A Different Success Story: The A.SPIRE Brokerage

Read all A.SPIRE’s Success Stories here

On 23 October 2025, back-to-back with the Process Industry Strategy and Foresight Conference, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Brussels hosted our flagship event, the yearly A.SPIRE P4Planet Brokerage.

It was a vibrant event, and very lively networking took place. Both participation and the feedback from our members exceeded our expectations. Over 150 industry, research and associate A.SPIRE members gathered to discuss Horizon Europe Processes4Planet 2026 calls, network and connect. 22 members took to the stage to present their project ideas. The presentations were later succeeded by three sessions of round-table discussions. The two-minute slide-free pitches encouraged concise and impactful presentations. The networking rounds at numbered tables allowed for more focused discussions, with each pitcher available for in-depth exchanges about their project ideas.

The three rounds of table discussions were followed by a networking lunch and a master class on Financial maturity and cost efficiency for applying to the Innovation Fund by the 2DPLOY project, in which A.SPIRE is a consortium member. A Coordination and Support Action (CSA), 2DPLOY supports the decarbonisation of European energy-intensive industries by increasing the deployment of low-carbon technologies through the Innovation Fund. For two hours, our members received hands-on information from experts on what has been reported as the most challenging criterion of an Innovation Fund application, financial maturity and cost efficiency. The event ended with a wrap-up by our Executive Director, Ms Àngels Orduña-Cao and Mr Sebastian Engell, A.SPIRE Advisory and Programming Group Chair & Partnership Board Co-Chair (TU Dortmund).

The feedback received from our members was overwhelmingly positive:  both the structure and the atmosphere were highly appreciated. Many participants highlighted how engaging and dynamic the format was. Participants valued the clarity and organisation of the sessions, noting that the system of three discussion rounds made it easy to connect with several projects of interest in a short time. The overall setup created a lively environment for meaningful interactions and new collaborations, with many attendees expressing their enthusiasm directly during and after the event.

Taking the temperature of the European Process Industries

A representative of Eyde Cluster described both days of the A.SPIRE October events as the place and  moment to "take the temperature of the European Process Industries." The conference and the brokerage gathered "a lot of people, and was a good mix of new and established acquaintances and new and established ideas," they continued.

"A fruitful learning about Horizon Europe and a great way to connect", someone from Brightlands Chemelot Campus told us. Moreover, "partnerships might be taking shape, as we speak," they concluded.

Another participant at the event from RWTH Aachen University noted that A.SPIRE membership and Brokerage provide “an excellent platform for networking.”

The consensus: The events proved both engaging and insightful. Our members welcomed the chance to hear the Commission’s vision for the future.

Looking ahead, A.SPIRE remains committed to innovating the European energy-intensive industries, supporting their green and digital transition, while empowering their competitiveness. The association looks forward to the Processes4Planet success stories yielded by the 2025 Brokerage.