EXCELLENCE HUBS BROKERAGE EVENT

The International Excellence Hubs Week 2026 is an international series of events dedicated to building regional innovation ecosystems and strengthening a place-based innovation culture in countries participating in the Widening component of the Horizon Europe programme. The event series, organised by the National Contact Point for EU Research Programmes (DKPK/NCBR), will take place on 23, 26, 27, 28 and 30 October 2026 in an online format (Microsoft Teams and the b2match platform).

We invite representatives of universities, research organisations, businesses, clusters, public authorities, NGOs, and all other interested stakeholders to participate in all events within the International Excellence Hubs Week. 

NB: The Excellence Hubs call under the Widening component of Horizon Europe is already open and will remain open until 4 March 2027!

The programme includes an Info Day, a live streaming of presentations by funded Excellence Hubs projects during the Excellence Hubs Community Joint Event in Athens, a brokerage event aimed at partnership building, and a dedicated Q&A session with coordinators of ongoing projects. Please have a look at the details below.

All events will be held in English, are free of charge, and open to all interested participants.

Friday, 23 October 2026 09:00 - 13:00 (CEST)

JOIN THE EVENT

How can you prepare a competitive Excellence Hubs proposal within WIDERA Horizon Europe EU Framework Programme? Join the Excellence Hubs Info Day to learn about the call objectives, consortium building, budgeting rules, and lessons learned from the previous calls. The event will also provide valuable insights into the concepts of place-based innovation culture and regional innovation ecosystems, helping you take the next step towards a successful project proposal. The Excellence Hubs Info Day is the opening event of the International Excellence Hubs Week, organized by the National Contact Point for EU Research Programmes (DKPK/NCBR), Poland. During the event, WIDERA NCPs from Poland, Czechia, and Türkiye will share practical tips for preparing competitive project proposals, discuss the results of previous calls, highlight the most common evaluators’ comments, and answer participants’ questions. The event is intended for prospective Excellence Hubs applicants, including coordinators, beneficiaries, and associated partners. The Info Day will be held online via Microsoft Teams on Friday, 23 October 2026, from 09:00.

Monday, 26 October 2026 08:00 - 11:30 (CET)

JOIN THE EVENT

Are you preparing an application for the Excellence Hubs call within WIDERA Horizon Europe EU Framework Programme? Join us for a unique opportunity to discover the Excellence Hubs community and gain first-hand insights from nearly all currently funded Excellence Hubs projects. During this live streaming event, presentations will be broadcast directly from the Excellence Hubs Community Joint Event in Athens, where project representatives are gathering to showcase their achievements, experiences, and approaches to building innovation ecosystems across Europe. This dedicated online stream is designed especially for future Excellence Hubs applicants, offering a valuable opportunity to:

• Learn about the objectives, activities, and results of existing Excellence Hubs projects.

• Explore different thematic areas and implementation approaches.

• Gain inspiration and practical insights for developing competitive project proposals.

• Better understand the Excellence Hubs community and its impact across Europe.

Please note that this is a live streaming event only. Presentations will be broadcast in real time from Athens, without direct interaction between online viewers and presenters. Day 1 is the first part of the streaming programme and will be followed by Day 2, featuring further project presentations from the community meeting. To ensure that participants still have the opportunity to engage and ask questions, the Excellence Hubs Week programme will conclude with a dedicated Q&A Day on Friday, 30.10.2026, where attendees can discuss key topics, clarify outstanding questions, and exchange views with members of the Excellence Hubs community. Join us and discover the projects shaping the future of regional innovation ecosystems across Europe!

Tuesday 27 October 2026 08:00 - 11:45 (CET)

JOIN THE EVENT

Day 2 is the last part of the streaming programme and was followed by Day 1, featuring earlier project presentations from the community meeting.

To ensure that participants still have the opportunity to engage and ask questions, the Excellence Hubs Week programme will conclude with a dedicated Q&A Day on Friday, 30.10.2026, where attendees can discuss key topics, clarify outstanding questions, and exchange views with members of the Excellence Hubs community.

Join us and discover the projects shaping the future of regional innovation ecosystems across Europe!

Make the most of the knowledge, insights, and networking opportunities offered during the Excellence Hubs Week, and join the Excellence Hubs Brokerage Event to find partners and build strong consortia for Excellence Hubs proposals.

Friday, 30 October 2026 09:00 - 11:30 (CET)

REGISTER FOR THE EVENT

The Excellence Hubs Projects Q&A Day follows the live-streamed Excellence Hubs Projects' Presentations on 26-27 October 2026. The projects were presented during the Excellence Hubs Community (EHC) 2026 Joint Event. The Q&A Day offers a dedicated opportunity for participants to engage in direct discussions with coordinators and representatives of successful Excellence Hubs projects. The Q&A Day is particularly designed for future Excellence Hubs applicants: regional innovation stakeholders, universities, research organisations, clusters, businesses, public authorities, and other actors interested in preparing strong proposals for upcoming Excellence Hubs calls. Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn directly from coordinators of funded projects, gain practical insights into proposal preparation and project implementation, and receive first-hand advice on building competitive consortia and effective regional innovation ecosystems. The Q&A Day aims to facilitate peer learning, strengthen the Excellence Hubs community, and support the development of high-quality proposals for the open call.

*The list of all Excellence Hubs projects participating in the Q&A Day will be updated and published prior to the event.