EU TalentOn

The second edition of EU TalentOn, the European Union Contest for Early-Career Researchers, will take place in Katowice (Poland), from 9 to 14 September 2024. During the same week, the European City of Science Katowice will also be hosting EUCYS, the EU Contest for Young Scientists. The selected EU TalentOn participants will compete in teams of four to come up with the best scientific solutions to societal challenges linked to the five EU Missions – Adaptation to Climate change, Cancer, Ocean, Cities and Soil.

The winners are announced

Discover the winners of the EU Contest for Young Scientists and EU TalentOn!

More information

• List of winners
• Video presentation of the competition
• Visit the competition website

EU TalentOn is an initiative of the European Commission. The first edition took place in 2022 in Leiden (Netherlands), as a biennial science event for early career researchers, aged 21 to 35. It aims to challenge young talented researchers to find solutions to help solve the most pressing global issues. The four-day event brings together early career researchers and features an extensive programme, co-created with academia, innovators and industry. It aims to bridge the gap between young talent, science and industry.

Divided into small teams of four, these young researchers will receive the necessary tools to create innovative and marketable solutions, and will have the opportunity to follow workshops, company visits, lectures, master classes, personal guidance and cultural experiences.

At the end of the event, each team will pitch their solution to a professional jury and the public. Winners will receive sponsored prizes from the EU, industry and mentors.

EU TalentOn directly contributes to the actions set out in the ERA Policy Agenda. Specifically, the contest helps bring science closer to citizens by inviting them to co-create solutions for our most pressing challenges.

It provides a platform on which everyone wanting to share science, knowledge, art, and skills can participate, thus establishing new connections between science and society in innovative, open, playful, and sincere ways.

EU TalentOn is supported by the Horizon Europe Work Programme, "Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area".

EU TalentOn connects the most talented early career researchers, studying in the EU, and attracts widespread media interest. The contest was set up to promote cooperation and information exchange between young researchers.

EU TalentOn is targeted at young researchers and academics, from all over Europe, most specifically career researchers aged 21 to 35.

The deadline to apply to the EU TalentOn 2024 is 7 July, and the 104 selected participants will be announced later in the summer.

The 26 teams are challenged to come up with ideas within five Mission Arenas, linked to the five EU Missions. These are Climate change, Cancer, Ocean, Cities and Soil.

At the end of the contest on 14 September, the teams will be asked to present their projects. A jury of three members per Mission Arena will evaluate the projects based on a document and a live pitch.

During EU TalentOn, teams have the freedom to come up with any type of idea. For example, ideas could be for an invention, for an academic research proposal, a collaboration model or new start-up. Anything is possible.

Pitch – Friday 13 September, exact time to be decided nearer to the event.

• All teams will have five minutes to pitch their idea to the jury, and four minutes to answer questions.
• Teams are welcome but not obliged to use slides.

Team Pages

All teams are given a template and requested to write a 1 – 3-page explanation of their idea and to answer the following questions:

1. What is the problem you are solving?
2. What is your idea?
3. How does your idea contribute to the relevant EU Mission?
4. How would you implement this?

The first edition of EU TalentOn took place in Leiden, Netherlands, from 14 to 18 September 2022 during the European Year of Youth and was a tremendous success.

The 104 selected participants of EU TalentOn competed in teams of four to come up with the best scientific solutions to societal challenges linked to the five EU Missions – Climate change, Cancer, Ocean, Cities and Soil.

Detailed list of all winners