Though some incubators are similar, there is not an initiative in Europe aimed at reaching both start-ups and SMEs making use of data as REACH proposes. The project main progresses over the on-going initiatives will be the following: • Results oriented. From idea conception by startups and SMEs (individually or in collaboration) to market launch and access to private funding. REACH wants to foster new data-based businesses. We eliminate the administrative burden (no justifications) and offer clear calendar orientations on how funding and services are facilitated. Corporates and investment programmes in the consortium. Bringing together an extensive corporate investor network across Europe, facilitating deals and partnerships with the most promising projects. • Digital UInnovation hubs in the loop (DIHs). 3 DIHs are part of the consortium, but along the project we aim to engage 6 new DIHs members from different European geographies and sectors. • Cross-sector and technology experts in the consortium: Top business and technical services. EU networks. Current collaborations among BDVA, FIWARE Foundation, EBAN, IDSA, IoT EPI, IHub.eu, EEN, or F6S platform itself are a solid proof. • Sustainability. Some of the offered services (public funding advisory for start-ups, commercial infrastructure with data, access to a network of mentors…) will be exploited afterwards at an individual level by the partners.

DEUSTO coordinates WP3 (DVC experiments and incubation programme) where we lead the EXPERIMENT stage where teams will transform their ideas into real products. For that, DEUSTO leverages in its experience as coordinator of the EDI – European Data Incubator project  (GA:779790, https://edincubator.eu/) , which has served as basis to design this second-generation incubator. Researchers from Faculty of Engineering, DeustoTech and Deusto Entrepreneurship centre will collaborate in the coaching and technical and business support that will offered from DEUSTO to subgrantees through WP3. Besides, DEUSTO has an important participation in WP1 (Infrastructure, tools and services for DVC experiments) where it leads the development of the REACH Big Data Stack, its Application Infrastructure and the Data Catalogue. In addition, DEUSTO also has a significant contribution to WP2 (Open call management), particularly in the evaluation of proposals, from a technical point mainly, and the monitoring and analysis of the open call results. Finally, DEUSTO contributes to WP4 (Sustainability, Dissemination, Impact maximization plan), particularly in the dissemination part, generating contents and research publications.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement Nº 951981