Eureka’s Global Innovation Summit 2025 Wraps Up in Hannover, Germany
The Eureka Global Innovation Summit 2025 concluded with great success, attracting more than 900 participants from 50 different countries. This esteemed event, organized by Eureka’s Canadian and German Co-chairs, was held within the renowned Hannover Messe on April 1 and 2. A hub of groundbreaking ideas, the summit featured inspiring keynote speeches, insightful panel discussions, and diverse platforms for networking, matchmaking, and pitching.
The summit commenced with welcoming speeches from distinguished figures, including Belit Onay, the Mayor of Hannover; Jochen Köckler, Chairman of Deutsche Messe; and Rudolf Haggenmüller, President of Eureka. Claudia Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), also graced the stage, highlighting the significance of international partnerships. “Co-innovation around the globe leads to even greater success,” she stated. Ailish Campbell, Ambassador of Canada to the European Union Embassy of Canada to Germany, further underscored the alignment within Eureka’s community on the importance of science.
Attendees were enlightened by keynote speeches from Evelyne Coulombe, Chargée d’Affaires at the Embassy of Canada to Germany, Iris Plöger, Executive Board Member at BDI, and Lisa Reehten, CEO at Bosch Energy and Building Solutions. These talks emphasized the vital role of international co-innovation in today’s global landscape.
The summit also focused on critical themes, including circular value creation, which is set to benefit from a forthcoming multimillion-euro call for projects. Scheduled to be launched in June 2025 through the Network projects programme, this initiative gathered industry leaders to discuss circular economy challenges and share their expertise.
On the funding front, several new opportunities were announced. These include support for projects on circular value creation, lightweighting, disaster resilience, and for linking organizations across multiple Eureka countries. Additionally, a new call for projects in collaboration with Taiwanese organizations was launched on April 1, with funding commitments from five countries and regions.
The event provided innovators with insights into Eureka’s programmes through the Eureka Academy sessions and national funding rules at specialized country sessions hosted by Eureka’s network representatives. Notably, Erkki Keldo, Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry, participated in a panel discussion and supported a well-attended session on innovation in the Baltic region.
Networking was a key component of the Global Innovation Summit, enhanced by the concurrent Hannover Messe, where attendees benefited from the extensive sessions and exhibitions offered at the trade fair, which attracts 200,000 visitors.
Throughout the summit, the recurring message was the enduring importance of international collaboration as a catalyst for innovation. The summit successfully facilitated the creation and development of new global research and business relationships, underscoring the collaborative spirit that defines Eureka’s international community.
