Eurostars – a springboard to international growth for Swedish innovation companies

Eurostars is an international cooperation program that includes over 35 countries – mainly in Europe but also countries such as Canada and South Korea.
For Swedish companies that want to grow internationally, Eurostars offers several advantages.

– The financial support reduces the risk in the development work, but just as important is access to new markets, knowledge and networks. The projects also undergo an extensive international evaluation, which makes funding from Eurostars a seal of quality for investors, customers and potential partners, says Kim Silvasti, who works with the program at Vinnova.

A typical innovation journey often starts with an idea that leads to internal development and perhaps national funding to verify or build a first prototype. When the company is about to take the next step and needs an international partner to develop or commercialize their solution, Eurostars can be the right fit.

"Dare to think internationally right from the start"

For companies considering applying to the program, the advice is to start well in advance.

– The most important thing is to dare to think internationally right from the start. Get to know your partners, have a clear path to market and show what is unique and scalable in your solution, says Kim Silvasti.

New technology with printed solar cells could be scaled up

Every year, between 20 and 30 Swedish companies receive funding in new Eurostars project. One example is Epishine, a company with roots in research at Linköping University that has developed a groundbreaking technology for converting indoor lighting into energy for small electronic devices. By using organic solar cells printed on thin, flexible plastic films, it provides an alternative to disposable batteries, with potential to reduce both waste and energy consumption.
The technology has already had a commercial impact in consumer electronics, where the need for self-powered sensors and connected devices is growing rapidly. Their solutions are found in products in use in Europe, North America and Asia.

A crucial step in the company’s development came through a Eurostars project in 2022–2023, which enabled a strategic partnership with Canadian company Brilliant Matters – a supplier of specialized printing inks for solar cells. The project helped scale up production and strengthen Epishine’s supply chain. Epishine currently employs 40 people and has attracted €25 million in private investments.

Fact box about Eurostars

Eurostars is part of the European Partnership for Innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Calls for proposals are held twice a year and proposal are made via the Eureka digital portal. In order to apply for Eurostars, the project needs to consist of at least two participating countries. At the EU SME-support support function, SMEs can receive free expert advice on the EU programmes Horisont Europa, EIC, Eurostars and European Innovation Fund.