NGI International Collaboration – Transatlantic Fellowship Programme

NGI Enrichers aims to be the European gateway for Internet innovators to both the US and Canada. An agile and flexible fellowship programme will provide financial support to Internet innovators from European and Horizon Europe associated countries to travel to the US or to Canada and collaborate with their counterparts on NGI (Next generation Internet)-related topics, such as on trust and data sovereignty, internet architecture renovation and decentralised technologies and solutions. Three open calls will be organised and 70 to 90 EU Internet researchers and innovators will be selected for 3 to 6 months fellowships (travel and monthly allowance), and be hosted by world class US and Canadian universities, research centers, or cutting-edge Internet private sector organisations to jointly develop innovative solutions and services in line with EU values and policy priorities. A community platform will support knowledge sharing and help establish long-term collaborations on NGI technologies, services, and standards. Fellows will participate in hybrid bootcamps, receive on-demand business, technical and collaboration support services and mentorship in order to increase the impact of their collaborations, and participate in a pitch and award ceremony. A pilot action with Canada will also be set up to provide additional or reciprocal fellowships to expand or reinforce initiated NGI collaborations. NGI Enrichers therefore offers a unique and 360° approach offering optimal preparations, ideal onsite conditions and long-term effects with sustainable collaboration partnerships, and will specifically allow to (1) enhance EU-US and EU-Canada cooperation in the development of NGI technologies, services and standards, (2) reinforce and expand NGI transatlantic ecosystem of top researchers, high-tech startups / SMEs and Internet-related communities collaborating on the evolution of the Internet according to a human-centric approach (3) help sharing the EU vision and values with US and Canadian counterparts and thus (4) contribute to the EU internet policy objectives.