EU TalentOn 2026 Brest
The third edition of EU TalentOn, the European Union Contest for Early-Career Researchers, will take place in Brest (France), from 7 to 11 September. Brest is one of the three European cities implementing Science Comes to Town, the new EU-funded flagship initiative supporting a small group of 3 to 6 cities to co-organise and host a joint 1-year programme of activities around science, highlighting the contribution of science to society and the results of R&I projects supported by national/regional/EU funds, including the Horizon Europe programme.
EU TalentOn is a competition for young researchers and academics, from all over Europe, aged 21 to 35.
The deadline to apply to the EU TalentOn 2026 is 30 April, and the selected participants will be announced around mid-June.
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What is the EU TalentOn?
EU TalentOn is an initiative of the European Commission. It is a science event for early career researchers, aged 21 to 35, taking place every two years. The first edition was in 2022 in Leiden (Netherlands) and the second edition was hosted by the city of Katowice (Poland). Starting from 2026, it will become a yearly event.
The four-day event brings together early career researchers and features an extensive programme, co-created with academia, innovators and industry, with the objective of bridging the gap between young talent, science and industry.
Divided into small teams of four, participants 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.
Aim of the EU TalentOn
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" under the grant for Science Comes to Town.
Contest rules
The 100 participants, divided in teams, are challenged to come up with ideas within five Mission Arenas, linked to the five EU Missions: Adaptation to Climate change, Cancer, Ocean, Cities and Soil.
At the end of the contest, the teams will be asked to present their projects. A panel of jury 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 – products, technologies, academic research proposals, collaboration models or start-ups. Anything is possible!
Pitches
- All teams will have to deliver a convincing pitch to the jury in five minutes, followed by a short Q&A.
- Teams are welcome but not obliged to use slides.
Team Pages
All teams are requested to write a short explanation of their idea and to answer the following questions:
- What is the problem you are solving?
- What is your idea?
- How does your idea contribute to the relevant EU Mission?
- How would you implement this?
EU TalentOn 2024 Katowice
The second edition of EU TalentOn took place in Katowice (Poland), from 9 to 14 September 2024. During the same week, the European City of Science Katowice also hosted EUCYS, the EU Contest for Young Scientists. The selected EU TalentOn participants competed 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.
EU TalentOn 2022 Leiden
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.