The European Commission's Innovation Fund will distribute €4.6 billion to industrial and cleantech players to accelerate the European deployment of innovative technologies. On January 30, 2025, those interested could learn about the opportunities in person at the Information Day held at the MFOI office. The Archenerg United International Renewable Energy Engineering and Construction Innovation Cluster was also represented at the event by Dr. Piroska Szentgáli.
At the event, Dr. Bernadett Petri, Ministerial Commissioner responsible for coordinating the use of direct EU funds, Ministry of Public Administration and Territorial Development, and Managing Director of the Hungarian Development Promotion Office (MFOI), welcomed the representative of the innovators. Dénes Kőbányai, representative of the Ministry of Energy, also gave a welcome speech at the event.
Maria Velkova, expert of the European Commission, and Mihály Darida and Péter Gyergyay, experts of CINEA, gave an overview of the Innovation Fund, the calls, the evaluation criteria and the best practices.
The Information Day discussed, among other things, the Innovation Fund 2024 and IF24 Battery calls, which offer a total of €3.4 billion for various sectors.
The deadline for applications is April 24, 2025. The Innovation Fund 2024 Auction (IF24 Auction), which aims to support renewable hydrogen production and has €1.2 billion, was also discussed.
The bidding deadline is February 20, 2025. What is the Innovation Fund? It is one of the world's largest funding programs, focusing on promoting zero or low-carbon and innovative technologies. Its aim is to support the decarbonisation of European industry and the transition to climate neutrality.
Who is it for? For innovators active in the following areas:
- Innovative low-carbon technologies and processes in energy-intensive industries
- Carbon capture and utilisation (CCU)
- Carbon capture and storage 1 facilities (CCS)
- Innovative renewable energy production
- Energy storage
- Net zero mobility and buildings
At the event, Árpád Jankó, Division Manager of Terrán Kft., gave a presentation on good practices through a supported Hungarian project. The supported project is Terrán Generon 2.0. Terrán Generon 2.0 is an innovative, roof-integrated solar roof tile that combines traditional roofing with solar energy production. The product was featured in several major projects in 2024. Terrán Generon 2.0 is a good example of how innovative solutions can contribute to sustainable development. The success of Terrán can also be an inspiration for the members of the Archenerg Cluster.
– The presentation was very inspiring and it was interesting to hear that innovation does not necessarily mean that we invent something completely new. Often, making existing things better, putting them in a new context or combining them with others can also lead to innovation - said Dr. Piroska Szentgáli, representative of the Archenerg United International Renewable Energy Engineering and Construction Innovation Cluster.
Impact of the Information Day After the event, there was an opportunity for one-on-one orientation talks with the CINEA experts, where participants could ask questions and get guidance on preparing their projects.
The Innovation Fund offers a great opportunity for domestic businesses to participate in building the clean energy future. It is also worth for the members of the Archenerg Cluster to get thoroughly informed about the opportunities and take advantage of the available support. The Cluster helps its members in the application process and facilitates the implementation of as many successful projects as possible.
Further information on the Innovation Fund and the application opportunities is available on the European Commission's website.