INPROCAP will participate in Big Science Business Forum 2026, taking place from 27 to 30 October 2026 in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The event will provide an important opportunity to present the project’s results, practical tools and experience to the wider European Big Science community.
Visitors will be able to meet the INPROCAP team at Booth C067, where project partners will showcase how innovation procurement can move from concepts and procedures towards practical implementation within Big Science Organisations.
Connecting Big Science and industry
Big Science Business Forum is a business-oriented congress focused on high technology and innovation, connecting European research infrastructures with industry across a wide range of technological domains.
The 2026 edition is the fourth Big Science Business Forum, following previous editions in Trieste, Copenhagen and Granada. More than 1,200 participants are expected in Maastricht, with strong representation from major European Big Science Organisations and research institutions.
For INPROCAP, this makes the Forum a particularly relevant platform for engaging directly with the organisations, companies and other stakeholders that are at the heart of the project’s work.
What to Expect at Big Science Business Forum 2026
The Forum will bring together the European Big Science community and industry for four days of knowledge exchange, networking and business opportunities.
It provides a meeting point for Big Science Organisations, research infrastructures, companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, policymakers and other innovation stakeholders interested in the technologies, services and solutions needed to address the complex challenges of Big Science.
Participants can expect:
• insights into future business opportunities and procurement needs within major European Big Science Organisations and research infrastructures;
• thematic sessions covering key technologies, developments and challenges across the Big Science landscape;
• networking and business-to-business opportunities connecting companies with representatives of Big Science Organisations and potential partners;
• an exhibition area where organisations and companies can present their expertise, technologies, services and project results;
• opportunities for knowledge exchange between research, industry and other actors across the European Big Science ecosystem; and
• discussions on innovation and collaboration, including how emerging technologies and new approaches can respond to future Big Science needs.
This environment is particularly relevant to INPROCAP. Bringing together Big Science Organisations and industry creates an ideal setting to discuss how innovation procurement can help connect complex technological needs with innovative solutions.
From project results to practical implementation
INPROCAP is working to strengthen innovation procurement capabilities across the Big Science ecosystem by equipping Big Science Organisations, Industrial Liaison Officers, companies and other innovation actors with practical knowledge, tools and approaches.
At the Forum, visitors to Booth C067 will have the opportunity to:
• explore INPROCAP tools, resources and project results;
• discuss practical approaches to implementing innovation procurement within Big Science Organisations;
• exchange experiences with INPROCAP project partners;
• learn about approaches for strengthening collaboration between Big Science Organisations, Industrial Liaison Officers, innovative companies and small and medium-sized enterprises; and
• discuss how the project’s results can support the wider uptake of innovation procurement across the European Big Science ecosystem.
The event will therefore provide an opportunity not only to present what INPROCAP has developed, but also to exchange views with the wider community on how these results can be applied in practice.
Spotlight on the INPROCAP Training Manuals
One of the key INPROCAP highlights at the Forum will be the presentation of three practical Training Manualsdeveloped for:
• Industrial Liaison Officers;
• Big Science Organisations; and
• innovation ecosystems.
The manuals translate the knowledge and experience generated throughout the project into practical guidance that can support organisations beyond individual INPROCAP training activities.
They are designed to help strengthen innovation procurement capacity, improve collaboration with innovative companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, and encourage the broader application of innovation procurement approaches within Big Science.
Together with the project’s training activities, webinars, Community of Practice and other resources, the manuals contribute to INPROCAP’s objective of creating lasting capacity for innovation procurement across Europe.
More information:
https://www.bsbf2026.org/
