Technology transfer in Central & Eastern Europe is gaining real momentum — and Widening countries are stepping up.

A new article by Thomas Brent in Science|Business highlights a growing shift in the region: a stronger focus on knowledge valorisation, increased tech transfer capacity, and more effective connections between research and industry.

We are proud to see the widerAdvance Facility featured in this important context.

As Katarzyna Walczyk-Matuszyk (IPPT PAN – Institute of Fundamental Technological Research Polish Academy of Sciences), Coordinator of widerAdvance Facility, noted:

“What sometimes happens is that researchers develop something to a technology readiness level of four or five, and then they look for funding to take that further. But they don’t get it, so they just move onto a new project”.

This is exactly the gap we are addressing.

Through study visits, mutual learning events, tailored training, pitching coaching, IP support and matchmaking, widerAdvance works directly with research-performing organisations in Widening countries and Outermost Regions to help move results beyond TRL 4–5 — towards real impact.

And the motivation is clearly growing.

As Katarzyna also observed:

“The awareness [of the need for knowledge valorisation] has always been there in the Widening countries, but it has been a struggle. What I can observe is that the motivation is growing a lot”.

We see this motivation firsthand — during our recent Study Visit in Prague, in discussions with researchers across Central and Eastern Europe, and in the 80+ exploitable results we have supported since January 2025.

There are excellent success stories in Widening countries.

“We want to show these, and demonstrate the recipes that they have found to overcome common challenges”.

And that is precisely what widerAdvance is about: turning good research into visible, usable and investable innovation.

Read the full article by Thomas Brent in Science|Business:
👉 Momentum behind technology transfer grows in central and eastern Europe | Science|Business