Quick facts

• Programme: Horizon
• Project number: 101217281
• Start date: 1 September 2025
• End date: 31 August 2029
• Duration: 48 months
• Total budget: 2,937,337 EUR

About the project

The CITADELS project aims to transform seven widening countries into hubs of human-centric Industry 5.0 by fostering DeepTech innovation, talent circulation, and academia–industry collaboration. Bringing together 10 partners from 9 countries — including leading universities, DeepTech companies, a science park, and EU innovation leaders — the project strengthens regional ecosystems, creates sustainable DeepTech career pathways, and combats brain drain. By aligning research excellence with industrial needs, CITADELS accelerates technology adoption, drives high-value job creation, and enhances economic resilience, positioning widening countries as competitive players in the global DeepTech landscape.

VISION
Establish widening countries as globally competitive DeepTech hubs that drive industrial modernisation, economic resilience, and social cohesion. The CITADELS project envisions a future where sustainable innovation, advanced infrastructure, and inclusive talent mobility underpin the next generation of high-value industries across Europe.

MISSION
The CITADELS project seeks to transform widening countries into citadels of humancentric Industry 5.0 development by aligning academic excellence with industrial needs. Through talent circulation, cross-sectoral collaboration, and targeted capacity-building, the project strengthens innovation ecosystems, builds bridges between academia and industry, and creates sustainable career pathways in DeepTech.

Project partners

• University of Belgrade, School of Electrical Engineering
• EIT Manufacturing East GmbH
• NOVA IMS – Information Management School
• Extended Reality Institute
• TECNALIA Serbia
• Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation
• Knowledge & Innovation
• Industrial Hub
• POMURJE Technology Park
• Corvinus University of Budapest