ENRICH in the USA Cleantech and Robotics focused Tour

ENRICH in the USA Cleantech and Robotics focused Tour

March 29 - April 3, 2020

1. Services offered in this specific call

The ENRICH in the USA Cleantech and Robotics Sector Focused Tour (Tour) is hosted by the East Coast Centre based in Boston, MA and offers European Union and EU-affiliate cleantech and/or robotics focused stakeholders a first-hand opportunity to engage with the regional ecosystem. This tour will leverage the world-renowned innovation, educational and research resources of the Greater Boston area ecosystem, known for its strengths in Cleantech and Robotics and facilitate connections with innovation and entrepreneurship centers, from around the world, at the International Conference on Business Incubation (ICBI34). Through the Tour, participants will have unprecedented access to major corporate, research and local government operations who support technology development and/or commercialization initiatives within the cleantech and robotics sectors.

This unique opportunity, provided by the ENRICH in the USA East Coast Centre, will deliver a one-of-a-kind experience to engage with US-based government, industry, and research experts focused on developing and commercialzing solutions within the cleantech and robotics sectors. Through six action-packed days, to include participation in ICBI34, European Union (EU) stakeholders will visit several locations in the greater Boston area and acquire an enahcned understanding of pathways to accelerate access to US business, regulatory and technological resources to internationalize cleantech and robotics technologies and ventures.

The Tour is open to EU Member States and Horizon 2020 Associated Countries cleantech and robotics stakeholders (further defined in Target Group section) and will include the first 40 participants who meet the eligibility and selection criteria. After acceptance of the first 40 qualified participants, additional qualified applicants will be place on a waiting list and invited, on a first-come, first-serve basis, if any spots on the Tour become available. This tour gives participants the opportunity to:

• Find relevant business, technology/research, and/or partnership contacts
• Leverage the ENRICH in the USA through direct interacations with personel at the East Coast Centre based in Boston, MA
• Find financial support to facilitate the establishment of a U.S. presence
• Engage with leading players from the business, investment, and regulatory sector of a top U.S. innovation ecosystem.

Tentative Schedule

The schedule will consist of 2 major elements: 1) participation in the International Conference on Business Incubation (ICBI34), which gathers entrepreneurship and innovation-focused stakeholders from around the world to exchange best practices and enable connections to support entrepreneurial activities, and 2) a tour of Boston area cleantech and robotics organizations. A representative schedule is below:

March 29, 2020

BIG Summit

The Business Innovation and Global (BIG) Summit, convening at the annual ICBI34 conference, hosted by InBIA, focuses on opportunities for international organizations to support and develop entrepreneurship via peer to peer discussions, plenary panels and curated matchmaking.

March 30 – March 31

ICBI34

Participants will take part in the ICBI34 conference to include over 30 panel presentations, plenary sessions and several networking opportunities. Also, participants will received curated connections to ENRICH in the USA Landing Hubs, soft landing providers and leading U.S. based entrepreneurship centers in Boston and other U.S. ecosystems.

April 1 – April 3

Tours to meet influential corporate, research, innovation and education stakeholders focused on cleantech and robotics. Organizations include:

Wednesday, April 1 (Innovation and entrepreneurial support organizations)

• Greentown Labs
• MASS Robotics
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC)
• Mass Challenge

Thursday, April 2 (Universities and research organizations)

• MIT
• Harvard
• Northeastern University (Wind Turbine/Blade Testing facilities)
• Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry

Friday, April 3 (Corporations)

Participants will spend extended time at Mass Robotics and Greentown Labs meeting with Boston based Robotics and Cleantech companies:

• Autodesk
• Analog Devices
• American Robotics
• BASF

Expected participant outcomes and impact: 

• At least 2 connections resulting in follow-on discussions with a potential customer and/or industrial partner
• Clear understanding of regional benefits and incentives to conduct business and develop technology in cleantech and robotics.
• 1:1 conversation with ENRICH in the USA leadership

2. Target Group of this Call

Applicants must be taxpayers in an EU Member State or Associated Country AND/OR be an EU Member State or Associated Country passport holder. Welcomed cleantech and robotics industry stakeholders include but are not limited to:

• Startups and small and medium entreprises (SMEs) developing innovations and products
• Researchers
• Large corporation executives in R&D, Engineering, Product Development, Manufacturing, Operations, Business Development and/or Financial Departments
• Cluster coordinators
• Economic development organizations
• Multipliers
• Industry and trade organization representatives
• Local or regional government representatives
• University administrators
• Science/Technology/Industry/Research/University Park executives

Cleantech and/or robotics products, processes, and services are defined as those in the fields of or related to:

• energy generation;
• energy efficiency;
• distribution and storage;
• agriculture and water technologies;
• advanced materials;
• robotics technology, tools and platforms;
• robotics software and operating innovations;
• robotics control architectures; and
• other cleantech and/or robotics-related fields.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• If an individual, applicant must be a taxpayer in an EU MSAC AND/OR be an EU MS/AC passport holder
• If incorporated, applicant must pay taxes in an EU MS/AC AND/OR have as the majority of shareholders EU MS/AC passport holder
• Be able to communicate (read and speak) in English

3. Funding Principle

Thanks to support for this Bootcamp by the European Commission, participants have the ability to participate in the bootcamp, which includes full admission to the ICBI34 conference, for reduced costs.  Early applicants will receive the opportunity for special pricing.  The first 5 accepted participants will be required to pay a fee of only 500€.  All additional accepted participants will pay a fee of 1,250€.  These reduced participant fees are not reimbursable and cover two meals per day, entrance fees to associated events/venues, and transportation to/from hotel and all Tour sessions.

Participants are responsible for the costs for flights to and from the United States and other costs not mentioned above (e.g. ESTA/VISA application costs, health insurance, accommodation, dinners, etc.).

4. Submission Procedure

All applicants must register at the electronic submission tool F6S under https://www.f6s.com/cleantechandroboticsinnovationtour.

It is highly advised again, that interested applicants apply as soon as possible, and not wait for the application deadline, as eligible applicants who meet the selection criteria will be invited to the Tour in the order in which they applied. ENRICH in the USA staff will assist with questions or portal issues for applicants. Besides basic information, applicants must complete a checklist, to ensure compliance with eligibility criteria and each section of the application.

In F6S, the applicant is asked to register and provide general information, personal information (such as name, institution, organization type, contact details, and specific questions referring to the organization type). All applicants must acknowledge that they are aware that they must cover some costs individually.

To apply for the tour, all applicants must complete all required questions in the F6S application form and confirm that they:

• Engage in commercial and/or research activities within the cleantech and/or robotics industries (see definition in Section 2 Target Group of this Call
• Are a major decision-maker in executing new customer, supplier, or partnership relationships
• Have a sincere interest in US-based business, technology development, and/or other partnership collaboration opportunities and be a decision-maker in potential location scouting activities.

The questions listed under Specific Questions are designed to help both the applicant and Host organizations foster ideal connections within the regional ecosystem, as well as to refine the Tour’s itinerary. These questions include:

• What types of products/services and/or research does your organization develop? If you do not directly develop and/or commercialize technology please indicate if you have stakeholders (customers/clients, members, tenants, etc.) who develop and/or commercialize technology and if so ins what areas
• What are your expectations from the ENRICH in the USA Cleantech and Robotics-Focused Tour?
• Why are you interested in learning more about the US market?
• Please list specific connections sought with companies, investors, and/or institutions within the Boston region.

Note that all application responses have to be submitted in English.

5. Evaluation and Selection Procedure

The fundamental principles governing the evaluation of the applications are:

• Transparency: The process for selecting applicants will be clearly described and made available to any interested party.
• Fairness and Equality of treatment: All applications shall be treated alike, irrespective of where they originate or the identity of the applicants.
• Ethical and Legal considerations: Any application that contravenes ethical principles and legal regulations may be excluded from being evaluated and rejected at any time.

Selected participants must meet basic eligibility criteria and the participant fee must be received by March 6, 2020. Applicants who meet the criteria will be contacted with payment information.

Step 1:

Eligibility Check: Will be done by the ENRICH in the USA staff following the criteria defined in section 3:

1. If they meet the respective eligibility criteria (outlined above)
2. If they meet the respective target group for this call (outlined above)

Step 2:

Selection: Applicants who meet the selection criteria and satisfactorily answer the Specific Questions outlined in Section 5, will be invited to the Tour. Applications with unanswered or partially completed questions will not move forward in the process. A team formed of ENRICH in the USA staff will review applications in the F6S portal, every two weeks leading up to the application deadline.

Step 3:

Scoring: All applicants will be evaluated on a five-star evaluation scale – if applicants can confirm all three selection criteria statements and answer all four of the Specific Questions thoughtfully, they will earn a 5-star rating.

Step 4:

Admission:The first 40 applicants with 5 star-ratings will be invited to attend the Tour. Within two weeks of applying, if not sooner, applicants will be notified of their selection.

Please note: ENRICH in the USA is beholding the right to create a waitlist of suitable candidates reaching the necessary 5 stars score.

6. Time Schedule

7. Contacts

For questions regarding the ENRICH in the USA Cleantech and Robotics focused Tour, please contact:

[1] ENRICH in the USA has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 733286.