Project
A-SIDE Project: Pioneering Sustainable Deep Tech Innovation in Europe
The A-SIDE Project establishes a premier European hub for innovation and entrepreneurship within the Deep Tech domains of advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence (AI), encompassing machine learning and big data. This initiative is committed to delivering advanced technological solutions to address profound societal challenges, with a strategic focus on sustainable living.
Aligned with the EIT HEI Initiative programme, A-SIDE enhances the quality and competitiveness of European higher education by fostering research excellence, facilitating technology transfer, and promoting business creation. Through robust collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs) and industry partners across the continent, the project advances sustainable product design and smart manufacturing practices. These efforts support the transition to a greener, more efficient production model and a circular economy, reinforcing a vision for a sustainable future.
Strategic Innovations and Implementation
A-SIDE implements targeted initiatives to drive technological and entrepreneurial progress, including:
Professional Development
Offering bespoke training courses for students, researchers, academic, and non-academic staff, focusing on AI-driven innovations such as product lifecycle management, predictive analytics for sustainable manufacturing, and circular product design.
Technological Integration
Deploying sensors within manufacturing workflows to enable real-time process monitoring, enhancing adaptive quality control systems that minimize waste and reduce energy consumption while ensuring high-quality outputs.
Knowledge Triangle Collaboration
Establishing comprehensive training and mentorship programs across business, education, and research, coordinated through the A-SIDE consortium throughout the European Union.
These efforts yield cross-industry benefits, impacting sectors such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, food, robotics, and biomedical engineering, where adaptable, cost-effective, and waste-reducing technologies are indispensable.
Performance Metrics and Outcomes
The A-SIDE Project Implementation Plan (PIP) outlines ambitious targets across two phases: Phase 1 (April 2025 – December 2025) and Phase 2 (January 2026 – April 2027). The cumulative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are as follows:
Start-ups/Scale-ups Supported
12 (4 in Phase 1, 8 in Phase 2)
Students Trained
805 (350 in Phase 1, 455 in Phase 2), with 81 mentored (35 in Phase 1, 46 in Phase 2)
Academic Staff Trained
115 (50 in Phase 1, 65 in Phase 2), with 35 mentored (15 in Phase 1, 20 in Phase 2)
Non-Academic Staff Trained
115 (50 in Phase 1, 65 in Phase 2), with 35 mentored (15 in Phase 1, 20 in Phase 2)
Improved Support Structures
6 (2 in Phase 1, 4 in Phase 2)
New Partnerships Established
6 (2 in Phase 1, 4 in Phase 2)
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Applications
2 (1 in Phase 1, 1 in Phase 2)
Start-ups Established/Created
2 (1 in Phase 1, 1 in Phase 2)
Start-ups Established in Final Year
These quantifiable achievements ensure A-SIDE delivers sustainable, real-world impact, reinforcing Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Max. funding Phase 1
€ 540,000
Max. funding Phase 2
€ 800,000
About the EIT’s HEI Initiative
The EIT’s HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education was launched by the European Institute of Innovation and technology (EIT) and is led by EIT RawMaterials − one of the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities.
The initiative is part of the EIT’s 2021–2027 EIT Strategy, and it aims to help higher education institutions to build the capacity to innovate and to teach innovation and entrepreneurship. More specifically, the initiative aims to encourage these institutions to look at their own practices and develop concrete actions to increase their impact on their ecosystems.
In March 2020, the HEI Initiative launched a Pilot Call for Proposals, inviting higher education institutions to design activities that will improve their entrepreneurial and innovation capacity. We are pleased to announce the results of this Pilot Call. To stay updated on the latest developments, visit the initiative website (www.eit-hei.eu) and subscribe to our newsletter.