On 25 March 2026, the International Online Collaborative Partner Matchmaking Event was held within the EU-funded Horizon Europe LUKE project, bringing together a diverse community of stakeholders interested in future cooperation under the LUKE Joint Call.
Over 140 participants from 11 countries joined the event, which featured more than 45 pitches. A wide range of participants from different countries took part in the event, namely: Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine.
The event provided a dedicated platform for participants to connect with potential partners, exchange insights and explore opportunities for collaboration within the Call. It contributed to building new connections among researchers from participating countries and supported the development of international collaboration.
The event commenced with welcome addresses delivered by Frederik Sondergaard from DG RTD and Grygorii Mozolevych from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
“The LUKE initiative is more than just a project. It is a platform of trust, solidarity, and practical cooperation. It brings together countries, institutions, and researchers who believe that science must remain open, collaborative, and forward-looking… Today’s matchmaking event is especially important because behind every successful proposal, there is a strong partnership. And behind every partnership, there is dialogue, mutual understanding, and shared ambition”, said Grygorii Mozolevych.
Following the opening remarks, Jörn Grünewald from the DLR-PT Project Management Agency in Germany delivered a structured overview of the LUKE Joint Call. He emphasized that “the implementation of the LUKE Joint Call is one of the two major objectives of the LUKE project. It will serve to foster collaboration between European and Ukrainian research and innovation communities.”
Jörn Grünewald elaborated on the eligibility criteria, clearly outlined the application process, and offered practical guidance aimed at supporting prospective applicants in the preparation of strong and competitive proposals.
After the Call presentation, participants moved on to discussions focused on networking opportunities and strategies for identifying potential project partners. Dionysios Panagiotopoulos from KU Leuven, Coordinator of the Horizon Europe project EU.FFICIENT, introduced the dedicated networking EU.FFICIENT platform for the LUKE Joint Call.
The platform is specifically designed to support participants in connecting with potential partners, sharing ideas, and exploring opportunities for collaboration. It also provides guidance on co-creation principles, helping researchers integrate these approaches into their research and innovation activities.
“At EU.FFICIENT, we are delighted to support the partner search activities for the LUKE Joint Call. Our platform is designed to foster co-creation, cross-sector collaboration, and vibrant networking communities across Europe, closely aligning with LUKE’s mission to advance transnational research with Ukraine. By connecting the LUKE community to our dynamic hub, we are proud to help researchers, innovators, and industry professionals find the right partners, collaborate more effectively, and generate meaningful cross-border impact,” said Dionysios Panagiotopoulos.
The main part of the event consisted of the matchmaking sessions and these session provided a dynamic and interactive environment for researchers and stakeholders to explore concrete partnership opportunities and build connections across countries and disciplines.
“The big interest in the matchmaking event is a promising sign for the LUKE call. We hope that many fruitful links between researchers in Ukraine and the other participating countries could be established,” said Christoph Bärenreuter, a member of the LUKE project team from Austrian Science Fund (FWF).
“The strong interest in the LUKE Joint Call from the very beginning indicates that numerous collaborations are likely to emerge, advancing research and innovation in the funded areas in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, it will strengthen cooperation with Ukraine and foster long-term partnerships and networks,” said Anita Hipfinger, a member of the LUKE project team from Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).
The event concluded with a Q&A session, during which the LUKE project coordinator and representatives of the participating Funding Parties of the Call addressed questions from the participants. Jörn Grünewald concluded the Q&A session: “The lively discussion shows that there is a high demand for the Call. Many thanks for your detailed and important questions!”
Information shared by participants during the event will be made available on the EU.FFICIENT platform within the LUKE community.
Useful information
- Presentation materials from the event are available here: LUKE Matchmaking event 25 March 2026 (PDF)
- Structure for proposal description: checkboxes on PT-Outline (PDF)
- Register for the CEF LUKE Joint Call on the EU.FFICIENT platform: https://community.eufficient.eu/
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
