On 14th March 2023, the Matchmaking Event “Smart Georgia: Science and Business Dialogues” took place in Tbilisi. With the support of the EU, the matchmaking event was organised by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia in collaboration with the EU-funded Twinning project “Supporting inter-sectoral collaboration possibilities between Research and Industry” and Georgian Business Angel Network Axel. The EU-supported event aimed to connect representatives from companies with scientists to identify possibilities for further collaboration in projects of common interest and to provide information and insights about the Horizon Europe, European Innovation Council that supports disruptive profound tech innovation. It was the perfect opportunity for Georgian and international companies to meet scientists and representatives of research promotion agencies from Georgia, Germany and Austria and find out about the best solutions and opportunities within the business area and technologies developed by Georgian scientists. The main attraction was voiced in the Energy sector, and two German companies expressed an interest in Georgian inventions.

The event participants were scientists, businesses, business associations, and Angel investors, also the representatives of the European Innovation Council, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Axel - Georgian Business Angel Network. Experts from Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia, Joanneum Research, Austria, Austrian Research Promotion Agency, and Project Management Agency (DLR), Germany, also participated. During the meeting, scientists from different universities presented Pitch presentations of their work with the aim of commercialising their scientific works at the event; this way, they had an opportunity to directly communicate with businesses and attract investors to finance their projects. Important to note that matchmaking proved to be more beneficial than networking for connection science and business in Georgia. The matchmaking enabled attendees to research the people they would meet before the event, making them better prepared for the conversation and more likely to build meaningful relationships. The EU supports strengthening science-business collaboration, promoting intersectoral multidisciplinary research opportunities and advancing Georgia's science, technology and innovation system. The EU Twinning project is implemented by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia with the support of Environment Agency Austria in partnership with Joanneum Research, Austria, Austrian Science Fund, Austrian Research Promotion Agency, Project Management Agency (DLR), Germany and Daugavpils University, Latvia.

Contact Information: Ms Inese Gavarane, Resident Twinning

Advisor, EU Funded Twinning Project, “Supporting inter-sectoral collaboration possibilities between Research and Industry”, inese.gavarane@du.lv