community-based care, personal assistance, assistive technologies and more inclusive living environments.

A central objective is to identify ways to reduce everyday barriers and support the transition from institutional care to independent living within communities.

The call encourages approaches that consider the needs of people with disabilities and their families, while improving access to appropriate support services.

Application deadline: 17 February 2027

View the official funding call and application requirements.

3. Understanding How Climate Change Affects Human Health

The third opportunity supports research into the relationship between climate change, environmental exposure and human health.

Its focus is the human exposome, a scientific concept describing the combined environmental and other exposures individuals experience throughout their lives, including chemical, physical, biological, nutritional and psychosocial factors.

Researchers are invited to investigate how climate-related factors such as extreme heat, air pollution and drought interact with other exposures and influence health outcomes.

The programme encourages multidisciplinary research examining how these exposures change in response to climate conditions, including the role of social and environmental inequalities in determining health risks.

The findings are intended to improve scientific understanding of the health consequences of climate change and environmental degradation.

Application deadline: 17 February 2027

View the official funding call and application requirements.

How To Apply

The three opportunities are part of the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Health programme for 2027.

Applicants should review the individual call documents before preparing proposals, as eligibility rules, consortium requirements and funding conditions vary by topic.

Key application information:

  • Deadline: 17 February 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time, for all three initial submissions.
  • Application platform: EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
  • Eligibility: Determined by each funding topic’s specific requirements and the relevant Horizon Europe participation rules.
  • Two-stage exception: The non-communicable diseases call has an additional deadline of 16 September 2027 for second-stage submissions.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Applicants can also consult the European Commission’s complete announcement of the 2027 Health funding calls for information on additional opportunities within the programme.

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