Startups are an important driver of innovation in printed and flexible electronics, and LOPEC 2027 will once again provide a dedicated platform for young technology companies to present their ideas. The LOPEC Startup Competition & Award offers startups the opportunity to showcase innovative technologies, products and business models to an international audience while connecting with potential partners and investors. Applications are assessed by a Board of Experts, which selects the finalists invited to present their business ideas live at the LOPEC Forum. KETMarket is directly involved in the competition: Dr. John Fahlteich, Managing Director of KETMarket GmbH, chairs the Board of Experts for the Startup Competition & Award. Startups working in printed or flexible electronics can apply until 7 November 2026. The live pitch session will take place on 3 March 2027 at the ICM – International Congress Center Messe München in Munich, Germany.
General-purpose AI can provide quick answers, but innovation projects often require more: structured research, reliable data, suitable partners and an understanding of funding and technology maturity. The upgraded KETMarket AI Navigator addresses these needs with a new Research Mode designed to support complex innovation questions. It can analyse related technologies and applications, identify potential partners and their capabilities, explore roles across the value chain, investigate relevant funding opportunities and assess technology maturity and development needs. When essential information is missing, the AI Navigator can ask clarifying questions before continuing its research. The system combines AI-supported analysis with manually curated KETMarket data, real partners and real funding opportunities from the KETMarket innovation network. Users can therefore move from an initial idea towards concrete project concepts while retaining access to personal support. All user data is hosted on KETMarket servers in Dresden, Germany, and is not shared with external parties.
Finding a funding call with the right technology keywords does not automatically mean it is the right opportunity for your project. Requirements related to Technology Readiness Level (TRL), eligibility, consortium composition, co-financing and expected impact can significantly influence whether an application is worthwhile. Assessing these factors before starting proposal preparation can save valuable time and resources while improving the chances of developing a competitive project. Companies and research organisations should evaluate the strategic fit, technology readiness, required partners, funding conditions, expected outcomes and overall application effort before committing. KETMarket supports organisations in identifying relevant funding opportunities, assessing project fit and connecting with suitable partners to strengthen future applications.
ESA funding is not limited to satellite development. Through ESA Business Applications and Space Solutions, companies and research organisations can receive funding and business support for commercially viable services that use space technologies to solve challenges on Earth. Current opportunities cover areas such as education, water-sector digitalisation, Arctic resilience, and road and traffic safety. The latest open ESA calls are now available on KETMarket, helping organisations compare opportunities and identify suitable funding routes for their projects.
KETMarket has added 16 new EU semiconductor funding calls from the Chips Joint Undertaking to its platform. The calls offer more than €300 million for research, innovation, skills and infrastructure projects across Europe’s electronic components and systems ecosystem. They cover ECS R&I and the Chips for Europe Initiative, including power electronics, photonics, health technologies, 6G, AI chip demonstrators, compute infrastructure, supply-chain resilience, autonomous driving, international cooperation and semiconductor skills. Submission deadlines run from 16 to 30 September 2026, depending on the call.
Since 7 July 2026, a temporary application freeze has been in place for Germany’s Central Innovation Programme for SMEs, known as ZIM. For companies with planned R&D and technology projects, this means that the funding route must be reassessed — but the innovation project itself should not be stopped. KETMarket supports companies in identifying alternative regional, national and European funding programmes, finding suitable technology and business partners, and strategically developing their projects further. In this way, funding search, financing, partnerships, technology access and market access are combined into a resilient innovation strategy.