BOOST partners gather in Rome to advance project activities

BOOST’s second international partners meeting was held in Rome, Italy, on 18-20 May, bringing together partners from across Europe to review project progress, coordinate upcoming activities, and strengthen collaboration. As consortium partner, IASP joined the meeting represented by Alicia Shelley, Director of Partnership and Operations, and Caitlin Boucher, Projects and Insights Manager. . 

BOOST is a Horizon Europe-funded project addressing the gap between strong academic research performance and the successful commercialisation of innovation in EU Widening Countries, which is a major challenge within the European innovation landscape. The project aims to strengthen R&I capacities by supporting researchers, innovators, and innovation ecosystems through specialised training, international collaboration, and secondment opportunities in other countries. 

IASP contributes to BOOST through activities focused on community building, stakeholder engagement, and strengthening collaboration across innovation ecosystems and EU-funded initiatives.  

During the meeting in Rome, consortium partners from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Bosnia and Herzegovina exchanged updates on ongoing activities and aligned on the next implementation phases of the project. Discussions focused on strengthening long-term collaboration opportunities, the kick-off of the mobility programme this autumn, and the launch of the BOOST learning platform in the upcoming months.  

The project will support 60 researchers from EU Widening countries with industry placements, tailored learning modules, and personalised career development plans to enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and to bring ideas to market.  

Researchers can apply until 8 June 2026. See the Boost LinkedIn page for more details.