ELEVATE Project Selects 12 Teams for European Acceleration Programme

Following the evaluation of 23 applications, the European ELEVATE project, coordinated by Universidade Católica Portuguesa, has selected 12 teams for the first edition of its European Acceleration Programme. The selected teams are developing projects across the programme's four strategic areas: Artificial Intelligence, Food and Biotechnology, Biomedicine and Health, and Cultural and Creative Industries.

One third of the selected teams are from Universidade Católica Portuguesa, representing the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) at the Faculty of Biotechnology, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Institute for Computing and Data Science. The remaining teams come from institutions in Italy (three), Germany (three), and Denmark (one).

Over the course of 12 weeks, the teams will take part in an acceleration programme combining specialised training in key areas that support entrepreneurship and start-up creation, one-to-one mentoring sessions, and networking opportunities with academic partners, businesses, and investors. The programme also brings together trainers and mentors from leading universities, companies, and innovation organisations in Portugal, Italy, and Denmark.

The programme includes an Immersion Week, taking place in early December in Trieste, Italy, where all participating teams will come together for an intensive week of training, mentoring, networking, and engagement with the local innovation ecosystem. The initiative will conclude with a final pitching event, during which a €5,000 prize will be awarded to the winning team in each of the four thematic areas.

"Universidade Católica Portuguesa's central role in this programme, including its contribution to the team of trainers and mentors, reflects its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and knowledge transfer to society," says João Cortez, Director of the Research and Innovation Office at Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Coordinator of the ELEVATE project.

A European Catalyst for Innovation

Transforming knowledge into solutions with real societal impact is the ambition of ELEVATE, a European project led by Universidade Católica Portuguesa that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in the fields of Food and Biotechnology, Biomedicine, Artificial Intelligence, and Cultural and Creative Industries.

Funded by the European Union's EIT Higher Education Initiative (EIT HEI), ELEVATE brings together higher education institutions and industry partners from Portugal, Italy, and Denmark: Università degli Studi di Trieste (Italy), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy), Aarhus University (Denmark), Food4Sustainability CoLAB (Portugal), TecmaFoods (Portugal), and MateraHub (Italy).

"The ELEVATE Acceleration Programme offers a unique environment that connects three European innovation ecosystems through an interdisciplinary approach spanning four strategic domains. By bringing academic knowledge closer to real societal challenges, ELEVATE supports the development of innovative solutions with economic and social impact," highlights João Cortez.

The programme received 23 applications from teams across 10 countries, including 13 involving universities from the Transform4Europe alliance and three submitted by teams that had previously participated in ELEVATE training activities.

 

Related News

Católica
Católica closes for holidays on different dates in Porto, Lisbon, Braga and Viseu
The headquarters and three campuses of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Viseu, will close for holidays. Check here for the periods per campus and the minimum services guaranteed at each location.

Thu, 07/08/2025

Católica
Católica Alumni and Faculty among Golden Globes award recipients
Four distinctions across different areas, highlighting the presence of Católica alumni and faculty among the professionals recognised at this year's Golden Globes.

Fri, 02/10/2026

Católica
Ethics and reputation under discussion at the first session of “Conversations with Global Thought Leaders”
On 24 September, Universidade Católica launched the “Conversations with Global Thought Leaders” series, as part of the celebrations marking its 60th anniversary. The first session, entitled “Ethics and Global Reputation”, brought together Sir Alan Parker, Founder and Chairman of Brunswick, and Gonçalo Almeida Ribeiro, Professor at the Lisbon School of the Faculty of Law at Universidade Católica. Find out more here.

Tue, 29/09/2026