SmaCuMed project received €10,000 Go-to-Market vouchers under FUTURE4PRIMA, benefiting from tailored business, technical, and communication support to accelerate our path from research to market.
The Competition
FUTURE4PRIMA is an EU-funded Coordination & Support Action (CSA) under the Horizon Europe framework (Grant ID 101131632) designed to reinforce and expand the activities of the existing PRIMA Foundation. For projects working on desalination, water treatment, sustainable agriculture, or resource management, the FUTURE4PRIMA ecosystem offers sustainable tools for funding, collaborative networks and innovation pathways in the Mediterranean region.
On 24 June 2025, twelve pioneering innovation teams gathered online for the PRIMA2BUSINESS Pitching Contest 2025, held under the Horizon Europe-funded FUTURE4PRIMA project. The event marked a significant milestone in promoting market-oriented solutions for sustainable agri-food and water systems across the Mediterranean region.
A total of twelve PRIMA-funded projects took part in the competition, having been pre-selected from 40 PRIMA projects in the fields of sustainable agriculture and water systems. The jury evaluated the teams based on innovation, market potential, and commercial readiness. Both winning projects – SmaCuMed and TechHoney -received a €10,000 go-to-market grant to further advance their market launch.
The Importance of Pitches
So-called elevator pitches are short, concise presentations of an idea, product, or person designed to convince an audience within a very short time—typically the duration of an elevator ride (around 60 seconds).
Dr. Edgardo Canas Kurz, from the HKA project team, represented SmaCuMed with the major challenge to clearly convey the project’s value within a five-minute pitch during the PRIMA competition. His task was to convince the jury, investors, and partners by demonstrating how the project bridges the gap from laboratory innovation to real-world application—ultimately achieving tangible impact across the Mediterranean region.