Innovation Acta participates in THANATOS, “THERAPEUTIC ANTIBODIES NEUTRALIZING ALL THE ORTHOPOXVIRUS INFECTIOUS FOR HUMANS, INCLUDING SMALLPOX”, a new Horizon Europe project funded under HORIZON-HLTH-2025-01-DISEASE-03.

The project will start on 1 September and aims to develop and clinically validate ArAv87, a broad-spectrum, human-like recombinant antibody designed to neutralize all orthopoxviruses infectious for humans.

THANATOS addresses a major unmet medical need, as no specific and scalable therapy is currently available for orthopoxvirus infections. By combining artificial intelligence with gold-standard laboratory techniques, the consortium will work to optimize ArAv87 in terms of affinity, clinical tolerance, manufacturability, and stability, with the goal of advancing a first-in-class therapeutic solution from research to clinical application.

The consortium is coordinated by CEA – Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives and brings together partners from France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Cameroon, and Italy.

Having supported the preparation of the proposal, Innovation Acta will now take care of the project’s administrative management, as well as communication and dissemination activities, supporting the effective implementation and visibility of this ambitious international initiative.

Funding Opportunities in AI-Driven Discovery & Rare Disease Clinical Trials

Innovation is accelerating across Europe’s research landscape, with new funding opportunities supporting both next-generation AI-enabled science and clinical development in rare diseases.

Horizon Europe – AI in Science (RAISE Pilot) has been launched by the European Commission, with two highly anticipated Horizon Europe topics under the AI in Science (RAISE) initiative (call opening on 22^nd of September), designed to transform how scientific discoveries are made through the integration of artificial intelligence, laboratory automation, robotics and advanced data infrastructures.

HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01-01: Automated Scientific Discovery

• Budget: €29 million
• Projects funded: 3
• Deadline: 2 February 2027
• Funding rate: 100% HE grant funding
• Focus: Development of AI-enabled, closed-loop scientific experimentation systems, particularly in materials science and other research domains. Projects should demonstrate how existing laboratories can be enhanced with AI-driven decision making, automation and real-time experimentation to accelerate discovery and improve reproducibility.

HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01-02: Automated Scientific Discovery – Food

• Budget: €3 million
• Projects funded: 1
• Deadline: 2 February 2027
• Funding rate: 100% HE grant funding
• Focus: Application of AI-driven laboratory automation to food science, biotechnology, precision fermentation and sustainable food systems. The call aims to create autonomous or semi-autonomous experimentation platforms capable of accelerating innovation in food and bio-based sectors

Innovation Acta presented at the 11th PhD Students Meeting at the MARIO NEGRI INSTITUTE FOUNDATION the funding opportunities and grant‑writing insights to next generation scientists, featuring a curated selection of fully funded postdoctoral positions across Europe. The initiative brings visibility to high-quality research opportunities in fields such as AI, health innovation, engineering and advanced materials, supporting early-career researchers in accessing cutting-edge programmes. An example of Inn-Acta’s commitment to fostering research excellence and connecting talent with strategic funding pathways.

We are pleased to share an important milestone in the life of the geneTIGA project: the upcoming Final Meeting, which will take place in Rome on November 23–24, 2026.

The geneTIGA project will hold its Final Meeting in Rome on 23–24 November 2026, marking a key milestone in advancing European research in gene and cell therapy. The event will present the project’s final scientific results, with a strong focus on engineered T-cell approaches and next-generation gene editing strategies for immune-mediated diseases. Researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders will discuss how these breakthroughs can be translated into clinical applications and future therapeutic development pathways, while also fostering new collaborations across the European research landscape.

📍 Rome, Italy
📅 November 23–24, 2026
Registration will open soon.

In parallel, two new project videos are now online, offering an inside look at the people and science behind geneTIGA. Through short interviews, project coordinator Petra Reinke, along with Toni Catomen, Catherine Bull and Dimitrios Wagner, share insights into the project’s goals, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the integration of clinical expertise and technological innovation. A second video features Johanna Olweus, who reflects on recent achievements and outlines the next steps toward translating research into tangible clinical impact.

Both the Final Meeting and the new videos highlight geneTIGA’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge gene and cell therapy research, strengthening collaboration, and accelerating the path from discovery to patient benefit.

As the leader partner for communication activities within the PROTO project, Innovation Acta will represent the project at the upcoming ATiO Conference 2026, one of the leading international events dedicated to osteoarthritis research and innovation, bringing together a highly specialized audience of experts, clinicians, and stakeholders.

PROTO will participate in the conference as an official sponsor, reinforcing its commitment to advancing research and innovation in osteoarthritis. This sponsorship represents a key opportunity to enhance the project’s visibility within the global scientific community.

As part of the conference programme, PROTO will deliver a dedicated pitch presentation to showcase its innovative approach and ongoing work in addressing major challenges in osteoarthritis. This will enable direct engagement with leading experts and support the creation of new opportunities for collaboration and impact.

Through this joint presence, Innovation Acta and PROTO further strengthen their role in disseminating cutting-edge research and contributing to advancing next-generation solutions for osteoarthritis.

Spring 2026 marked an exceptionally active period across Horizon Europe health and innovation calls, reflecting both the scale of competition and the continued commitment of the research community.

The HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01 call, which closed on 16 April 2026, attracted an impressive total of 1003 proposals. Submission levels varied significantly across topics, highlighting areas of particularly strong interest. The TOOL-03 topic led with 204 proposals, followed by ENVHLTH-01 with 119 and DISEASE-03 and DISEASE-02 with over 100 submissions each.

In May, the HORIZON-EIC-2026-PATHFINDEROPEN call closed on 12 May with an outstanding 2103 proposals submitted, confirming its position as one of the most competitive instruments supporting breakthrough and high-risk innovations in Europe.

Innovation Acta actively contributed to this intense proposal landscape, supporting international clients throughout the submission process while also participating directly in multiple consortia. Over April, we submitted 13 proposals under Health cluster and 1 IHI proposal. In May, our engagement continued with 6 EIC Pathfinder Open proposals.

This sustained level of activity reflects both the growing demand for high-quality project development support and our continued commitment to advancing impactful research and innovation initiatives at European level.