International Projects
TALOS
TALOS is a strategic capacity-building initiative funded by the EIT Higher Education Initiative (EIT HEI) under the 2025 STEM Capacity Building framework. The project empowers higher education institutions (HEIs) to transform STEM education, research, and emerging technologies into high-impact innovation, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and market-ready startup ventures.
Led by the University of the Aegean in collaboration with an international consortium of leading academic institutions, industrial partners, and innovation facilitators across Europe, TALOS focuses on bridging academic excellence with digital, green, and health innovation ecosystems. It will:
- Transform STEM education and academic research into actionable, high-growth startup ventures and spin-offs;
- Co-create and deploy interdisciplinary educational modules, training bootcamps, and specialized summer schools;
- Organize international ideathons, hackathons, and venture competitions to foster entrepreneurial mindset among students and researchers;
- Establish cross-border mentorship networks and tailored funding guidance pipelines for early-stage academic teams;
- Strengthen regional innovation capacity by aligning AI and digital entrepreneurship with EIT thematic areas (Digital, Climate-KIC, Food, and Health).
Through international ideathons, hackathons, startup competitions, summer schools, mentoring, funding guidance, and regional ecosystem partnerships, TALOS bridges the gap between STEM academia and real-world market applications. By aligning with EU-wide digital transformation and sustainability priorities, TALOS establishes sustainable institutional mechanisms that support innovators well beyond the project’s lifecycle.
