Scaling corporate-startup collaboration in Europe: Interview with Lieven Deketele of P&G

When Europe’s highest-potential start-ups and biggest corporates work together, we see cutting-edge innovations fast-tracked right into game-changing services and products.

The European Technology Council (EIC) is linking the advancement and cooperation void in between Europe’s sophisticated start-ups and developed international companies with the Corporate Partnership Programme ( CPP). Considering that 2017, the EIC CPP has actually arranged 91 Company and Multi-Corporate Exploration Days, promoting 100+ effective transaction in between start-ups and corporates like Galp, BMW, L’Oreal, Telefonica, and Procter & Wager. Their latest report, “ Opening Technology via Corporate-Startup Cooperation” deals an in-depth review of EIC CPP tasks and a roadmap for efficient corporate-startup collaborations.

In this short article, we talk to Lieven Deketele, Supervisor of Open Technology at Procter & Wager (P&G), an enduring companion of the European Technology Council P&G has actually been taken part in the EIC Corporate Collaboration Program because 2018 and 2019, and much more lately signed up with the EIC Multi-Corporate Exploration Day in Brussels in October 2025, together with various other leading companies. With years of experience in open advancement via its widely known ‘Link + Create’ program, P&G functions carefully with exterior companions to drive lasting, consumer-focused advancement at range.

In the meeting, Lieven shares why accessibility to EIC– moneyed pioneers issues for big corporates, exactly how the EIC Corporate Collaboration Program layout allowed much deeper technological discussions, and what concrete results arised from the tasks. He additionally uses sensible guidance for various other corporates taking into consideration signing up with the following EIC Multi-Corporate Day

Welcome, Lieven! Thanks for joining us. Allow’s very first discuss P&G’s lengthy background of teaming up with start-ups and pioneers. Exactly how does this suit your business’s more comprehensive method?

Technology is the lifeline of Procter & Wager. For over 180 years, our objective has actually been to offer customers worldwide with brand names, services and products that make their lives a little far better on a daily basis. To proceed attaining this in a quickly transforming globe, we identify that we can not produce all the required technologies on our very own. This understanding is the structure of our ‘Link + Create’ program, which is a core column of our advancement method. We intend to make it possible for value-creation via a wider ecological community that incorporates P&G’s deep customer understanding, international range, and R&D capacities with the dexterity, unique innovation, and distinct viewpoints of our companions. With cooperation, we produce an effective mix that leverages a development ecological community. By collaborating with start-ups and pioneers, we can increase advancement, resolve complicated customer obstacles in brand-new means, and gain access to advancement innovations that straighten with our objective of producing irresistibly remarkable and lasting items and experiences for our customers.

From your viewpoint, what is the most significant advantage when partnering with EU-funded pioneers?

The solitary most significant advantage is accessing a curated and de-risked pipe of high-potential technologies. The European Technology Council (EIC) works as an effective filter and an extraordinary driver for advancement. The pioneers we satisfy via the EIC do not just existing principles in slide decks; they are firms that have actually currently gone through a strenuous vetting and option procedure. Understanding that a pioneer has actually safeguarded EIC financing provides us self-confidence in their technical structure, the capacity of their group, and their possible for scaling. The EIC’s persistance conserves us important time and permits us to concentrate our initiatives on evaluating the tactical fit and co-creation possibility.

In Addition, the EIC’s Service Velocity Provider make sure that these start-ups are usually much more ‘collaboration-ready,’ as they recognize the characteristics of collaborating with a huge company companion. It gives a straight and relied on path to a few of one of the most encouraging deep-tech and advancement scientific research arising throughout Europe. We wish to see even more start-ups that have actually undergone this procedure.

You signed up with the EIC’s Multi-Corporate Day at Influence Circle 2025 What inspired P&G to participate?

Our inspiration was threefold. Initially, the task was extremely tactical and targeted. The EIC collaborated with us and the various other corporates ahead of time to recognize our particular advancement requirements, such as AI-enhanced products, lasting product packaging options, and data-driven customer understandings. This made sure that the start-ups existing were straight appropriate to our obstacles.

2nd, the effectiveness of the layout is exceptional and genuinely worldclass, financial on the experience and proficiency of Tomorrowland and Love Tomorrow. In simply a number of days, we had the ability to participate in purposeful, deep-dive discussions with a considerable variety of pre-vetted pioneers. This stands for an incredible velocity contrasted to various other searching procedures.

Ultimately, the multi-corporate element is a vital differentiator. Attending to systemic obstacles like sustainability or supply chain strength is larger than any kind of solitary business. Working together together with valued peers like abdominal muscle INBEV and Coca Soda produces a distinct gravity that brings in the first-rate start-ups. It promotes a pre-competitive setting where we can jointly progress the advancement ecological community, which is a win for everybody included– corporates, start-ups, and eventually, European customers.

Exactly how did this layout assist your group discover brand-new options or determine possible cooperations with the start-ups the EIC brought right into the area?

The layout contributed– it relocates past the conventional, shallow pitch and enables authentic, substantive discussion. The framework of devoted, concentrated sessions allowed our cross-functional group included professionals from R&D, Product Packaging, Supply Chain, Design and various other professional features to involve straight with the start-ups’ creators and technological leads. This straight communication is important; it permits us to promptly surpass the ‘what’ and dive deep right into the ‘exactly how.’ Our professionals might ask comprehensive technological concerns, discover the scalability of their options, and collaboratively brainstorm possible usage instances within the P&G setting. As an example, in a session with a products scientific research start-up, our product packaging researcher and an item formula specialist might concurrently analyze an innovation and its combination usefulness. This instant, multi-faceted comments loophole is exceptionally efficient for swiftly recognizing one of the most encouraging possibilities for cooperation.

P&G additionally joined the EIC Multi-Corporate Day in Brussels in October 2025 together with various other leading corporates. What were the major takeaways from that task, and exactly how did the procedure and results vary from your experience at Influence Circle?

Both occasions were extremely important and corresponding. Their success was rooted in months of prep work, where we involved inside to distill our vital requirements and possibilities, enabling the EIC to curate appropriate start-ups.

Influence Circle is a distinct system for thorough discussions amongst start-ups, corporates, and academics. Adeptly arranged in collaboration with the EIC, it was created to resolve the tactical requirements shared by corporates. The efficient, multi-day layout– incorporating resort workshops with matchmaking at the celebration website– enabled us to concentrate on particular obstacles while attracting ideas from brand-new opportunities. This occasion has actually currently caused the initiation of numerous pilots, which we wish will certainly cause considerable innovations.

The Brussels occasion, on the other hand, gave a much more concentrated dynamic. Organizing it at our very own centers, we gained from having much of our technological professionals sign up with straight. This enabled us to carry out comprehensive technological deep dives to confirm particular options versus our core service requirements.

What were one of the most important understandings or results from the EIC Corporate Collaboration Program tasks, whether in regards to collaborations, explorations, or inner discoverings?

The task under the EIC Corporate Collaboration Program has actually been extremely effective on all 3 fronts. In regards to collaborations, we have actually started follow-up discussions with numerous pioneers to discover pilot jobs. As an example, we are checking out encouraging innovations to sustain our sustainability objectives, like recyclable product packaging options or upcycled, multifunctional components. We additionally see wonderful possible in leveraging AI to improve producing effectiveness.

In regards to explorations, the program gives a great real-time picture of the advancement landscape throughout numerous thematic locations and mates. It has actually been informative to see the possibility of innovations in locations like AI-driven formula and progressed biodiversity surveillance.

Ultimately, the EIC Corporate Collaboration Program energises our organisation. It enhances the worth of our open advancement version and reveals our groups to brand-new mindsets. Seeing the interest and resourcefulness of these business owners firsthand is exceptionally motivating and works as a stimulant for our very own inner advancement society.

For various other corporates taking into consideration signing up with the following version of the EIC Multi-Corporate Day at Influence Circle in July 2026, what guidance or support would certainly you provide?

My guidance is straightforward: do it. The worth recommendation is extremely solid. Yet to increase that worth, I would certainly use 2 items of guidance.

Initially, come ready and involve early. Be extremely clear and particular regarding business and innovation obstacles you are attempting to resolve. The even more concentrated you remain in your issue declarations, the far better the EIC can be at matchmaking, guaranteeing your time is invested with one of the most appropriate trendsetter.

2nd, bring the appropriate group. Do not simply send out just advancement precursors; bring technological professionals, magnate, and decision-makers that can genuinely analyze the possibility of an innovation and promote a collaboration inside. Their straight engagement is vital to relocating from a discussion to a partnership.

Exactly how does P&G picture strengthening its involvement with the EIC Corporate Collaboration Program to drive tactical advancement results over the longer term?

We see this as a constant possibility to offer our tactical advancement obstacles to the EIC, straightened with our objective to supply irresistibly remarkable and lasting items that produce worth. To increase worth production, we intend to develop more clear, much faster paths for our service systems to involve straight with pioneers, consisting of start-ups and scaleups. Furthermore, we are strengthening our cooperation with non-competing company peers on common obstacles– whether in customer understanding, lasting products, or automation. By partnering throughout the whole European advancement ecological community, we can jointly produce higher worth for all stakeholders.

For more details, please see the European Technology Council Corporate Collaboration Program website and examine the open application for corporations.

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