The event was organised with the involvement of multiple European partners active in research and innovation cooperation, including the Lithuanian RDI Liaison Office, the SLORD, University of Pannonia, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture, National Centre for Research and Development and Euro Atlantic Diplomacy Society. It  attracted around 100 organisations from across Europe. The session supported collaboration in Horizon Europe Cluster 6 and created a practical space for turning project ideas into future partnerships.

Connecting expertise across Europe

Researchers, innovators and stakeholders joined to exchange ideas and explore collaboration opportunities. The session created space to better understand upcoming calls and align expertise with real project needs.

The programme combined expert inputs with interactive discussions. Participants first gained insights into how Horizon Europe consortia are evaluated and what makes proposals competitive. The emphasis was on clarity of structure, coherence of ideas, and how impact is defined in successful applications.

A key part of the session focused on practical consortium building. The expert from INOVA+ shared practical guidance on how to structure balanced partnerships, ensure complementarity between partners, and define clear roles across the value chain. Another important message was the need to involve relevant stakeholders early, well before the proposal drafting stage begins.

A special time was dedicated also to proposal evaluation and a closer look at how proposals are assessed in practice. Insights from the European Network of Cultural Centres highlighted the importance of clarity, coherence and well-defined impact. Participants also learned about common weaknesses in proposals and how to better structure their applications to meet evaluation criteria.

From ideas to real collaboration

The core of the event was dedicated to breakout interactive sessions. Participants briefly introduced their organisations, project ideas and collaboration needs, followed by focused discussions on potential consortia for upcoming Cluster 6 calls.

Key topics included circular materials, textile recycling, biomass flows and bio-based innovation. The format encouraged fast, direct exchange – where even short introductions were enough to identify real synergies.

One message stood out throughout the discussions: many strong ideas do not fail because of the concept itself, but because the right partners are not involved early enough.

PEDAL Consulting engaging across Europe

Our company actively participated in the event, presenting our expertise, project experience and portfolio in Horizon Europe projects, with a strong focus on Cluster 6.

Kristína Duchoňová represented PEDAL Consulting during the sessions and engaged directly with participating organisations. The objective was clear: build new connections, identify potential partners, and explore opportunities for upcoming Horizon Europe calls.

With a strong track record in Cluster 6, PEDAL Consulting stands out as the most successful Slovak organisations in this field. This position also reflects the growing visibility of Slovak actors in the European innovation ecosystem.

Building what comes next

The event reinforced a simple but important message – successful Horizon Europe projects are built early, not at submission stage.

Matchmaking initiatives like this create the space where ideas meet expertise, and where first conversations evolve into structured consortia.

PEDAL Consulting will continue building on these connections. With growing experience, a strong network and a clear focus on impact, the next steps are already taking shape. New consortia. New projects. New opportunities to contribute to a more sustainable and innovative Europe.