Meet the exhibitors

The European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) is the European online hub for cluster stakeholders and the reference one-stop-shop for stakeholders in third countries seeking partnerships with European counterparts.

An initiative of the European Commission, managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the ECCP has brought industrial clusters together since 2015 to strengthen the European economy through collaboration.

Its aim is to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of Europe's economy and industry, particularly SMEs, by improving their productivity, innovation, internationalisation and resource efficiency. The ECCP offers cluster organisations, networks, policymakers and other ecosystem actors a range of modern tools and services. These include a dynamic mapping of over 1,500 profiled cluster organisations worldwide, matchmaking events supporting cooperation between clusters in Europe and beyond, capacity-building seminars, webinars and conferences, a knowledge database of toolkits and publications, and a partner search facility to identify collaboration opportunities.

Open to partners worldwide, the ECCP aims to become the leading European hub for international cluster cooperation, building cluster bridges between Europe and the world.

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) helps businesses grow through the services it provides on internationalisation and innovation. Services are dedicated to SMEs but are also available to all other businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, universities, and research centres.

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs helps provide aspiring European entrepreneurs with the skills necessary to start and/or successfully run a small business in Europe. New entrepreneurs gather and exchange knowledge and business ideas with an experienced entrepreneur, with whom they stay and collaborate for a period of 1 to 6 months. The stay is partly financed by the European Commission.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is an agency of the European Union that implements chemicals legislation to protect human health and the environment while supporting innovation and competitiveness within the chemicals sector. ECHA works with companies, national authorities, and international partners to ensure the safe use of chemicals and provide transparent access to information.

Within ECHA, the SME Support Coordination Centre serves as a focal point for understanding and addressing the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Centre collects and consolidates SME-related feedback from across the Agency’s activities and stakeholder interactions, ensuring that concerns, challenges, and improvement opportunities are captured in a central location.

The Centre follows up on this feedback by identifying actionable measures and coordinating efforts across ECHA to improve the accessibility, usability, and relevance of its services, communications, and regulatory outputs for SMEs. By promoting an SME perspective in ongoing initiatives, the SME Support Coordination Centre helps ensure that ECHA’s products and services are increasingly SME-friendly, enabling smaller companies to better understand and comply with their regulatory obligations.

The Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument is an EU funding programme financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It supports interregional innovation projects that are close to market deployment, helping regions build on their smart specialisation strengths, attract investment, and develop European value chains in strategic sectors.

With a total budget of €490 million for the 2021–2027 period, the I3 Instrument has already funded 84 projects, committing approximately €347 million to strengthen innovation ecosystems, accelerate the commercialisation of innovative solutions, and foster collaboration among regions across Europe. The programme plays a key role in translating regional innovation potential into scalable business opportunities, investment-ready projects, and competitive EU industrial value chains.

Enterprise Ireland, the Irish Government’s enterprise development agency, invests in and supports Irish-owned companies to achieve greater scale, strengthen their competitiveness and become global leaders in their fields. In doing so, it supports sustainable economic growth and the creation and retention of jobs in communities throughout Ireland.

Through its teams across Ireland and an international network of 42 offices, Enterprise Ireland supports companies to develop high-growth strategies, innovate, build capability, and access new global markets with competitive and sustainable solutions.

Enterprise Ireland has supported regional sectoral clustering through the Regional Technology Clustering Fund (RTCF), helping to develop 12 clusters across the country and contributing to the Government’s ambition to develop competitive, business-led clusters and strengthen regional enterprise development. This investment through our Technology University partners has built a solid foundation for collaboration, innovation, knowledge exchange, and internationalisation.

Enterprise Ireland has also supported cluster development through the Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme (SREIS), enabling collaborative regional innovation projects involving industry, academia, and public sector partners. Combined with our support via RTCF, these investments have strengthened regional innovation ecosystems, accelerated collaboration, and supported the growth of competitive, internationally connected clusters.

Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) is the regional economic development agency for Northern Ireland. Our role is to grow the local economy by helping businesses innovate, improve productivity, compete internationally, and create sustainable employment. We also work to attract new investment to Northern Ireland and support the delivery of the Department for the Economy’s economic development priorities.

The Cluster Acceleration Programme (CAP) supports groups of SMEs to collaborate on shared opportunities and challenges that can enhance their competitiveness and growth potential. Through financial support and expert guidance, CAP enables businesses to explore new markets, develop innovative products and services, strengthen skills, improve productivity, and accelerate sustainable growth.

Clusters are business-led networks that bring together industry, academia, government, and other key stakeholders to drive innovation, collaboration, and regional economic development. By working collectively, cluster members can access new knowledge, reduce risk, leverage shared resources, and achieve outcomes that would be difficult to realise individually.

Cyber Ireland is Ireland’s national cybersecurity cluster organisation. Established in 2019 at Munster Technological University, we represent over 250 member organisations nationwide, including Irish cybersecurity companies from start-ups to export-focused SMEs, large multinationals, and supporting organisations across education, research, government, and investors.

Our vision is to position Ireland’s cybersecurity industry as a leader in Europe.

We deliver our cluster activities across four workstreams:

· Building the Community: bringing together the people in the cybersecurity sector to connect organisations, facilitate information sharing, and drive collaboration. We currently have 5 regional chapters across the country, 3 special interest groups (CISO Forum, OTSec, and Cyberhealth), and the Cyber Ireland National Conference, a flagship event that attracts over 500 senior professionals each year.

· Business Growth: supporting companies to start up, scale up, and innovate.

· Workforce Development: understanding the skills and training needs of industry at a national level and working with the education and training providers to ensure we have a sustainable supply of cybersecurity skills to meet industry needs.

· Advocacy & Promotion: fostering a collective voice for the cybersecurity industry in Ireland. We aim to understand and address the barriers to growth for industry with partners in the private and public sectors.

InterTradeIreland accelerates trade and economic growth by connecting businesses to new opportunities across the island of Ireland. Since opening its doors in 1999, the organisation has supported the growth of cross-border trade from €2 billion to €17 billion, empowering companies to scale, innovate, and succeed – with many now competing successfully on the global stage.

Established under Strand 2 of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, the organisation is driven by the principle of value through collaboration. Funded by both the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department for the Economy, InterTradeIreland is uniquely positioned to lead all-island economic collaboration to drive trade, boost competitiveness and productivity, and accelerate enterprise growth to maximise economic opportunities and prosperity.

To date, it has directly assisted more than 65,000 businesses across the island, with thousands more SMEs benefitting from its specialist advice, as well as generating more than €2.2 billion/£1.9 billion in business development value.

As SME Representative for the EU Ecolabel, Ecopreneur.eu is promoting the use of the EU Ecolabel and bringing SME voices into the EU policy process. Since 27 September 2026, the EU's new rules on green claims (EmpCo) ban generic claims such as "eco-friendly" or "green" unless a business can demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance. The EU Ecolabel is an independently verified, officially recognised way to do so. It can also help in green public procurement, with buyers asking for credible sustainability proof, and verification could be made less burdensome for SMEs. Together with EU Ecolabel Representative adelphi, Ecopreneur.eu is launching a dedicated Working Group to feed concrete SME input into the revision of EU Ecolabel criteria. Ongoing or upcoming revisions: Detergents and Cleaning Products (adoption expected end-2026), Tourist Accommodation Services and Indoor Cleaning Services (end-2027), and Textiles, furniture and mattresses (2027-2029). Licence holders, applicants and companies considering certification can share experience, react to EU proposals, flag administrative barriers and shape position papers, at a level of involvement that fits a small business. We advocate for real simplification, not deregulation: workable procedures for SMEs, ambitious yet feasible criteria, and greater SME uptake. Visit our stand to inform yourself and/or join.

For 30 years, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) have been the European Union’s flagship programme for doctoral education and postdoctoral training. They fund excellent research and equip researchers at all stages of their career with new knowledge and skills, through mobility and collaboration across borders, sectors, and disciplines.

Part of Horizon Europe, with a budget of €6.6 billion for 2021–2027, the MSCA are open to every field of research. Since 1996, more than 150,000 researchers have taken part, including 23 Nobel laureates who participated as fellows, coordinators, or supervisors.

For businesses, the MSCA open the door to highly trained researchers, new expertise, and advanced technologies at no cost and with minimal administrative burden. Whether through hosting a postdoctoral fellow, joining a doctoral network, or exchanging staff with partners abroad, companies work alongside universities, research organisations, and other businesses on joint research and innovation projects. Thousands of companies are already involved.

Green Mantis – Green Manufacturing and Advanced Net-zero Technology Innovations is an EU project funded by the Single Market Programme that gathers six leading European clusters to cover the whole manufacturing/energy value chain and ensure the connection between all relevant stakeholders throughout the value chain.

GreenMantis develops a comprehensive innovation support scheme to help both manufacturing and energy companies develop and adopt new net-zero technologies, such as electricity grid improvements, energy system-related energy efficiency, and transformative industrial technologies for decarbonisation.

The FutureProofTextiles project aims to support 40 SMEs in the textile industry as they navigate the twin transitions towards digital transformation and green sustainability. The textile sector, vital to Europe’s economy, faces significant challenges in adopting advanced technologies and sustainable practices, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited resources.

This project provides direct financial support, capacity building, and collaborative opportunities to empower SMEs and enhance their resilience, competitiveness, and innovation potential. The project will offer €50,000 cascade funding grants to 40 SMEs – 20 focusing on digital innovation (e.g. automation, AI, and data analytics) and 20 on green initiatives (e.g. circular economy practices, waste reduction, and sustainable material use).

In addition to financial assistance, SMEs will benefit from training programmes, mentoring, and access to a collaborative innovation space to foster idea generation and knowledge sharing.

Established in 2021 and hosted by the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), the Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing (ATIM) Cluster is an industry-led cluster of over 100 member organisations committed to strengthening the competitiveness, innovation and sustainability of Ireland's manufacturing sector.

Selected under Ireland's International Competitive Clusters Programme, ATIM brings together manufacturers, technology providers, research organisations, education institutions and public stakeholders to address shared challenges and create opportunities for growth.

ATIM's activities are guided by four strategic focus areas: building a dynamic ecosystem, developing the workforce, accelerating innovation, and driving international business growth. Through collaborative projects, networking events, working groups and international partnerships, members gain access to expertise, funding opportunities, research capabilities and new market opportunities.

By fostering collaboration between industry, academia and government, ATIM supports manufacturers to improve productivity, adopt new technologies, develop talent and build resilience, contributing to a stronger and more globally competitive manufacturing ecosystem across Ireland.

Clusters are, above all, an SME community: almost 80% of cluster members in Europe are small and medium-sized enterprises. A cluster gives an SME expert, impartial guidance from people who know its industry, and a network spanning its whole ecosystem: suppliers, customers, large firms, research centres, investors, and public authorities. It provides the critical mass for projects, markets, and funding calls no small company could tackle alone, opens doors to partners abroad, and supports skills and the digital and green transitions. Clusters are also a direct route into EU funding: the latest Euroclusters round alone earmarks over €30 million for SMEs.

The European Clusters Alliance (ECA) is the umbrella organisation of Europe’s cluster community. Its members are national and regional cluster associations, sectoral meta-networks, and ambassadors in countries without a national network, connecting more than 1,000 cluster organisations and some 150,000 companies. ECA links clusters across borders and carries the needs of their SMEs into EU policy, from the European Commission’s Expert Group on Cluster Policy to the EU Industrial Forum.

Visit our stand to find the right cluster for your business, anywhere in Europe, or to explore how your cluster network can join ECA.

CR.EU.IN.HERITAGE – Cross-sectorial and cross-border EU INnovation partnership for cultural HERITAGE value chain – is an EU-funded Eurocluster project under the Single Market Programme, coordinated by Venetian Cluster and bringing together cluster organisations from nine European countries: Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania, Hungary, Greece, and Romania.

The project aims to strengthen innovation, resilience, and strategic autonomy across the European Cultural Heritage Value Chain, connecting cultural heritage with digital technologies, creative industries, tourism, construction, green technologies, and other strategic sectors.

Through its Cultural Heritage Innovation Grants, CR.EU.IN.HERITAGE will financially support at least 20 cross-border and cross-sector innovation projects involving at least 40 SMEs. Funded projects will develop innovative products, services, and business processes for the conservation, management, and valorisation of cultural heritage, with a focus on EU-based digital and green technologies.

Beyond financial support, CR.EU.IN.HERITAGE provides SMEs with capacity building, matchmaking, and investment-readiness opportunities, while connecting them with technology providers, research organisations, cultural institutions, clusters, and investors. The project contributes to building a more innovative, sustainable, and competitive European cultural heritage ecosystem.

The project partners are also part of CR.EU – Creativity Europe, a European Metacluster fostering cooperation among clusters and innovation ecosystems across the Cultural and Creative Industries.

Advanced Materials for a Sustainable European Future (MAT4EU) is a European project, funded by the Eurocluster initiative and bringing together six European clusters, which aims to help European SMEs develop, test, industrialise, and commercialise innovations based on advanced materials through cascade funding, internationalisation support, and training.

GRAPPA (Green Resilient Approaches to anchor European food-producing and processing SMEs into global value chains through connecting place-based biomass system innovation actors) is a 36-month Euroclusters project supported under the Single Market Programme. It is run by I4BE – Ingredients for the Bioeconomy, a partnership of leading agri-food clusters across 7 countries and 24 regions, recognised as a thematic partnership of the S3 agri-food platform.

GRAPPA helps European agri-food SMEs turn residues, by-products, and side-streams into market-ready circular ingredients and products. Through its Innovation Open Call, it provides up to €60,000 in financial support per SME to accelerate the development, adoption, and commercialisation of upcycled food ingredients, products, processes, and technologies, helping SMEs become more technologically advanced, greener, and more resilient.

Visit our stand to discover how GRAPPA and the I4BE community connect agri-food SMEs, clusters, and ecosystem innovators across Europe.

GATE5.0 – Green and Digital Transitions for a Sustainable European Agrifood Ecosystem is a European project co-funded by the EU under the SMP-COSME EUROCLUSTERS programme. It aims to accelerate the green and digital transformation of the agrifood sector by helping SMEs adopt Agriculture 5.0 technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, precision farming, and data-driven systems.

GATE5.0 connects agrifood SMEs with digital and deep-tech SMEs to co-create solutions addressing real sector challenges, fostering cross-border collaboration and strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of European agrifood value chains.

Through its Acceleration Programme, selected SME consortia progress through three phases – Seed, Sprout, and Harvest – receiving financial support, training, mentoring, matchmaking, and internationalisation support, from early-stage concepts to validated, market-ready solutions.

The project supports 80 SMEs and promotes the development and validation of innovative AgriTech solutions in real-world environments, strengthening collaboration between businesses, clusters, and other ecosystem stakeholders across Europe.

MANUFACTergy is an initiative of GO Furniture Meta-Cluster, a European alliance of 16 furniture and construction clusters, coordinated by HYGIA.

The project aims to drive the transition towards a greener, more digital, and resilient furniture and construction industry by strengthening cooperation between clusters, organisations, and SMEs across seven partner countries: Italy, Czechia, Sweden, Bulgaria, Spain, Norway, and Romania.

MANUFACTergy supports SMEs in their green and digital transformation by promoting energy efficiency, technological innovation, responsible resource use, and more resilient production processes. By identifying vulnerabilities, dependencies, and bottlenecks within value chains, the initiative provides strategic insights and tools to help companies strengthen their competitiveness and resilience in international markets.

More than 200 SMEs will be assessed in areas such as energy efficiency, technological readiness, and operational resilience, contributing to dedicated reports on value-chain dependencies, sustainable growth opportunities, and more efficient production models.

Project Partners: HYGIA / GO Furniture Meta-Cluster (Romania), Arredo – Cluster Legno, Arredo e Sistema Casa FVG (Italy), Klastr Českých Nábytnářů (Czechia), Interior Cluster Sweden (Sweden), Bulgarian Furniture Cluster (Bulgaria), Smartech Cluster (Spain), Smart Innovation Norway (Norway), and Transylvania Energy Cluster (Romania).

The PowerUp NetZero project supports SMEs in adopting and developing net-zero solutions in solar energy, batteries and energy storage, hydrogen technologies, sustainable biogas and biomethane, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Sistema Poli unites the regional Innovation Clusters established by the Piedmont Region (Italy) to foster cross-sectoral collaboration, industrial research, technology transfer, and internationalisation. Representing a dynamic and integrated network of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large corporations, research institutions, and universities, Sistema Poli covers key strategic domains including Life Sciences & Healthcare, Cleantech & Energy, Smart Products & Manufacturing, ICT, Advanced Materials, Sustainable Architecture, and Agrifood.

By acting as a single entry point to Piedmont’s innovation ecosystem, Sistema Poli empowers local businesses to scale up, access European funding opportunities under Horizon Europe and regional programmes, and accelerate the market deployment of cutting-edge technologies. The network actively drives the dual green and digital transitions, connecting regional excellence with international value chains.

The Emilia-Romagna Clust-ER Network brings together nine Clust-ERs and two regional associations. Each Clust-ER operates in a specific strategic area of the regional economy, connecting companies, research laboratories, innovation centres, and higher education institutions around key value chains.

The Clust-ER model is based on open innovation and collaboration across the regional ecosystem. By combining expertise, technologies, infrastructures, and market knowledge, members identify shared priorities and develop joint initiatives with strong regional and international potential. Clust-ERs provide a gateway to Emilia-Romagna’s innovation ecosystem, helping partners develop research and innovation projects, access national and European programmes, test and demonstrate solutions, exchange knowledge, connect with specialised organisations, and establish long-term international partnerships.

The network includes the following clusters, participating in the event: INNOVATE, focused on digital and service innovation; GREENTECH, on energy and sustainable development; MECH, on mechatronics and advanced manufacturing; and HEALTH, on health industries and technologies.

The Clust-ER Network is coordinated by ART-ER, the Emilia-Romagna consortium for innovation and sustainable growth, which overall supports the development, integration, and internationalisation of the regional innovation ecosystem. The Clust-ER initiative is supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region within the ERDF Regional Programme 2021–2027.

RESIST Eurocluster is a European project co-funded by the Single Market Programme that supports SMEs operating in the Mobility, Transport, and Automotive ecosystem. The project helps companies strengthen their competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience by providing funding opportunities, technological services, mentoring, training, and international networking activities.

Through two Innovation Open Calls, RESIST supports projects focused on product and service innovation as well as process innovation, with particular attention to net-zero technologies, critical raw materials, digitalisation, and resilient value chains. In addition to financial support, participating SMEs gain access to specialised expertise, business support services, and opportunities to collaborate with partners across Europe.

The RESIST consortium brings together five automotive clusters and one research and technology organisation from six European countries, working together to accelerate innovation and strengthen the European industrial ecosystem.

JEWEL’s goal is to mobilise the European manufacturing sector, particularly innovative SMEs, regarding the challenges of net-zero manufacturing, and to contribute to the emergence of structuring innovation projects. The project aims to support innovation within the framework of the Twin Transition, promoting the adoption of advanced technologies and buffering the environmental impacts of industrial production.

The project is built around three fundamental pillars: (a) acquisition of resources and knowledge on net-zero technologies and virtuous economic models; (b) support for innovation projects with personalised and qualified assistance ‘from idea to project’; and (c) financing of projects offering the most innovative solutions for European industrial ecosystems.

Connect globally. Learn from peers. Turn collaboration into impact.

TCI Network is the leading global network for people and organisations working with clusters and innovation ecosystems. We connect 9,000+ practitioners across 110+ countries, bringing together cluster organisations, businesses, governments, development agencies, international organisations, universities and experts.

Since 1998, TCI has provided a global platform to exchange practical knowledge, build capabilities and create connections across regions and sectors. Our community shares experiences, tools and approaches to strengthen clusters and ecosystems and translate collaboration into economic, social and environmental impact.

At the heart of the network is the TCI Global Conference, our annual meeting point for cluster and ecosystem practitioners worldwide. In 2027, the TCI Global Conference returns to Europe for a very special milestone: its 30th edition, bringing the global cluster community together once again. The 30th TCI Global Conference will take place in Lyon, France, 12–15 October 2027, under the theme “Future of Clusters in a Decarbonised Economy.”

Meet TCI Network at the European SME & Clusters Conference and connect with a truly global community of cluster and ecosystem practitioners.

ELEVATEX supports the transformation, resilience, and international competitiveness of the European textile industry, with a particular focus on SMEs. The project addresses the key challenges facing the textile value chain, including the green and digital transitions, competitiveness, modernisation, and the development of lower-impact and more circular value chains.

ELEVATEX combines several complementary actions to strengthen SME innovation capacity and market access. Through two cascade funding calls, €1.98 million is allocated to support 40 European SME projects focused on innovation and market access, with activities ranging from product and service development to process improvement, market preparation, and business model development.

The project also fosters cross-sectoral and cross-regional cooperation by connecting textile clusters, solution providers, and application markets, while supporting the development of strategic partnerships and access to international markets. Internationalisation activities will focus in particular on Japan and the USA, with dedicated webinars, business missions, and financial support for selected SMEs.

ELEVATEX brings together five textile cluster partners from France (Techtera), Portugal (CITEVE/Portuguese Textile Cluster), Italy (NTT) and Spain.

Wood Cluster Styria is a leading network organisation for the forest-based sector in Austria. With more than 180 partner companies, it connects businesses, research institutions, public authorities and other stakeholders along the entire wood value chain. Its core mission is to strengthen the competitiveness and innovation capacity of its partners by initiating collaborative projects, facilitating knowledge transfer and supporting the development of new products, services and business models. Particular attention is given to SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups, helping them access expertise, innovation networks, funding opportunities and international markets.

Bioeconomy Austria complements this regional approach at national level. It brings together key actors from agriculture, forestry, industry, research and regional innovation ecosystems to accelerate Austria’s transition towards a sustainable, circular and bio-based economy. The network supports cooperation across sectors, connects regional strengths and promotes the market deployment of bio-based solutions.

Together, Wood Cluster Styria and Bioeconomy Austria demonstrate how cluster organisations can act as intermediaries between companies, research, policy and investors. Their shared ambition is to turn renewable resources, scientific knowledge and entrepreneurial ideas into scalable solutions, new value chains and competitive business opportunities for European SMEs.

WESHARE is a LIFE Clean Energy Transition project supporting the development of energy community models for business parks across Europe. The project focuses on helping companies collaborate on renewable energy production, increase self-consumption, improve efficiency, and contribute to Europe’s climate and energy objectives.

Working with pilot sites in Belgium, Spain and Portugal, WESHARE develops a set of knowledge-based tools, practical methodologies and capacity-building approaches to unlock the clean energy transition potential of business areas. The project aims to make energy cooperation easier for companies by identifying viable business models, outlining governance structures, and supporting local actors as they explore collaborative solutions.

By enabling companies to work together, WESHARE helps strengthen energy resilience, reduce fossil-fuel dependency and encourage investment in renewable technologies. The project also contributes to the wider goals of the EU Green Deal and the 2050 climate-neutrality target.

WESHARE is implemented by a consortium of partners from Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Italy, led by RIMOND Engineering Procurement and Construction Management SRL, with the support of: • GENERA Integrated Solutions • Provinciale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Antwerpen (POM) • ZuidtrAnt • Agência de Energia e Ambiente da Arrábida (ENA) • Getafe Iniciativas (GISA) • LOW Associates Brussels

Co-funded by the European Union under the LIFE Programme.