Climate Innovation Bridge

• Green Innovation and Sustainable Technologies
• Climate Tech Commercialisation
• Research-to-Market Innovation

Researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and applied research teams developing early-stage climate and sustainability technologies (TRL 2–6), including participants from IE University and external research institutions.

SPIN:RISE Climate Innovation Bridge is a 7-week hybrid programme delivered by IE University between September and November 2026, aligned with the SPIN:RISE framework established by 28DIGITAL and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The programme addresses Europe’s research-to-market gap by supporting researchers developing climate and sustainability technologies in progressing from technical validation toward commercialization, licensing, spin-off creation, and industry collaboration. 

The programme consists of six weeks of online training and mentoring followed by a 3-day in-person bootcamp hosted at IE Tower in Madrid from 10–12 November 2026. The learning journey covers opportunity framing, customer discovery, market validation, stakeholder mapping, business model development, intellectual property strategy, licensing versus spin-off pathways, and go-to-market planning. Participants engage directly with IE’s ecosystem of corporate partners, investors, mentors, legal advisors, and innovation stakeholders through workshops, mentoring sessions, networking activities, and matchmaking opportunities. 

A core component of the programme is the integration of IE University’s Knowledge & Technology Transfer Office (KTTO), which supports participants in defining IP ownership structures, protection strategies, and commercialization routes. High-potential projects may subsequently continue into IE Climate Tech Lab alongside top Masters Student business profiles, creating a structured downstream pathway for venture development and commercialization.

• Develop entrepreneurial and commercialization skills for climate and sustainability technologies at TRL 2-6.
• Conduct structured customer discovery and market validation with industry stakeholders and potential users.
• Understand intellectual property protection, licensing, and spin-off creation pathways through KTTO-supported workshops.
• Build viable commercialization strategies, business models, and go-to-market plans for research-driven technologies.
• Engage with investors, corporates, and innovation ecosystem actors to explore partnerships, pilots, licensing, and venture-building opportunities.