On 7-8 May 2026, the EVEN-CLOSER consortium took part in the EU Startup Summit in Malta, represented by partner MALTAccelerate. Two days of intensive exchanges with startup founders, investors, public agencies and EU stakeholders confirmed strong interest in the project’s mission to build a circular value chain for European chips and microelectronics.
The EU Startup Summit 2026 brought together thousands of participants from across Europe – startup founders, angel investors, venture capitalists, public sector agencies, and media representatives – for two days of networking, panel discussions and keynote presentations. The EVEN-CLOSER project, dedicated to forging Europe’s circular value chain for semiconductors and electronics, was represented by consortium partner MALTAccelerate.
Throughout the event, attention focused notably on the Circular Economy as applied to the recovery and recycling of secondary raw materials from the electronics and semiconductor sectors – a strategic priority both for European industrial autonomy and for the sustainability of the chip value chain. The level of engagement from public institutions, industry actors and investors confirms the relevance of the questions EVEN-CLOSER is addressing.
A central role at the Summit was played by the European Circular Electronics Kickstart (ECEK), the project’s flagship acceleration programme. ECEK is currently open with two calls aimed at building the next wave of European circular electronics innovation:
- Call for Startups – open to startups (TRL 4-8) developing breakthrough solutions for the electronics and semiconductors sectors. Apply here
- Call for Mentors – open to international experts willing to support startups along their acceleration journey. Apply here
The programme is free of charge, equity-free, fully remote, and culminates in a Demo Day to be held in Malta in November 2026. The full programme brochure is available here.
Beyond the open calls, the Summit opened promising avenues for new strategic collaborations, several of which are already in development and will be communicated through the project’s official channels in the coming weeks.
EVEN-CLOSER will continue these conversations at the upcoming EIT Raw Materials Summit 2026 in Brussels, the next major stop on the project’s stakeholder engagement roadmap.
