Riga, 9 October 2025.  The Xecs Matchmaking Event 2025 brought together more than 100 participants from across Europe and beyond for a day dedicated to collaboration, creativity, and innovation in Electronic Components and Systems (ECS).

Hosted at the Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel, the event set the stage for Xecs Call 5, offering participants the opportunity to present their project ideas, connect with potential partners, and prepare for future impactful collaborations.

A Day of Inspiration and Exchange

The event opened with a welcome address by Dr. Lauma Muižniece, Director General of the Latvian Council of Science, highlighting Latvia’s commitment to fostering innovation and international cooperation. Participants then heard from Sonia Nour, Clusters Coordinator at the Eureka Secretariat, who presented the scope and global reach of the Eureka Network, and from Laura Kunga-Jēgere of the Latvian Council of Science, who introduced the national perspective on support for international R&D cooperation.

Nadja Rohrbach, Xecs Director, presented the Xecs Call 5, outlining the process and opportunities for funding collaborative, industry-driven R&D projects.

From Ideas to Impact

At the heart of the event were the project idea pitches, where participants took the stage to present their innovative RD&I ideas in ECS.

The National Support session followed, with representatives from Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland providing guidance on national funding opportunities for Xecs Call 5 proposals.

A particularly inspiring highlight was the PENTA-Euripides² Innovation Award 2025, recognising the ECOMAI project for its outstanding results and impact.

In the afternoon, Patrick Pype (NXP, Chair of the Xecs Technical Expert Group) led the session “How to Prepare a Successful Application”, sharing valuable insights into what makes a strong Xecs proposal.

The programme continued with the Impact and Success Stories session featuring  Andrew Lambert from the ENTERTAIN project, and Dr. Vesna Müller from the ELEVATION project, sharing experiences on achieving tangible innovation impact.

Collaboration in Action

Throughout the day, participants engaged in poster sessions and networking activities, leading to lively discussions, idea exchanges, and the formation of potential consortia for the upcoming Call 5.

Once again, the Xecs Matchmaking Event proved to be the beating heart of collaboration within the ECS ecosystem — where ideas grow into projects, and projects into innovations shaping Europe’s technological future.

What’s Next?

With Xecs Call 5 open, participants are invited to submit their Project Outlines by 22 January 2026 via the Project Zone. More information about this call, eligibility criteria and timeline are available here.

More information about the Xecs Matchmaking Event 2025, including speakers’ slides, available on the event website.