Sustainable Solutions Match 2026
2026-03-16 08:00 - 2026-03-27 17:00 (Europe/London)
SustainableSolutionsMatch 2026 is a online European matchmaking and knowledge-sharing virtual event connecting solution seekers with innovators advancing sustainability and circularity across industries. Organised by the Enterprise Europe Network and Up2Circ, with the support from the European Commission, the event brings together entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs and support organisations from across Europe and beyond.

Taking place from 16 to 27 March 2026, the programme offers participants access to targeted pitching sessions, matchmaking opportunities and expert insights on sustainable business models, circular innovation and EU support mechanisms. This event will create a practical platform for organisations seeking to navigate the sustainability transition and translate innovation into scalable, market-ready solutions.

Among the many sessions and matchmaking activities taking place throughout the event, Climate KIC is contributing to the specific session: Powering SMEs towards sustainable growth

The 3rd European Carbon Farming Summit
2026-03-17 00:00 - 2026-03-19 23:59 (Europe/London) | Padova Congress Center, Italy, Padova Fiere, Padua, Padua, 35131, Italy
The European Carbon Farming Summit is the leading annual forum for shaping the future of carbon farming in Europe – bringing together farmers, researchers, policymakers, businesses, and investors to co-create pathways toward climate-positive agriculture.
Organised within the framework of the Horizon Europe-funded Credible project by Climate KIC and SAE Innova, and co-hosted by EIT Food (as coordinator of LILAS4SOILS), Confagricoltura Veneto, with the support of Veneto Agricoltura, the summit aims to strengthen Europe’s capacity to scale regenerative practices, build robust carbon markets, and design effective soil and climate policies.
Over three days of dialogue, collaboration, and knowledge exchange, participants will:

Explore the latest insights in soil health, carbon sequestration, and climate finance.
Connect with farmers, innovators, and policymakers driving practical change.
Co-design the next steps for credible, equitable, and scalable carbon farming systems.

Whether you are working in research, policy, business, or on the ground, the Carbon Farming Summit is your opportunity to be part of Europe’s growing community of practice for regenerative agriculture.

Startup Energy Transition (SET) Tech Festival 2026
2026-03-17 09:00 - 21:00 (Europe/Berlin) | Colosseum Berlin, Gleimstraße 31, Berlin, Germany
Do you want to be part of the global energy transition? Looking for a place to connect with other leaders in climate tech? Then join the 10th edition of the SET Tech Festival in Berlin on 17 March 2026 and celebrate a decade of energy innovation!

The SET Tech Festival is the pre-eminent annual event for innovative start-ups, experienced investors, and solutions-driven industry. Running since 2016 and supported by the German Energy Agency, STF brings together a global network from around the world interested in shaping the future of energy.

The one-day event closes with the 10th edition of the SET Award Ceremony and the evening is filled with entertainment, refreshments, relaxed networking, and where the winners of our annual SET Award are announced.

What to expect?

15 live pitches by our SET Award 2026 finalists covering solutions in: Clean Energy & Storage; Mobility & Transport; Industry; Buildings & Construction; Quality Energy Access & SDG-7.

Inspiring keynotes from expert stakeholders in the energy industry and public policy.

Interactive workshops & panel discussions with VCs, start-ups, industry organisations and technology innovators.

Numerous networking opportunities including dedicated 1:1 meet-ups, guest pitches, and exhibition areas.

Connect with innovative start-ups, experienced investors and dedicated industry leaders to explore the latest trends, technologies, and solutions in energy and climate tech.

For members of Climate KIC Community, we’re offering an exclusive 50% discount on the pass. Contact us to receive your discount code.

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Future of Utilities: Energy Transition Summit 2026
2026-03-18 08:00 - 2026-03-19 20:00 (Europe/London) | Sugarfactory, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Future of Utilities: Energy Transition Summit 2026 brings together Europe’s energy leaders to discuss how to deliver the energy transition in today’s rapidly changing world. Taking place in Amsterdam on 18-19 March 2026, the summit convenes grid operators, utilities, investors, technology providers and policymakers to explore practical pathways for moving from climate ambition to implementation.

Participants will examine how Europe’s energy system is evolving in response to growing demand for renewable energy, grid modernisation, digitalisation and new forms of flexibility. Sessions will focus on scaling solutions across the energy value chain, from financing generation and integrating storage to managing market volatility and accelerating industrial decarbonisation.

Climate KIC is also offering an exclusive discount code for the event tickets only for Community members. Contact us to receive the code.

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Climate KIC will contribute to the programme through a keynote presentation titled “Circular supply chains: transforming critical materials into strategic advantage” by Alberto Ogura, Industry Lead at Climate KIC, on Day 2 (19 March).

Circular supply chains: Transforming critical materials into strategic advantage
2026-03-19 03:35 - 15:45 (Europe/London) | Sugarfactory, Amsterdam, Netherlands
In this session at the Future of Utilities conference in Amsterdam, Alberto Ogura, Industry Decarbonisation Lead at Climate KIC, will explore how circular supply chains can help address one of the major structural challenges facing the energy transition: access to critical raw materials. As demand grows for technologies such as batteries, renewable energy infrastructure and electric mobility, securing sustainable and resilient supply chains is becoming increasingly strategic.

Drawing on Climate KIC’s work with partners including Pyxera Global, the keynote will highlight how the Circular Supply Chain Coalition is expanding its activities in Europe. The initiative brings together industry actors to advance circular design, resource recovery and new collaboration models that strengthen resilience while reducing environmental impacts.

The session will examine how circular approaches to materials management can turn resource constraints into opportunities for long-term innovation, competitiveness and sustainability across Europe’s energy and industrial systems.

Climate KIC is also offering an exclusive discount code for the event tickets only for Community members. Contact us to receive the code.

CONTACT US

Industry 5.0 Community of Practice Plenary Session 2026
2026-03-20 09:30 - 16:30 (Europe/Brussels)
The European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, is organising the second Plenary Session of the Industry 5.0 Community of Practice.The event will bring together members of the Industry 5.0 Community of Practice (CoP 5.0), representing stakeholders from across Europe, from various sectors, including industry, academia and policy makers.

The objective is to take stock of the main achievements as well as to discuss Industry 5.0 in relation to current industry and policy priorities and industrial transformation needs, calling for competitiveness and accelerating technology and innovation uptake. Special emphasis will be given to gathering feedback from the CoP members regarding their commitment and sense of ownership in continuing the CoP.

The event will consist of plenary and breakout sessions. The plenary sessions will be web-streamed on the R&I Community Platform and will be open to all interested participants. Physical participation in Brussels will be restricted to members of the Industry 5.0 Community of Practice.

Powering SMEs towards sustainable growth
2026-03-24 11:30 - 12:30 (Europe/Berlin)
This reverse pitching session brings together leading European innovation support organisations to present funding, advisory and capacity-building opportunities for SMEs, startups and scaleups working on sustainable and circular solutions.

Participants will hear concise pitches from EU initiatives and support programmes on how to access tailored services, strengthen innovation capabilities and connect with partners, finance and markets. The session is designed to help businesses navigate the complexity of European support landscapes and identify pathways that match their growth and sustainability ambitions.

Climate KIC will contribute alongside other stakeholders by sharing how we empower climate innovators through integrated learning, portfolio development and ecosystem engagement, supporting companies to scale climate-positive solutions within dynamic market and policy contexts.

The session is part of the Sustainable Solutions Match 2026 programme, an online event taking place from 16 to 27 March 2026.

Horizon Europe info day - Cluster 2
2026-03-26 09:30 - 16:30 (Europe/Brussels)
Are you interested in research & innovation funding opportunities under Horizon Europe Cluster 2? This information day aims to inform (potential) applicants about the 2026 topics included in the Cluster 2 ‘Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society’ work programme 2026-2027.

Under the Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, Cluster 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society” aims to meet EU goals and priorities on enhancing democratic governance and citizens’ participation, on the safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), and on to responding to and shaping multifaceted social, economic, technological and cultural transformations.

Cluster 2 mobilises multidisciplinary expertise of European social sciences and humanities (SSH) for understanding fundamental contemporary transformations of society, economy, politics and culture. It aims to provide evidence-based policy options for a socially just and inclusive European green and digital transitions and a post-COVID 19 recovery.

Future projects should deliver on the three intervention areas matching the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan (2025-2027):

Green transition

Digital transition

A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe

All topics under this Cluster are expected to mainstream Social Sciences and Humanities and to include a gender dimension in their research.

ChangeNOW Summit 2026
2026-03-30 08:00 - 2026-04-01 19:00 (Europe/Paris) | Grand Palais, Paris, France
The ChangeNOW Summit 2026, taking place in Paris from 30 March to 1 April, is one of the largest conferences on the world focused on innovative solutions for sustainability.

With 40000 attendees, 1200 investors expected, the event aims to connect businesses, policymakers, and the general public to foster impactful collaborations.

During the 3 days, you can attend:

Workshops and panels with thought leaders and climate innovators.

An exhibit of some of the most innovative solutions for the planet.

Pitches from startups working in highly impactful sectors and industries.

Climate KIC is also attending the summit, and we’ll have our own booth at the fair. Reach out at community@climate-kic.org or find us at the fair if you want to connect with us.

Key insights and lessons for Nature-based Solutions and territorial planning in the EU
2026-03-31 08:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London)
What lessons can be learned from EU regions on design, implementation, governance and monitoring of nature-based solutions (NbS)? What are cross-regional insights on barriers and success factors for NbS? Which policy-relevant recommendations can be drawn? Join this practical workshop co-organised by Climate KIC as part of the ReAdapt project and get insights for your territorial planning.

The ReAdapt Sensemaking Workshop aims to address these questions. It brings together EU, national, and regional policymakers, case study regions and ESPON representatives to distil shared lessons for stronger NbS implementation across Europe. These lessons will directly feed into the ReAdapt Policy Guidance Toolkit, which offers policy guidelines throughout the NbS policy cycle (Problem identification & scoping, Planning & design, Financing, Implementation and Monitoring).

During this interactive workshop, we will:

Gather insights for the ReAdapt Policy Guidance Toolkit

Present ReAdapt results so far: the Knowledge repository, Climate risk maps, cross-regional lessons and Policy Guidance Toolkit

Explore cross-regional insights on barriers and success factors for NbS

Reflect on NbS design, implementation, governance, financing, and monitoring

Translate local experiences into policy-relevant recommendations

About ReAdapt

ESPON ReAdapt (Re-Naturing Territorial Development for Climate Risk Adaptation I 2024-2026) aims to strengthen local and regional climate adaptation in the EU by integrating NbS into governance. Despite their effectiveness, NbS face challenges such as fragmented knowledge, limited data and lack of clear policy recommendations. ReAdapt addresses these issues by developing a knowledge repository, spatial climate risk visualizations, gathering best practices from eight case studies, and developing a Policy Guidance Toolkit.

WomenINvestEU Matchmaking on Sustainability & Climate Tech
2026-04-22 10:30 - 12:15 (Europe/Brussels)
WomenINvestEU is inviting entrepreneurs from women-led or women owned startups with innovative business solutions to apply for its fifth online matchmaking event. This session, happening on 22 April, from 10:30 to 12:15 CET, is a chance to pitch your solution to the experienced, gender-conscious investors in our network.

Through this initiative, WomenINvestEU aims to channel investment into businesses developing innovative and scalable solutions across key sustainability and climate sectors. The aim is to support technologies and platforms that reduce environmental impact, accelerate the transition to clean energy, enhance sustainable food systems, and enable efficient use of resources through circular practices.

We’re looking for businesses under the following categories:

Environmental solutions (e.g. energy efficient platforms, electric transportation)

Clean and renewable energy (e.g. geothermal power replacing fossil fuels, solar panels)

Agritech (e.g. sustainable farming solutions)

Decarbonisation solutions (e.g. carbon capture, green hydrogen, solutions for decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries)

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (e.g. recycling and composting systems, waste-to-energy solutions, critical raw materials)

Selected participants should be:

women-led or have a woman co-founder;

based in the European Union;

companies developing disruptive, impactful solutions with a competitive advantage in the market;

seed and series A investment stages.

The evaluation process and preparation for the event will follow the estimated timeline outlined below:

13 March – Deadline for applications;

16 to 27 March – Evaluation of the applications;

30 March – Communication of the call’s results to the selected startups;

31 March to 17 April – Pitch training sessions with selected startups;

22 April – Event Day.

Why join?

This is a chance to level up your pitching skills and forge important connections with gender-conscious investors, creating opportunities for future deals.

Before the event, selected entrepreneurs will be invited to dedicated training sessions to help them deliver the best pitch on the event day. In order to prepare the selected participants for the session, the WomenINvestEU team will also provide coaching on critical topics, such as innovation disruption, team, product/service, go2market strategy, impact and financial plan.

In collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), all eligible applicants will also have the opportunity to benefit from support from EEN regional advisers who can provide free specialized training, advisory and support services that may benefit your startup.

During the matchmaking event, entrepreneurs will be able to introduce their startup to a curated list of members of the European Network of Gender-Conscious Investors with a track record in supporting women-led or women owned startups building sustainability and climate tech solutions.

Finally, entrepreneurs will get the chance to be invited to one-to-one meetings with interested investors after the event to explore potential follow-ups and deals.
