EU Project Chronicles - InnovEU, research and innovation

Fernando C. Gaspar

InnovEU connects current and aspiring participants of EU funded projects with the insights and networks necessary to navigate the funding landscape successfully. It offers a unique platform to understand evaluator perspectives, discover potential partnerships, and stay updated on new calls, ultimately empowering viewers to craft compelling proposals and engage more strategically in EU initiatives. fernandocgaspar.substack.com

  1. InnovEU S5E18 with Francesco Molica - Is Your EU Project Territorially Blind?

    Jun 6

    InnovEU S5E18 with Francesco Molica - Is Your EU Project Territorially Blind?

    What if your Horizon Europe proposal is not weak because of the technology? What if it is weak because it has no real territorial logic? In this episode of InnovEU - The EU Project Chronicles, I speak with Francesco Molica, Director of EURADA, the European Association of Development Agencies. And the lesson is uncomfortable: * A project can be compliant. * It can match the call. * It can use all the right words: innovation, competitiveness, twin transition, resilience, ecosystem. But if it is not connected to a real territory, a real strategy and real local capability, its impact story becomes fragile. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why regions are where EU strategies become real * Why compliance is not the same as impact * Why isolated projects rarely transform territories * Why SMEs need ecosystems, not only funding * How development agencies can orchestrate systemic change * Why place-based strategy matters for Horizon Europe proposals This is not just a conversation about regional development agencies. It is about how Europe turns projects into capability, funding into transformation and local ecosystems into competitive advantage. ▶️ Watch or listen to the full episode Watch the full episode: Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcastYouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx Spotify: Apple Podcasts: Stress-test your proposal before evaluators do Quick note before we continue. Most proposals are not rejected because they are bad. They are rejected because they trigger silent downgrade logic. The Grantshield Pre-Mortem™ helps teams stress-test the structure of a proposal before submission, using evaluator logic, transition alignment and impact plausibility. Use it before the evaluator does. Grantshield Pre-Mortem™: https://payhip.com/b/yUeiV Go deeper My book Transition Science In The Economy develops the full framework behind the green transition, digital transition, new globalization, war economy and housing crisis. Book: https://a.co/d/c7RoOA4 Let’s grow this community together If you enjoyed the episode: Like the podcast on your favourite platform. Subscribe on Substack or any podcast app. Restack this post. Leave a comment. Share it with colleagues working on EU-funded projects, regional innovation or Horizon Europe proposals. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/ And if you would like to be featured on InnovEU - The EU Project Chronicles, send me a private message and let’s schedule it. Because Europe’s transitions are already reshaping the future. And your project may become part of that transformation. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    38 min
  2. InnovEU S5E17 with Technopolis' AnnaMaria Annicchiarico - What Makes Innovation Ecosystems Last?

    May 30

    InnovEU S5E17 with Technopolis' AnnaMaria Annicchiarico - What Makes Innovation Ecosystems Last?

    What if the strongest innovation ecosystems are not the ones with the most money? What if the real difference is continuity? In this episode of InnovEU - The EU Project Chronicles, I speak with AnnaMaria Annicchiarico, from Technopolis Tech Park, Italy, about what 40 years of regional innovation can teach Europe today. Technopolis has worked across digital transformation, incubation, entrepreneurship, SMEs, EU funded projects and the green transition. And the lesson is clear: * Innovation does not scale just because a region has universities, talent or public funding. * It scales when there is direction, entrepreneurial capability and institutions that do not restart every political cycle. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why universities can produce excellent professionals without producing enough entrepreneurs. * Why SMEs often see the green transition first as cost, investment and risk. * How EU funded projects can help de-risk innovation instead of simply financing activity. * Why regions need a clear destination before asking for ideas. * What Europe can learn from long-term regional innovation strategies. This is not just a conversation about a science park. It is about how Europe turns research into companies, projects into capability and funding into real transformation. ▶️ Watch or listen to the full episode Watch the full episode: Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcastYouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx Listen only: Spotify: Apple Podcasts: 🎯 Escape the “Chaos of Transitions” Trap Quick note before we continue. When AI, energy, trade, security and infrastructure pressures all move at once, many organizations freeze... and others get the opportunities before they move. There’s a way to escape this “chaos of transitions” trap. The First-Mover Opportunity Radar™ helps you map those signals and identify 3 possible strategic moves for the next 90 days. It is self-guided, practical and designed to be completed in 60 minutes. 👉 Get the RADAR tool here: https://payhip.com/b/MJ6AY Let’s grow this community together If you enjoyed the episode: Like the podcast on your favourite platform.Subscribe on Substack or any podcast app. Restack this post. Leave a comment. Share it with colleagues working on EU-funded projects and innovation. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/ And if you would like to be featured on InnovEU - The EU Project Chronicles, send me a private message and let’s schedule it. Because Europe’s transitions are already reshaping the future. And your project may become part of that transformation. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min
  3. InnovEU S5E16 with Tauno Kekäle -Can a Small City Beat Europe’s Capitals?

    May 21

    InnovEU S5E16 with Tauno Kekäle -Can a Small City Beat Europe’s Capitals?

    What if the next European energy powerhouse is not in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, or Silicon Valley? That is the question behind this new episode of InnovEU: The EU Project Chronicles. This week, I spoke with Tauno Kekäle, Senior Advisor at Merinova, in Vaasa, Finland. Vaasa is not a huge capital city. It is not a global financial centre. It is not a giant metropolitan region. And yet, the Vaasa region has built one of Europe’s most impressive energy technology ecosystems: 180+ companies.13,000+ employees.More than €6 billion in annual turnover. So the real question is not: “How can small regions compete with big cities?” The better question is: What does Vaasa understand about innovation ecosystems that many regions still miss? Watch or listen to the episode 🎧 Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast ▶️ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx🎙️ Spotify: Spotify 🍎 Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts Resources mentioned 📘 Book: Transition Science In The Economy 🧭 First-Mover Opportunity Radar™Map AI, energy, trade, security and infrastructure signals into three possible strategic moves for the next 90 days. If this episode helps you see EU-funded projects, green innovation or regional strategy differently, please like, subscribe, restack and share it with one person working on European innovation. And if you are working on an EU-funded project, regional innovation ecosystem, cluster strategy or transition-related initiative, send me a DM on LinkedIn. You may be a great future guest for InnovEU: The EU Project Chronicles. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    32 min

  4. May 14

    InnovEU S5E15 with Patras Science Park's Takis Konstantinopoulos

    So - what if the biggest threat to your deep-tech project is not the technology itself… but the institutional culture surrounding it? For decades, many European regions generated brilliant academic research that never escaped the lab. Papers were published. Projects were funded. But startups failed to scale, local ecosystems remained fragile, and the economic value leaked elsewhere. Meanwhile, regions outside major capitals faced another structural problem: Isolation. No dense venture capital networks. No Silicon Valley-style ecosystem. No strategic coordination between universities, chambers, NGOs and local authorities. So how do regional innovators survive? How do they cross the “Valley of Death” between research and real economic impact? And how can EU projects become more than just funding applications? In this episode of InnovEU – The EU Project Chronicles, I speak with Takis Konstantinopoulos, Project Manager at the Patras Science Park in Greece. For more than 30 years, Patras Science Park has operated at the collision point between academia, entrepreneurship and regional survival. And this conversation reveals something most Horizon Europe teams still underestimate: 👉 EU projects are not just funding mechanisms. They are ecosystem-engineering tools. In this episode, you’ll discover: 🔹 Why R&D is not innovation Scientific excellence alone is no longer enough. Takis explains why many Horizon Europe proposals fail the “Impact” section because they confuse research activity with real-world value creation. Innovation means: * jobs * resilient ecosystems * market survival * regional growth Not just publications. 🔹 The “Distributed Local Network” strategy What do you do when your region lacks investors, accelerators and major tech hubs? You build collaborative networks instead. Takis explains how Patras Science Park aligned: * universities * chambers of commerce * NGOs * SMEs * local institutions into a coordinated ecosystem capable of attracting international partnerships and investment. 🔹 How EU projects import strategic know-how This episode shows how Horizon and Interreg projects can be used strategically to import: * acceleration models * business angel networks * innovation practices * international ecosystem connections directly into peripheral regions. 🔹 Why AI should remain an advisory tool Takis offers one of the clearest answers I’ve heard about AI and innovation. AI can accelerate execution. But humans must retain strategic agency. Because if you outsource your innovative thinking to algorithms, you eventually lose your structural advantage. ▶️ Watch or listen to the full episode Watch the full episode 📺 On Substack:https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast 📺 On YouTube:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx Listen only 🎧 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6bX13RniDhbH0w2PbWKklS?si=3a551f25f3a4458a 🍏 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/innoveu-the-eu-project-chronicles/id1740105796 📘 My book — now available on Amazon If you want to go deeper into: * transition science * regional resilience * platform capitalism * digital transition * new globalization * and innovation ecosystems this episode connects directly with my book: 👉 Transition Science In The Economyhttps://a.co/d/c7RoOA4 It presents the full framework behind the AWTY Index and the five global transitions shaping prosperity and risk. 💬 Let’s grow this community together If you enjoyed this episode: 👍 Like the podcast⭐ Subscribe on Substack or your favorite podcast app 🔄 Restack this post 💬 Leave a comment 📩 Share it with colleagues working on EU-funded projects 🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/ And if you would like to be featured on InnovEU – The EU Project Chronicles, send me a DM and let’s schedule it. Because Europe’s transitions are already reshaping the future. And your project may become part of that transformation. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    45 min

  5. May 6

    🎙️ InnovEU S5E14 with Steve MacFeely (OECD) – Beyond GDP: Are We Measuring the Wrong Future?

    And what does that mean for researchers, innovators and EU-funded projects? So… what if the reason people feel poorer while GDP keeps growing is not just politics, inflation or bad communication? I speak with Steve MacFeely, Chief Statistician at the OECD, about GDP, productivity, AI governance, data quality and why impact measurement is becoming one of the biggest strategic questions for Europe. Because once you understand that bad measurement leads to bad decisions, you start seeing research projects differently. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why GDP was never meant to measure welfare and why using it as the main definition of success creates serious blind spots. * Why innovation is difficult to measure, especially when short-term success can hide long-term costs. * Why AI governance starts with data governance, and why “garbage in, garbage out” becomes much more dangerous at scale. * Why impact is not attribution, and what that means for Horizon Europe proposals trying to prove real-world change. * Why chasing one metric can damage policy, investment and public trust. This isn’t just about statistics. It’s about decision-making. And it’s about whether your next project is measuring what is easy… or what actually matters. ▶️ Watch or listen to the full episode Watch the full episode: * On Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast * On YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx Listen only: * On Spotify: * On Apple Podcasts: 📘 My new book — now available on Amazon If you want to go deeper into economic transitions, this episode connects directly with my book: 👉 Transition Science In The Economyhttps://a.co/d/c7RoOA4 It explains why GDP is no longer enough, why the five transitions are reshaping prosperity and risk, and how the AWTY Index uses more than 150,000 observations to measure transition readiness across 180 countries. 🧰 My Digital Tools for EU Projects Want to improve your EU funding success rate? These tools help project managers, researchers, universities and SMEs across Europe save time and improve proposal quality. 🔵 SmartProposalAI Your AI co-pilot for improving EU proposals using evaluator criteria. It helps you identify weaknesses, clarify impact and strengthen your proposal logic. https://rpb.li/YAm2E 🟢 Build Winning Consortia GPT A practical tool to map, assess and strengthen partnerships so you build consortia that win, not just apply. https://payhip.com/b/vEPZd 💬 Let’s grow this community together If you enjoyed the episode: * 👍 Like the podcast on your favourite platform * ⭐ Subscribe on Substack or any podcast app * 🔁 Restack this post on Substack * 💬 Leave a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts * 📩 Share it with colleagues working on EU-funded projects and innovation * 🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn for short insights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/ And if you’d like to be featured on the podcast, send me a private message and let’s schedule it. Because if we measure the wrong thing, we will build the wrong future. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    35 min

  6. Apr 22

    InnovEU S5E13 - Episode 100

    What if the most dangerous mistake you could make right now was writing a brilliant Horizon Europe proposal for a future that is already obsolete? A hundred episodes ago, InnovEU started with a simple question: Who actually does European projects? We explored capacity building, partnerships, evaluators, open calls, and the practical mechanics of getting funded. Then the world shifted. Artificial intelligence accelerated. Platform power deepened. Energy insecurity rose. The housing crisis started squeezing the very middle class that innovation depends on. So the question behind this podcast had to change. We moved from asking How do we get funded? to asking a much more strategic and uncomfortable question: Are we funding the right future, or are we funding our own extractive dependency? In this 100th episode, I step back and connect the dots. This is not just a recap. It is built from 5 seasons, dozens of expert conversations, and more than 150,000 data points of Transition Science. It is designed for researchers, innovators, proposal writers, founders, project managers, universities, SMEs, and policymakers who want to understand where Europe is really going, and what that means for the projects they build next. In this episode, you’ll discover: * The evolution of innovation in Europe: why Europe still produces great science but keeps struggling to scale, commercialize, and defend its own value chains. * The AWTY awakening: why a project is no longer strong just because it sounds green or digital. Evaluators increasingly expect balance across the five major transitions. * The clash with platform capitalism: what the warnings from Nick Srnicek, Cory Doctorow, Luc Julia, Ethan Zuckerman, Gemma Galdon-Clavell, and Jan Gerlach mean for your proposal, your business model, and your technical architecture. * The real decision question for 2026: are you proposing an isolated technological gimmick, or are you building resilient, sovereign, future-proof solutions for Europe’s transition gaps? Watch or listen to the full episode Watch the full episode * On Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast * On YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx&si=2fr5iVhGLEwo2F3j Listen only * On Spotify: * On Apple Podcasts: 🎙️ The InnovEU Master Playlist: The Road to 100 To mark this milestone, I am releasing the complete archive of the journey so far. Bookmark this page. Whether you need a new partner, tactical advice on proposal writing, sharper thinking on EU innovation funding, or a deeper understanding of platform capitalism, digital sovereignty, AI regulation, war economy dynamics, and economic transitions, the archive is here. The linked playlist below follows the episode directory built from the InnovEU archive across Seasons 1 to 5. Season 5: Platform Capitalism and Transition Science S5E12 | Wikipedia and AI | Jan GerlachSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E11 | Algorithmic Liability | Gemma Galdon-ClavellSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E10 | Energy of IntelligenceSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E9 | Big Tech TrapSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E8 | Platform Future | Ethan ZuckermanSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E7 | AI Funding Europe | Luc JuliaSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E6 | Platform Extraction | Cory DoctorowSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E5 | AutocraciesSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E4 | AI Regulation | Brando BenifeiSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E3 | Green Power InnovationSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E2 | Platform Capitalism | Nick SrnicekSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S5E1 | Economics in AI AgeSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ Season 4: The Five Transitions in Action S4E15 | Cheap EnergySubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E14 | Housing CrisisSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E13 | AI PlatformsSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E12 | Book PresentationSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E11 | What Success Looks LikeSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ S4E10 | Middle Class SqueezeSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E9 | Housing TransitionSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E8 | TransparencySubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E7 | Beyond GDPSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E6 | Readiness TransitionsSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E5 | Europe Two WarsSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E4 | EU Innovation FundingSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E3 | Failing TransitionsSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E2 | AWTY Future EU ProjectsSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S4E1 | Turning EU Calls into WinsSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ Season 3: Deep Dives and the New Globalization S3E26 | Digital Transitions Ready | Ricardo PinheiroSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E25 | Digital Transition Index | Jean-Michel ViolaSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E24 | Why Proposals FailSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E23 | Circular Innovation | Pablo FrieiroSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E22 | War Economy Index | Lily BethencourtSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E21 | Quality EU Projects | Paola D’EliaSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E20 | Digital Push Lacks | Efthymios SerpetzoglouSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E19 | Melanie Das | Melanie DasSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E18 | Green Claims | Leandro CartelliSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E17 | Smart Cities | Antonio Álvarez RomeroSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E16 | Green Tech Tariffs | Cristina Pérez SimónSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E15 | Ricardo OutdatedSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E14 | Tariffs and InnovationSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E13 | Dead Globalization | Josh DorfmanSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E12 | Tariffs + Funding | Annetta BenzarSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E11 | Communication ProblemSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E10 | ReArm Impact | Anna ContuSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E9 | Evaluators ScoreSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E8 | War EconomySubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E7 | Dev Traps | Bilal AlmobarakSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E6 | Tech Power + AI | Davide BalbiSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E5 | EU Startup FundingSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E4 | Proposal + Hydrogen | Luis EstebanSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E3 | Partnership Building | Erçan KüçükarslanSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E2 | U!REKA IDEA Selection | Ana Luísa Raposo; Mona RomanSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S3E1 | Readiness Pyramid | Marco AmiciSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ Season 2: Policy, Strategy and Draghi’s Report S2E10 | Relevance, One Health and Media Call | Ricardo AssunçãoSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E9 | Open CallsSubstack ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E8 | Is the Application Selection Process Rigged? | Fernando MotaSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E7 | Green Transition, Vlore University and SME Support Call | Eva CipiSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E6 | AWTY Index, Digital Transition in the EU and USASubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E5 | The AWTY Index, Digital TransitionSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E4 | Digital Transition in EU and USA | Walaa FaridSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E3 | Global Innovation Index vs. Draghi ReportSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E2 | Draghi’s Report | Christof ThönySubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S2E1 | Erasmus Evaluation Mysteries | Igor RazbornikSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ Season 1: The Foundations of EU Projects S1E14 | Season Balance and Hate SpeechSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S1E13 | Entrepreneurship, Democracy & Gender | Estephany Guillermo; Özge Zençir AkçakmakSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S1E12 | Episode 12 | Rexhina Marku; Henrik HaubroSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S1E11 | Episode 11 | Stefanos PanakouliasSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S1E10 | Episode 10 | Mariafranca Caruso; Pablo MoralesSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S1E9 | Episode 9 | Alessio Lupi; Maria Angeles SobreroSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗ | Apple Podcasts ↗ S1E8 | Episode 8 | Alfonso SantanielloSubstack ↗ | YouTube ↗ | Spotify ↗

    9 min

  7. Apr 15

    InnovEU S5E12 - Is Wikipedia being looted by AI?

    You don’t lose control of knowledge overnight. You lose it quietly. First, your content gets scraped.Then it gets structured.Then it gets monetized… by someone else. And by the time you realize it,you’re no longer building value. You’re feeding someone else’s model. 🎙️ This episode is not about Wikipedia. It’s about you. And a decision most teams are making wrong right now: 👉 Are you building a project…or training someone else’s AI? In this episode of InnovEU – The EU Project Chronicles, I speak with Jan Gerlach (Wikimedia Foundation) about something most Horizon Europe teams are ignoring: Knowledge is becoming infrastructure.And infrastructure gets captured. ⚠️ The real risk (that evaluators won’t tell you) Most EU-funded projects focus on: * innovation * impact * dissemination But they ignore a critical layer: 👉 Who owns the knowledge you produce? Because today: * AI models scrape open data at scale * platforms extract value from public knowledge * communities lose control over what they build This is not a tech problem. This is a governance and investment risk problem. 🧠 Decision Awareness (what actually matters) If you’re writing or managing a proposal, ask yourself: * Is your project contributing to a digital commonsor enabling private extraction? * Are you building something that remains accessible and sovereignor something that gets absorbed into a platform? * Do you have a strategy for knowledge ownershipor just a dissemination plan? Because one of these gets funded. The other gets copied. 🎯 Where this becomes real This conversation connects directly to: * Horizon Europe strategy * Digital sovereignty * AI governance * Investment risk in innovation funding And most importantly: 👉 How to avoid building value that you don’t capture. ▶️ Watch / Listen 📺 Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast📺 YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx🎧 Spotify: 🍏 Apple Podcasts: ⚡ If you’re working on a proposal right now This matters. If you’re building a consortium: 👉 Join one of the 10 teams in our next Consortium Builder CohortWe help you structure partnerships that actually win. If you’re 2–3 weeks from submission: 👉 Activate the Grantshield Pre-MortemGet a full evaluator-style review in 48–72 hours. This is not theory. This is how serious teams de-risk before submission. 🧰 Tools & Resources 📘 Book – Transition Science in the Economyhttps://a.co/d/c7RoOA4 🤖 SmartProposalAIhttps://rpb.li/YAm2E 🧩 Build Winning Consortia GPThttps://payhip.com/b/vEPZd 🌍 Discover more projectshttps://crosspromo.club/discover/ZY3nwk9/ 📢 If this helped you think differently: 👍 Like🔁 Restack 📩 Share with your team And if you’re working on EU projects: 👉 Connect with me on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/ 👉 Or DM me if you want to be featured on InnovEU. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    30 min

  8. Mar 27

    InnovEU S5E11 with Gemma Galdon-Clavell – Algorithmic Liability

    So, what if the biggest risk in your AI project wasn’t the technology, but the fact that it might be illegal without you even knowing it? We often treat artificial intelligence as magic, but when these systems hit the complexity of actual reality, unchecked AI can quickly become a massive, expensive liability. Today on InnovEU, we sit down with Dr. Gemma Galdon-Clavell, founder and CEO of Ethicas.ai and one of Europe’s leading voices on algorithmic accountability and AI auditing. She pulls algorithmic auditing out of abstract philosophical debates and places it squarely at the center of your innovation strategy. In the current era of Platform Capitalism, ethical compliance is not a bureaucratic “brake” on progress; it is a strict survival requirement. Through the lens of Transition Science, Gemma explains that true European Digital Sovereignty won’t be achieved by burning billions to copy American or Chinese foundation models. Instead, our strategic advantage lies in dominating the “manufacturing layer”—taking raw AI commodities and adding the safety, auditing, and contextual guardrails that make them reliable and legally deployable. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why 98% of enterprise AI pilots fail when “raw innovation” meets real-world constraints, and how technical auditing prevents massive capital waste. * The reality of Algorithmic Liability and why failing to proactively engineer for social safety will directly tank your project’s chances in Horizon Europe evaluations. * The crucial difference between performative “paper ethics” and technical compliance: why relying on a lawyer at the end of a project is a costly mistake, and how the Ethicas method uses engineers to stress-test systems from Day 1. * How to transform the EU AI Act from a perceived threat into a competitive advantage for your startup or consortium by building the trust and reliability that markets and enterprises actually demand. ▶️ Watch or Listen to the Full Episode Watch the full episode: * On Substack: https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast * On YouTube (video): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx&si=2fr5iVhGLEwo2F3j * On Spotify: * On Apple Podcasts: 📘 My new book If you want to go deeper into economic transitions - green, digital, war economy, new globalization and housing - this episode is based on my new book: 👉 Transition Science In The Economy 🔗 https://a.co/d/c7RoOA4 It’s the full framework behind the AWTY Index and the five transitions. If you enjoy the episode, you’ll love the book. 🧰 My Digital Tools for EU Projects Want to increase your EU funding success rate? These two tools will save you time and give you an edge: 📘 SmartProposal AI Your AI co-pilot for improving EU proposals line by line using evaluator criteria. Saves hours. Improves clarity. Boosts funding chances. 🔗 https://rpb.li/YAm2E 📗 Build Winning Consortia GPT A practical tool to map, assess and strengthen partnerships so you build consortia that win - not just apply. 🔗 https://payhip.com/b/vEPZd These tools are used by project managers, researchers, universities and SMEs across Europe. 💬 Let’s grow this community together If you enjoyed the episode: * 👍 Like the podcast on your favourite platform * ⭐ Subscribe on Substack or any podcast app * 🔄 Restack this post on Substack * 💬 Leave a comment - I’d love to hear your thoughts * 🔗 Share it with colleagues working on EU-funded projects and innovation * 🖇️ Follow me on LinkedIn for shorter insights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/ And if you’d like to be featured in the podcast, send me a private message and let’s schedule it. Because Europe’s transitions are already shaping our future — and your project might be part of the story. Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe

    41 min
See All (107)

About

InnovEU connects current and aspiring participants of EU funded projects with the insights and networks necessary to navigate the funding landscape successfully. It offers a unique platform to understand evaluator perspectives, discover potential partnerships, and stay updated on new calls, ultimately empowering viewers to craft compelling proposals and engage more strategically in EU initiatives. fernandocgaspar.substack.com

Information