A consortium led by the Technical University of Varna is hosting the third CloudEARTHi conference, emphasizing the crucial role of higher education in driving sustainability and innovation through deep tech. This conference, in line with the European Innovation Agenda, invites diverse insights on the intersection of deep tech, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, it will address sub-themes that align with the CloudEARTHi initiative’s goals, fostering a comprehensive discussion on leveraging technology for societal benefit.

This is the 3rd annual CloudEARTHi conference and this year's topic is “Deep Tech and Academic Education: Driving European Entrepreneurship and Sustainability”.

The conference will be held in Varna, Bulgaria from 27th to 29th June, 2024.

For online participation, please use the following Zoom:

(Meeting ID: 622 3635 5122; Passcode: 100505).

For onsite participation, please come to the conference venue.

Please fill in the consent and the registration form.

Kyiv Academic University, being a part of the organizing team, is hosting a workshop “How do technologies pass the first valley of death?”

Navigating the journey from a groundbreaking idea to mass production and market success involves significant risks, including the potential demise of the technology. This journey is captured in the nine Technology Readiness Levels (TRL), where Level 1 represents a concept and Level 9 signifies full-scale production. In our upcoming workshop, we will delve into how various national and international organizations determine TRL.

One critical challenge we will address is the gap between Research & Development (R&D) and Research & Innovation (R&I), which often leads to the failure of promising technologies as they move from the laboratory to production. We will explore effective strategies to bridge this gap. Additionally, we will tackle the issue of insufficient funding, a common barrier known as the "valley of death," which hinders the progression from early-stage development to commercialization. Our workshop will provide insights into diverse funding sources available for both scientific teams and startups.

Participants will benefit from valuable resources and practical examples, including a hands-on group activity involving a real case study of taking an innovative product to market. Join us to gain the knowledge and tools needed to overcome these challenges and successfully bring your technology to the market.

Vira Filatova, PhD of Physics and Mathematics Science, Senior Researcher of the Physics of phase transformation department and Head of the project and innovation group G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics of the N.A.S.U. Laureate of the President of Ukraine for Young Scientists award. Experienced in technology transfer.

Olena Tsyplitska, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Open Innovation Lab of Kyiv Academic University. Has more than 5 years of research experience in innovative industrial development and innovation project management. Olena Is the author and a trainer of the pre-incubation program “Booster of Innovation Projects” for researchers of scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. She was a member of deep-tech startup Carbopulse. Experienced in market research and financial planning for innovation projects.

You can find the full conference program on its website.