ATTRACT Final Conference: Hi Acts Makes its Mark on Europe’s Innovation Stage

On 2 and 3 July 2025, the ATTRACT Final Conference took place in Brussels—a vibrant showcase of Europe’s deep‑tech innovation ecosystem and a pivotal milestone for the Horizon 2020 Cascade Funding initiative

From Seed Funding to Impactful Technologies

Launched in 2018 and coordinated by CERN alongside eight leading European research infrastructures, ATTRACT invested approximately €60 million in Phase 1, supporting 170 early‑stage R&D projects in detection and imaging technologies across sectors including industry, healthcare, and society. Of these, 18 projects with highest promise progressed to Phase 2; eight of them have since launched startups and attracted follow‑on private financing. Meanwhile, the ATTRACT Academy empowered over 1,300 young innovators across Europe.

A Stage for Hi-Acts: Opening new Pathways

At the closing event, Sonia who also represented Hi‑Acts, delivered a compelling socio‑economic impact study as Principal Investigator. Her work addressed the core hypotheses of ATTRACT, showing the relationship between technological Serendipity, open innovation and impact on society. Her participation underscored Hi‑Acts’s alignment with themes of technological innovation, European competitiveness, and strategic use of research infrastructure.

Voices Shaping European Innovation Futures

Conference plenary sessions featured high-profile leaders:

• Jean‑David Malo (European Commission, DG RTD) called ATTRACT “a source of potential gems on which we should build,” signalling new innovation challenge mechanisms in future EU funding rounds.
• Victor Negrescu, Vice‑President of the European Parliament, emphasised how innovation creates shared values and strengthens competitiveness
• Panels included impactful talks by Mali Baum (European Innovation Council), René Repasi (European Parliament), and others, addressing European policy in scaling deep‑tech ideas.

Why This Matters for Hi-Acts

• Phase 1 funded 180 (≈170) projects with seed funding to kick-start disruptive technologies.
• Phase 2 narrowed down to 9 projects, including student-led pilots and socioeconomic studies—among them the one led by Sonia under Hi‑Acts.
• Being part of this prestigious platform cements Hi‑Acts’ role within Europe’s innovation landscape, aligned with deep-tech acceleration, public–private collaboration, and research infrastructure leverage.

Looking Ahead: A Shared Vision for Innovation

With plans to continue ATTRACT-inspired initiatives, policymakers are now envisioning new rounds of cascade funding, innovation challenges, and mechanisms intentionally designed to bridge lab discoveries into societal impact and markets. That trajectory directly resonates with Hi‑Acts’ mission: to connect accelerator-based research infrastructure with industry and R&D needs—and to accelerate innovation across society.

Hi‑Acts’ participation at the final ATTRACT conference places it at the frontier of Europe’s innovation ecosystem. Sonia’s study contributed directly to strategic discourse, and Hi‑Acts’ presence affirms the position of Helmholtz accelerators within Europe’s drive toward technological innovation, societal impact, and competitive advantage. As ATTRACT-inspired funding strategies evolve, Hi‑Acts stands ready to play a growing role in turning research into real-world solutions.