European project led by INESC TEC invests 3.3 million euros to circular tech ideas with social impact
The SoTecIn Factory project, led by INESC TEC is looking for European social entrepreneurs with experience in technology to develop solutions that contribute to a more circular, sustainable, and resilient industry.
Supporting social innovations that boost the circularity of value chains and reduce the industry's carbon footprint is the project's main objective. In that sense, the competition seeks to support 25 European social entrepreneurs (including researchers, SMEs, and startups) who come up with innovative technology-oriented ideas as a response to circular challenges aligned with the project's mission, particularly with regard to textile, plastic, packaging, food, water, and nutrient value chains.
In an initial phase, each of the 25 selected will receive 15,000 euros to support the development of innovative products and services with a social impact. Of this group, 15 will have the opportunity to participate in a pre-market technology demonstration, which includes additional support of 85,000 euros.
In addition to funding, the social innovators will benefit from mentoring, and training sessions with scientific input for the implementation of their solutions and the design of business models.
