Paris, 1 July 2021 – Building on the highly successful Euripides² and Penta programmes, Xecs, an industry-driven initiative designed to accelerate electronics RD&I by partnering with National Funding Bodies, will be presented at an Xecs Launch Event on 28 September 2021 together with the opening of the first Xecs Call. Focussed on the Electronic Components & Systems (ECS) community, Xecs a Eureka Cluster, encourages innovation beyond the state-of-the-art, stimulates growth and helps create a better life for all of us by driving the sustainable digital transformation of our economy and society.
Following the completion of 6 successful years of Penta calls, bringing together over 500 partners and 23 countries into > €400m of innovative projects, the programme will be transitioned into an exciting new opportunity. Focused on the future, Xecs takes advantage of the strong legacy of Penta and three years in close partnership with Euripides². This has established a solid base of industrial and public partnership from which Xecs can develop and grow – adapting as required to meet the ever-changing needs of the ECS community.
Xecs focuses on the critical area of sustainable digital transformation. The Electronic Components & Systems (ECS) Community will continue to be a cornerstone of innovation as we continue to transform to a digital economy and society. Add into this the need for ensuring sustainability in everything that we do, and we can see that Xecs will be a programme in which all of us, through the support of National investment, can meet the challenges that Europe, and the World, now face.
Open to all and easy to access, Xecs brings together Large Enterprises, SME’s, Research and Technology Organisations and Universities together into balanced “innovation ecosystems”. The resulting projects will match technology and applications, specifically designed to enable high levels of societal and economic impact and benefit for all project partners. The addition of the stimulus of public funding then gives the opportunity for acceleration of vital research and development in areas of national interest.
Xecs is an integral part of Eureka, the world’s biggest public network for international cooperation in RD&I, occupying a unique position in the overall public funding landscape. Eureka creates the opportunity for national funding to help drive international collaboration, brings high levels of return for both the public and private investors in the resulting projects. It complements perfectly both National initiatives and the larger strategic investment programmes such as Horizon Europe or IPCEI.
“We are excited to be launching Xecs as part of the newly restructured ‘Eureka Clusters Programme’ (ECP). With the support of all stakeholders, we will develop and expand this highly relevant and effective public-private partnership to provide high levels of impact in the context of the sustainable economy and society that we all are striving for” highlights Peter Connock, Penta/Xecs Director.
Guided by the ECS Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda prepared by experts gathered by the 3 Industry Associations AENEAS, Inside and EPoSS, Xecs will launch Calls addressing the full value chain of ECS and will benefit from the wide dynamic innovation ecosystem stimulated by these industry associations.
