The DxHub project took part in the Joint Excellence Hubs Community (EHC) Event, held in Athens, Greece, on 26–27 October 2026. The two-day gathering brought together 101 representatives from 23 of the 25 ongoing Excellence Hubs projects, alongside representatives from the European Research Executive Agency (REA) and National Contact Points (NCPs) from seven countries: Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
The aim of this gathering was to:
- Build connections across Europe’s Excellence Hub
The programme featured presentations, discussions, networking and interactive sessions designed to strengthen cooperation among the participating projects. Representatives from the European Commission and the wider research and innovation community also contributed to the discussions.
The event provided an opportunity to explore common challenges and identify synergies between Excellence Hubs working across different sectors and regions.
Dedicated breakout sessions focused on three key thematic areas:
- Blue Economy
- Health & Well-being
- Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus
Participants also addressed cross-cutting topics that are essential to the long-term impact of Excellence Hubs, including community engagement, project sustainability and policy feedback to the European Commission.
- Exploring new opportunities for collaboration and impact
Beyond knowledge exchange and networking, the discussions helped identify opportunities for closer collaboration between the participating hubs. One of the key outcomes was the initial idea of establishing a multilateral funding instrument among Widening countries, complementing existing European Commission support.
Following the discussions, TÜBİTAK agreed to draft a concept note to further explore and advance this initiative.
The event also reinforced the importance of building a connected Excellence Hubs community, where projects can share expertise, develop synergies and work together towards stronger and more sustainable innovation ecosystems.
DxHub and the Excellence Hubs community
As an Excellence Hub connecting the innovation ecosystems of Crete, Greece, and Oeiras, Portugal, DxHub shares the community’s vision of strengthening regional innovation capacity through collaboration among research organisations, businesses, public authorities, societal actors and other innovation stakeholders.
Participation in the Joint EHC Event provided an opportunity for DxHub to connect with fellow projects, exchange experiences and explore potential synergies that can contribute to its mission of advancing One Health innovation and infectious disease diagnostics.
By fostering connections across Europe’s Excellence Hubs, initiatives like this help turn shared knowledge and regional expertise into opportunities for wider European impact.
DxHub looks forward to continuing its engagement with the Excellence Hubs community and contributing to future collaborations!
