This year, Ideal-ist celebrates its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of cooperation within Europe’s digital research and innovation community.
Ideal-ist started in 1996 and has since worked across several generations of EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation. The programmes, priorities and funding instruments have changed considerably over those 30 years, but the main purpose of the network has remained much the same: bringing National Contact Points (NCPs) together, sharing knowledge and helping applicants take part in European research and innovation projects.
Today, this work continues through Idealist2027, a Horizon Europe project connecting NCPs working in the digital area of Cluster 4 - Digital, Industry and Space. NCPs bring knowledge of their national research and innovation communities, while the network gives them a way to exchange experience and expertise with colleagues from other countries. This cooperation also helps provide applicants with practical and informed support when preparing for Horizon Europe calls.
One of Ideal-ist’s priorities has always been to turn the experience within the network into services that applicants can actually use.
Partner Search helps organisations find partners and build international consortia. Project Idea Check gives applicants an opportunity to discuss an early project idea and receive feedback from experienced NCPs. Full Proposal Check provides feedback on more developed proposals before submission. The Topic Tree, meanwhile, helps applicants find their way through digital topics and identify funding opportunities relevant to their work.
These services cover different stages of proposal preparation, from finding the right call and discussing an initial idea to building a consortium and reviewing a proposal before submission.
“Thirty years is a remarkable milestone for a network like IDEAL-IST. The fact that it is still active and relevant today says a lot about the people behind it and about the value of cooperation across countries. Over the years, NCPs from across Europe and associated countries have contributed their knowledge, experience and time to build a network that is much more than the sum of its individual members.
What I value most is our ability to learn from each other and turn that collective experience into concrete support for applicants. NCPs work directly with their national research and innovation communities; they understand the questions, challenges and realities applicants face. By bringing this knowledge together at European level, we can develop services that respond to real needs and help create stronger European collaborations.
But a 30th anniversary should not only be about looking back. As we move towards the next Framework Programme, it is also an opportunity to look ahead and reflect on the future role of NCPs and their networks. Programmes will continue to evolve, and so must we. Our challenge is to preserve what has made this network valuable for 30 years while continuing to adapt to the needs of tomorrow’s applicants and Europe’s evolving research and innovation landscape.” - Judith Bloch, IDEAL-IST Coordinator, ISERD – Israel Innovation Authority.
The anniversary is also a chance to recognise the many people who have contributed to Ideal-ist since 1996. Over the years, NCPs have joined and left, EU programmes have changed and new countries and organisations have become part of the network. What has continued is the exchange of experience between colleagues and the willingness to work together across national borders.
The 30th anniversary will be celebrated on 5 October 2026 in Brussels, bringing together members of the Ideal-ist community to look back at three decades of Digital NCP cooperation, meet colleagues who have been part of the network over the years and discuss its future.
After 30 years, the role of Ideal-ist remains straightforward: to connect Digital NCPs, share expertise and help applicants build stronger European projects.
The programmes may change, but the value of working together remains.
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