ICONS Innovation Strategies

27/03/2026

From Lyon’s futuristic riverside district to Évora’s UNESCO-protected historic centre, cities are rewriting the rules of urban energy. Facing radically different constraints, both are experimenting with ways to cut emissions and produce more energy than they consume. Their message for Europe? The challenge is real and creativity is essential - but there is no excuse for not moving towards decarbonisation.

Learn more in the Diego Giuliani article, featuring Étienne Vignali, Project Manager at LYON CONFLUENCE; Humberto Queiroz, Project Manager at the EDP R&D Center; and Thierry Roche, from Atelier Thierry Roche.

From Lyon’s futuristic riverside district to Évora’s UNESCO-protected historic centre, cities are rewriting the rules of urban energy. Facing radically different constraints, both are experimenting with ways to cut emissions and produce more energy than they consume. Their message for Europe? T...

25/03/2026

🔋 Scaling batteries is no longer about expansion: it’s about hitting precise targets.
The era of scaling everything is over.

Today, success means identifying which technologies can deliver on three critical objectives:
• Lower costs
• Meet EU regulatory timelines and compliance requirements
• Demonstrate industrial manufacturability at scale

With demand shifting and margins tightening, the key question is no longer what can scale, but what can scale efficiently and reliably.

Innovation management has become a filtering function: separating technologies that are bankable and deployable from those that aren't. Strategic coherence now matters as much as technical performance. Welcome to selective scaling: the new discipline shaping Europe's battery future.

👉 Explore how industrial KPIs, cost realism, and regulatory readiness are redefining scale-up strategies: https://www.icons.it/battery-innovation/

20/03/2026

Gigafactories are key to Europe’s strategic autonomy, but years of outsourcing have left the continent reliant on foreign technology. This is why industry and research are now teaming up to regain control of the machines that power the transition. Because the experts’ warning is clear: “If we don’t produce batteries here, we’ll keep losing money and knowledge.”

Discover more in the Martino De Mori article, featuring Guido Cozzi, Professor of Macroeconomics at the University of St. Gallen; Iker Boyano, Head of the electrode manufacturing pilot line at CIDETEC within the EU-funded project GIGABAT; and Emanuel G***s, researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden.

Gigafactories are key to Europe’s strategic autonomy, but years of outsourcing have left the continent reliant on foreign technology. This is why industry and research are now teaming up to regain control of the machines that power the transition. Because the experts’ warning is clear: “If we ...

19/03/2026

Meet us next week, on March 23–24, at the General Assembly!
Following last year’s experience, the ICONS team — Sara Lazzarin, Head of Dissemination & Engagement; Erika Novellini, and Caterina Falcinelli, Communication & Outreach Officers — continues its role within the BRIDGE Secretariat, leading the organisation of this key event and its related communication and dissemination activities.
It is great to build on what we have already achieved and to contribute once again to bringing the BRIDGE community together.

On March 24, Ilaria Orfino (Dissemination & Engagement) will also support the Consumer & Citizen Engagement Working Group discussions.
Elisabeth Schmid, ICONS’ Chief Development Officer, will also be attending the event.

ICONS plays a central role in amplifying the initiative’s results and ensuring their visibility across the European landscape, fostering exchange and collaboration among projects and stakeholders.

If you have any questions or would like to connect, feel free to reach out to us.
See you in Brussels!

More info and details:

The BRIDGE General Assembly is the annual event of the BRIDGE initiative, bringing together Horizon Europe projects, policymakers, and key energy stakeholders to exchange on project results, discuss policy developments, and strengthen collaboration in support of Europe’s clean energy transition.

18/03/2026

⚡ Europe's battery industry is at a crossroads.
China controls ~80% of global battery production. Overcapacity is crushing prices.
And Europe faces a choice: build industrial strength across the entire value chain or fall further behind.
Sector leadership, cost competitiveness, and supply chain resilience have shifted from policy goals to core business priorities.
The competitive pressures are clear. So are the opportunities for Europe to secure its place in the global battery market.

👉 Read the full report to understand the dynamics shaping Europe's battery future: https://www.icons.it/battery-innovation/

17/03/2026

ICONS have joined RECHARGE, European Association of the Advanced Rechargeable & Lithium Batteries Value Chain, and BEPA, Batteries European Partnership Association, in
This initiative is set to influence Brussels' decision-making, offering concrete, actionable, and coordinated solutions to build a robust, future-ready European battery ecosystem.

“By signing the ‘A Battery Deal for Europe’ pledge, ICONS strengthens its commitment to connecting knowledge, innovation and policy discussion across the full research-to-market journey”, says Elisabeth Schmid, Chief Development Officer at ICONS.

Read more:

By signing the pledge, ICONS supports the Battery Deal’s four interdependent pillars (Innovate, Produce, Buy and Secure) to accelerate battery innovation from research to market.

13/03/2026

The brain is the fundamental organ of the central nervous system. As the main driver of human cognitive functions, it governs different processes by sending and receiving chemical and electrical signals. Some of its messages remain within the brain, while others are relayed across the body. To do this, it relies on a network of around 85 billion neurons. The precision of their interactions – and of this intricate “chain of command” – is now inspiring one of the most pioneering experiments in robotics: what specialists call “neurocellular automata”.

Discover more in the Diego Giuliani article, featuring Kasper Støy, professor of robotics and a member of the “Robotic Evolution, and Artificial Life” research group at the IT University of Copenhagen and scientific coordinator of the EU-funded project MOZART; and Lucia Beccai, head of the Soft BioRobotics Perception research line at Italian Institute of Technology (IIT).

Inspired by neural logic, the MOZART project explores how gentle robots can manipulate delicate objects precisely.

11/03/2026

⚡ 2026 will be a turning point for Europe's battery ecosystem. Are you ready?
The future of batteries will be about validation, real-world testing, regulatory alignment, and engaging the people who will actually use them.
As technologies mature and scale-up acceleraates, Europe's battery landscape is shifting fast. The question isn't if innovation will happen - it's how to turn research into real market impact.
ICONS' new report, Catalysing Battery Innovation, maps the journey from lab to market with insights into key challenges holding back commercialisation, emerging technologies reshaping the value chain and how to bridge the gap between R&D and deployment.
This isn't just an analysis. It's a roadmap for navigating Europe's evolving battery sector.
As technologies mature and scale-up accelerates, Europe's battery landscape is shifting fast. The question isn't if innovation will happen - it's how to turn research into real market impact.
👉 Get the report and discover what's shaping the future of battery innovation: https://www.icons.it/battery-innovation/

06/03/2026

As new genomic techniques blur the line between natural and engineered plants, detecting tiny DNA edits has become a scientific puzzle.�Researchers are developing tools capable of spotting even single-letter changes in crops.�At stake: a transparent food system – and consumers’ right to know what they eat.

Discover more in the Katalin Tornai article, featuring Ugo Marchesi, senior biologist at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e Toscana (IZSLT), and Odd-Gunnar Wikmark, research director at NORCE Research and coordinator of the EU-funded project Darwin.

As new genomic techniques blur the line between natural and engineered plants, detecting tiny DNA edits has become a scientific puzzle.
Researchers are developing tools capable of spotting even single-letter changes in crops.
At stake: a transparent food system – and consumers’ right to know...

05/03/2026

Now online: the new podcast series “Tomorrow’s Table – Rethinking Food As We Know It,” co-produced by ICONS Innovation Strategies and Slow Food!

This four-episode series weaves together the experiences and insights from projects and living labs within the FOOD 2030 Networks, a European platform connecting key actors to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and systemic change in the food sector.

Learn more and listen to the first episode:

A four-episode journey into Europe’s food ecosystem driving systemic change.

28/02/2026

AI-generated music is booming — but at what cost to cultural diversity and creators’ livelihoods? As major deals reshape the industry, experts warn of shrinking revenues, creative homogenisation and unchecked power. “AI can be an opportunity for the whole sector,” they argue, “but only if laws are adapted — and actually enforced.”

Learn more in the Diego Giuliani article, featuring Giuseppe Mazziotti, Professor in Law and Innovation at Católica Global School of Law and coordinator of the EU-funded project Fair MusE; Burak Özgen, deputy general manager of GESAC; and Nick Bryan-Kinns, professor of creative computing at the University of the Arts London.

AI-generated music is booming — but at what cost to cultural diversity and creators’ livelihoods? As major deals reshape the industry, experts warn of shrinking revenues, creative homogenisation and unchecked power. “AI can be an opportunity for the whole sector,” they argue, “but only if ...

27/02/2026

Europe’s most radical innovations often struggle to attract credit despite their transformative potential. Supporting deep tech is no longer just about research, but about competitiveness, autonomy and leadership in a global tech race.

Discover more in the Diego Giuliani interview, with Stefania De Santi, project coordinator of the EU-funded project and project manager at APRE - Agenzia per la Promozione della Ricerca Europea.

Europe’s most radical innovations often struggle to attract credit despite their transformative potential. Supporting deep tech is no longer just about research, but about competitiveness, autonomy and leadership in a global tech race.