PRAXI Network at the Consortium Meeting of the CHANGEING Excellence Hubs project in Heraklion
On September 9–10, 2025, the Consortium Meeting of the European project CHANGEING Excellence Hubs took place at the Medical School of the University of Crete, with the participation of partners from Greece and Portugal. The project, implemented under Horizon Europe – Widening Participation, focuses on creating interconnected excellence hubs in the field of healthy ageing.
The contribution of the Greek Hub
As members of the Greek Hub, the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB), the Science and Technology Park of Crete (STEP-C) and the PRAXI Network actively participated in the meeting, presenting progress and next steps in key work packages.
Presentations and Activities
During the meeting, the following themes were presented:
- Implementation of the Joint Research Program (WP3 – Task 3.1): IMBB presented its contribution to advancing multicenter research on health and ageing, in collaboration with the University of Coimbra and Instituto Pedro Nunes.
- Development of innovative applications (WP3 – Task 3.3 & 3.4): STEP-C and FORTH showcased actions for exploiting research results in the market, as well as creating synergies with the Portuguese Hub.
- Entrepreneurship training programs (WP4 – Task 4.3): PRAXI Network and STEP-C, in collaboration with IPN, introduced a comprehensive training program for researchers and young scientists. The program includes four thematic cycles, running from October to November 2025, covering:
-
Needs Assessment & Value Proposition
-
Clinical Validation & Intellectual Property
-
Pitching & Stakeholder Engagement
-
Marketing & Funding for Healthcare Startups
The trainings will conclude with a Pitch Competition (Demo Day), giving participants the opportunity to present their ideas to investors and experts.
-
-
Communication and Networking (WP7): An overview of the communication and dissemination activities of the Greek Hub was presented, with PRAXI Network playing a key role in networking, visibility, and dissemination. Upcoming actions include Innodays 2025 and the Researchers’ Night.
Synergies Workshop & Next Steps
The meeting concluded with a workshop on synergies and matchmaking, where partners exchanged ideas and outlined the next strategies to strengthen collaboration, maximize the impact of research results, and prepare for the final reporting period (RP3).
Conclusion
The participation of PRAXI Network in the Consortium Meeting highlighted its central role in linking research with entrepreneurship, enhancing innovation skills, and disseminating knowledge to society. Through its activities, PRAXI Network significantly contributes to the successful completion of the project and to the creation of a strong innovation ecosystem in the field of healthy ageing.
