USAMHorizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

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Innovation Partner Profile

Horizon Europe · 2021–2027

USAM

Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

An integrated innovation delivery organisation combining applied technology development, research support, capacity building and startup ecosystem services for European consortia.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCESOFTWARE ENGINEERINGRESEARCH & INNOVATIONCAPACITY BUILDINGSTARTUP ECOSYSTEMS

Innovation Partner Profile

Horizon Europe · 2021–2027

Prepared for consortium coordinators

Innovation Partner Profile

Horizon Europe · 2021–2027

USAM

Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

An integrated innovation delivery organisation combining applied technology development, research support, capacity building and startup ecosystem services for European consortia.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCESOFTWARE ENGINEERINGRESEARCH & INNOVATIONCAPACITY BUILDINGSTARTUP ECOSYSTEMS

Innovation Partner Profile

Horizon Europe · 2021–2027

Prepared for consortium coordinators

01 · EXECUTIVE SUMMARYUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

A single partner covering technology, research support, skills and ecosystem delivery

USAM is one organisation with five integrated capability domains. It can be engaged as a work package leader or as a contributing partner across all three Horizon Europe pillars.

WHO WE ARE

One delivery organisation

Innovation delivery organisation, not a holding structure
Specialised internal units under one legal entity and one management system
Single point of contact for contracting, reporting and audit

WHAT WE DELIVER

Five capability domains

Artificial intelligence and data-driven systems
Software engineering and digital platforms
Capacity building and innovation education
Startup and innovation ecosystem programmes
Applied research, TRL advancement and technology transfer

HORIZON EUROPE RELEVANCE

Where we contribute

Pillar I: research digitalisation, research software, researcher training
Pillar II: technology development, pilots, validation, SME and skills work packages
Pillar III: EIC and European Innovation Ecosystems support, acceleration, commercialisation

VALUE TO THE CONSORTIUM

Why it lowers risk

Technical work packages and exploitation handled by the same partner
Prototypes progressed from concept to validated demonstrator
Trained users and community uptake secured during the project, not after it
Dissemination, exploitation and sustainability planned from month one

02 · ABOUT USAMUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

An innovation delivery platform built around execution

USAM operates as one organisation with specialised internal delivery units. Each unit contributes capacity to the same project teams, under shared quality, reporting and data-management procedures.

MISSION

Turn research and technology into applied outcomes

Design, build and validate technology, and develop the people required to sustain it after the project ends.

VISION

A connected European delivery partner

Contribute reliably to European research and innovation projects across borders and sectors.

OPERATING PRINCIPLE

One entity, integrated delivery

Cross-disciplinary teams are assembled per project under one delivery methodology and one reporting line.

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Foundation

Established as a technology and software delivery organisation.

Capacity building

Training, bootcamps and entrepreneurship education added as a structured service line.

Startup ecosystem

Pre-incubation, incubation and acceleration programmes designed and delivered with partners.

Artificial intelligence

Dedicated AI unit for generative AI, agents and enterprise knowledge systems.

European engagement

Positioning for Horizon Europe consortia as technology, capacity building and ecosystem partner.

03 · KEY FIGURESUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Capacity at a glance

Figures describe delivered activity and available capacity. Values are confirmed on request and updated at each profile revision.

Experts

Engineering, research, training, ecosystem

Service lines

Across five capability domains

Innovation programmes

Designed and delivered

Startups supported

Pre-incubation to acceleration

Partner organisations

Universities, SMEs, public bodies

Countries

Delivery and partner presence

Training hours

Delivered annually

Professionals trained

Cumulative

AI solutions

Deployed or piloted

Digital platforms

Delivered to production

Supporting evidence — references, CVs of key personnel, financial statements and declarations of capacity — is available for due diligence during proposal preparation.

04 · PARTNER RATIONALEUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Six reasons a coordinator adds USAM to a consortium

Each point states the capability, the evidence a coordinator can verify, and the project risk it reduces.

Execution capacity

In-house engineering, training and programme teams deliver work packages without subcontracting the core tasks.

Verifiable: staff CVs, delivery references

Cross-disciplinary teams

Technology, research support, education and ecosystem specialists work in one team, reducing hand-over losses between work packages.

Verifiable: project team composition

Startup ecosystem practice

Programme design, scouting, mentoring and investment readiness delivered as standard services, not as an add-on.

Verifiable: programme documentation

Applied AI capability

Generative AI, agents and knowledge systems built for operational use, with attention to data governance and evaluation.

Verifiable: solution demonstrations

Production-grade software

Platforms, APIs and dashboards delivered to production standards, allowing pilots to run with real users.

Verifiable: platform references

Uptake and sustainability

Training, community building and commercialisation support keep results in use after the grant period.

Verifiable: curricula and exploitation plans

05 · CAPABILITY OVERVIEWUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Five domains, one delivery model

Domains are combined per project. A typical engagement uses two or three domains in parallel, coordinated by a single project manager.

USAM · ONE DELIVERY MODEL

Integrated innovation delivery

Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI · Agents · Knowledge systems · Automation

Software Engineering

Platforms · SaaS · Cloud · APIs · Mobile

Research & Innovation

Applied research · TRL advancement · Technology transfer

Capacity Building

Training · Bootcamps · Curricula · Simulation learning

Startup Ecosystems

Incubation · Acceleration · Investment readiness

Domain	Typical work package role	Pillar fit
Artificial Intelligence	Technical development, validation	I · II · III
Software Engineering	Platform delivery, integration, pilots	I · II · III
Research & Innovation	Applied research, TRL advancement, exploitation	I · II
Capacity Building	Training, skills, dissemination	I · II · III
Startup Ecosystems	Ecosystem building, acceleration, commercialisation	III · II

06 · CAPABILITY · ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCEUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Applied AI for research, industry and public services

AI work is scoped against a defined use case, evaluated against measurable criteria, and delivered with documentation for reuse by consortium partners.

SYSTEMS

Generative AI

LLM integration
Retrieval-augmented generation
Domain-specific assistants
Evaluation and guardrails

SYSTEMS

AI agents & automation

Task and workflow agents
Process automation
Decision support
Human-in-the-loop design

DATA

Knowledge systems

Knowledge bases and search
Data pipelines
Structured extraction
Research data platforms

ADOPTION

AI strategy & uptake

Use-case assessment
AI adoption roadmaps
Staff enablement
Responsible and ethical use

DELIVERY WORKFLOW

Use-case definition

Problem, users, success criteria

Data assessment

Availability, quality, governance

Prototype

TRL 3–4 proof of concept

Evaluation

Accuracy, safety, bias, cost

Integration

APIs, systems, user interfaces

Pilot & handover

TRL 6–7, training, documentation

HORIZON EUROPE APPLICATION

AI-enabled research tools · digital public services · industrial and healthcare applications · knowledge management for consortia · AI skills work packages · compliance-aware deployment aligned with EU data and AI requirements.

07 · CAPABILITY · SOFTWARE ENGINEERINGUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Digital platforms that carry pilots into real use

Software is delivered to production standards so that pilot activities can run with real users, real data and measurable indicators.

LAYER 01

Products & interfaces

Web platforms and portals
Mobile applications
Dashboards and reporting
Accessibility and multilingual interfaces

LAYER 02

Platforms & services

SaaS and multi-tenant systems
Enterprise systems
APIs and service integration
Workflow and case management

LAYER 03

Infrastructure

Cloud architecture and deployment
CI/CD and environments
Monitoring and reliability
Security and access control

LAYER 04

Engineering practice

Requirements and architecture
Testing and quality assurance
Documentation and handover
Open-source release where required

PROJECT ROLE

What we take on

Technical work package leadership
Reference architecture and technical specification
Integration of partner components
Pilot platform operation during the project
Data management plan implementation

STANDARDS

Compliance by design

GDPR-aligned data handling
Accessibility (EN 301 549 / WCAG) as a requirement
Open standards and interoperability
FAIR data principles where applicable

08 · CAPABILITY · CAPACITY BUILDINGUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Skills delivery that produces measurable competence

Programmes are designed against learning outcomes, delivered in blended formats and assessed. Materials are reusable by consortium partners after the project.

METHODOLOGY

Needs analysis

Target groups, skills gaps, baseline

Curriculum design

Learning outcomes, ECTS-compatible units

Material development

Modules, cases, toolkits

Delivery

Blended, online, on-site

Assessment

Competence measurement, certification

Transfer

Train-the-trainer, open materials

FORMATS

Professional development

Technical and AI training
Digital skills programmes
Executive and management sessions
Public-sector innovation training

FORMATS

Intensive learning

Bootcamps
Innovation workshops
Design sprints
Summer and winter schools

FORMATS

Experiential learning

Simulation-based learning
Serious games and innovation games
Entrepreneurship education
Challenge-based learning

HORIZON EUROPE APPLICATION

Skills and training work packages · researcher and staff development · MSCA-type training support · capacity building for SMEs and public authorities · training components of dissemination and exploitation work packages.

09 · CAPABILITY · STARTUP & INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Full venture lifecycle, delivered as structured programmes

Each stage has defined entry criteria, activities and exit indicators. Programmes can be run as project activities, cascading funding schemes or open calls.

Idea

Scouting, challenges, hackathons

Validation

Problem–solution fit, early users

Pre-incubation

Team formation, business modelling

Incubation

Product, first customers, structure

Acceleration

Traction, metrics, market entry

Investment readiness

Financials, due diligence, investor access

Post-acceleration

Internationalisation, soft landing

Scaling

Partnerships, public procurement, growth

PROGRAMME OPERATIONS

What we run

Open calls and applicant assessment
Mentor pools and matching
Demo days and investor sessions
Cascading funding administration support

COMMUNITY

Ecosystem building

Innovation communities and networks
University venture labs
Innovation challenges and hackathons
Cross-border cooperation and soft landing

FOUNDERS

Venture support

Founder development and coaching
Business modelling and go-to-market
Investment readiness and pitch preparation
Access to corporate and public customers

EIC ECOSYSTEM SUPPORTEUROPEAN INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMSCASCADING FUNDING (FSTP)UNIVERSITY INNOVATIONSME ENGAGEMENT

10 · CAPABILITY · RESEARCH & INNOVATIONUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

From applied research to exploitable results

Research support is organised around technology readiness. USAM contributes to the applied end of the chain and to the transfer of results into use.

TRL CONTRIBUTION

TRL 1

TRL 2

TRL 3

TRL 4

TRL 5

TRL 6

TRL 7

TRL 8

TRL 9

RESEARCH

Applied research

Requirements and state-of-the-art analysis
Experimental development
Technology validation
Evaluation frameworks and KPIs

MANAGEMENT

Innovation management

Innovation strategy and roadmaps
Portfolio and IP planning
Risk and quality management
Impact pathway design

TRANSFER

Technology transfer

Technology assessment
Licensing and spin-off pathways
University–industry cooperation
Knowledge transfer activities

MARKET

Commercialisation

Business case and market analysis
Exploitation plans and key exploitable results
Pricing and delivery models
Post-project sustainability

11 · HORIZON EUROPE POSITIONINGUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Where USAM contributes across the three pillars

The matrix indicates the level of contribution USAM can commit to in each partner role. It is intended as a first screening tool during consortium formation.

Partner role	Pillar I · Excellent Science	Pillar II · Global Challenges	Pillar III · Innovative Europe
Technology Partner	◐	●	●
AI Partner	●	●	◐
Software / Platform Partner	●	●	●
Research Partner	◐	●	◐
Capacity Building Partner	●	●	●
Innovation Management Partner	○	●	●
Living Lab Partner	○	●	◐
Pilot Partner	○	●	◐
Dissemination Partner	●	●	●
Exploitation & Commercialisation Partner	○	●	●
Startup Ecosystem Partner	○	◐	●

READING THE MATRIX

Contribution levels

●Lead capability — can lead a work package or task

◐Supporting capability — substantial contribution to partner-led tasks

○Limited capability — contribution on request, in cooperation with partners

STRONGEST FIT

Pillar III and Pillar II

Innovation ecosystems, acceleration and commercialisation (Pillar III)
Digital, industrial and societal technology development, pilots and skills (Pillar II)
Research digitalisation and training as supporting roles (Pillar I)

12 · CONTRIBUTION ACROSS PILLARSUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Contribution logic by pillar

USAM positions itself according to the type of activity funded in each pillar, rather than claiming equal relevance everywhere.

PILLAR I

Excellent Science

SUPPORTING PARTNER

Research software and data platforms
AI-enabled research tools and analysis
Scientific collaboration and knowledge platforms
Researcher training and digital skills
Research capacity building and infrastructure support

PILLAR II

Global Challenges & Industrial Competitiveness

LEAD OR CONTRIBUTING PARTNER

Technology development and system integration
Pilots, living labs and validation in operational settings
Digital public services, health, education and green applications
SME engagement, skills development and innovation adoption
Dissemination, exploitation and open innovation activities

PILLAR III

Innovative Europe

LEAD PARTNER

Innovation ecosystem development and connection
Acceleration, pre-acceleration and post-acceleration programmes
Investment readiness and commercialisation support
University innovation, venture building and founder development
Cross-border collaboration, soft landing and internationalisation

13 · PILLAR III · DEEP DIVEUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Innovative Europe: ecosystem delivery from scouting to scale-up

USAM is configured to deliver the operational side of innovation ecosystem projects: programme design, recruitment of ventures, mentoring, cross-border activity and commercialisation support.

EIC

European Innovation Council

Business acceleration support
Investment readiness for deep-tech ventures
Corporate and investor matchmaking

EIE

European Innovation Ecosystems

Connecting regional ecosystems
Joint programmes across borders
Ecosystem mapping and gap analysis

TALENT

Entrepreneurship & university innovation

University venture labs and student ventures
Innovation education and curricula
Technology commercialisation from research

SCALE

Commercialisation & internationalisation

Market access and go-to-market design
Soft-landing and cross-border expansion
Public and corporate customer access

Programme design

Objectives, criteria, KPIs

Open call

Outreach, applications, evaluation

Cohort delivery

Curriculum, mentoring, milestones

Investment readiness

Metrics, materials, investor access

Demo & matchmaking

Demo days, corporate sessions

Follow-up

Tracking, alumni, sustainability

14 · TYPICAL ROLESUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Typical roles within Horizon Europe projects

Roles USAM can take, the responsibility attached to each, and whether the role can be led or supported. Coordination is offered for ecosystem and capacity building actions.

Role	Responsibility	Lead / support
Coordinator	Consortium and grant management	Lead
Work Package Leader	Planning, deliverables, reporting	Lead
Technology Partner	Design, build and integration	Lead
AI Partner	AI components and evaluation	Lead
Digital Platform Provider	Project platform or portal	Lead
Training Partner	Curriculum, delivery, assessment	Lead
Capacity Building Partner	Institutional capacity development	Lead
Innovation Partner	Roadmaps and impact pathway	Lead
Startup Ecosystem Partner	Programmes, calls, mentoring	Lead

Role	Responsibility	Lead / support
Research Partner	Applied research and validation	Support
Living Lab Partner	Co-creation and real-world testing	Lead
Pilot Partner	Pilot set-up and evaluation	Lead
Communication Partner	Communication plan and content	Support
Dissemination Partner	Target-group outreach	Lead
Exploitation Partner	Key exploitable results	Lead
Commercialisation Partner	Market entry and licensing	Lead
University Innovation Partner	Venture labs and entrepreneurship	Lead
SME Support Partner	SME engagement and adoption	Lead

15 · REPRESENTATIVE DELIVERABLESUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Deliverables USAM can produce within a work plan

The list describes delivery capability, not completed projects. Each item can be specified as a numbered deliverable with a defined month, type and dissemination level.

TECHNOLOGY

Systems & platforms

AI platforms and assistants
Digital platforms and portals
Knowledge and data portals
Community platforms
APIs and integration layers
Dashboards and monitoring tools

EVIDENCE

Reports & assessments

Technology assessments
Validation and pilot reports
Evaluation frameworks and KPI sets
Innovation roadmaps
Commercialisation and exploitation strategies
Policy support material

SKILLS

Learning outputs

Training programmes and curricula
Bootcamps and workshops
Innovation toolkits and handbooks
Serious games and simulations
Train-the-trainer packages
Open educational resources

ECOSYSTEM

Programmes & engagement

Acceleration and mentorship programmes
Innovation challenges and hackathons
Demo days and matchmaking events
Stakeholder engagement activities
Pilot demonstrations
Community and network building

16 · PROJECT LIFECYCLE SUPPORTUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

How USAM supports a project from opportunity to sustainability

Involvement can start at the proposal stage or at any later point. The same team stays with the project through implementation, validation and exploitation.

BEFORE THE GRANT

Opportunity screening

Call and topic fit, role definition

Consortium formation

Partner gaps, complementarity, letters of support

Proposal contribution

Excellence, impact and implementation input; WP descriptions

DURING IMPLEMENTATION

Technology development

Architecture, build, integration

Capacity building

Training of users and partner staff

Pilot activities

Deployment, user engagement, data

Validation

KPI measurement, evaluation reports

Dissemination

Target-group outreach and materials

TOWARDS IMPACT

Exploitation

Key exploitable results, ownership, business cases

Commercialisation

Market entry, licensing, venture creation

Sustainability

Operation, governance and funding after the grant

17 · PARTNERSHIP MODELSUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Engagement models available to consortia

USAM adapts its role to the structure of the action. All models operate under the same delivery methodology and reporting standards.

OFFERED SELECTIVELY

Coordinator

Full consortium and grant management for ecosystem, capacity building and digital transformation actions.

STANDARD ROLE

Work Package Leader

Leadership of technical, training, pilot, dissemination or exploitation work packages.

STANDARD ROLE

Technology Partner

Delivery of software, AI components, platforms and integration across partner systems.

STANDARD ROLE

Pilot & Living Lab Partner

Set-up and operation of pilot sites, user engagement and real-world testing.

STANDARD ROLE

Training Partner

Curriculum design, delivery, assessment and train-the-trainer transfer.

STANDARD ROLE

Innovation & Ecosystem Partner

Programme design, open calls, mentoring, investment readiness and commercialisation.

IN COOPERATION WITH RTOS

Research Partner

Applied research tasks, technology validation and contribution to scientific outputs.

ON REQUEST

Associated Partner

Contribution without EU funding where the action or national rules require it.

ON REQUEST

Third Party / Subcontractor

Defined technical or training services where a full partner role is not appropriate.

18 · DELIVERY METHODOLOGYUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

One methodology across every capability domain

Each phase has defined inputs, outputs and quality gates. The methodology maps directly onto Horizon Europe deliverables, milestones and reporting periods.

Discover

Requirements, users, baseline, risks

Design

Architecture, curriculum or programme design

Develop

Build, iterate, internal quality assurance

Deploy

Release, onboarding, pilot set-up

Validate

Testing, KPI measurement, user feedback

Scale

Wider rollout, transfer to partners

Measure impact

Evidence, exploitation, sustainability

GOVERNANCE

Project management

Named project manager and technical lead
Milestone and deliverable tracking
Risk register and mitigation reviews
Monthly progress reporting to the coordinator

QUALITY

Quality assurance

Peer review of deliverables before submission
Defined acceptance criteria per output
Version control and documentation standards
Independent testing before pilot release

COMPLIANCE

Ethics, data and reporting

Data management plan implementation
GDPR and research ethics compliance
Open science and open access where required
Audit-ready cost and effort recording

19 · CONSORTIUM NEEDS MAPPINGUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Consortium need mapped to capability, contribution and work package

A screening table for coordinators building a work plan. Each row can be transferred directly into a proposal structure.

Consortium need	USAM capability	Expected contribution	Potential work packages
AI component in the work plan	Generative AI, agents, knowledge systems	Prototype to validated component with evaluation evidence	WP · Technology development, WP · Validation
Project platform or portal	Software engineering, cloud, APIs	Production platform operated during the project	WP · Platform development, WP · Pilots
Pilots with real users	Living lab practice, deployment, support	Pilot set-up, operation, user engagement, KPI data	WP · Pilot and demonstration
Skills and training outputs	Curriculum design, blended delivery, assessment	Training programme, materials and certified participants	WP · Capacity building, WP · Training
SME and startup engagement	Scouting, open calls, acceleration, mentoring	Recruited cohorts, programme delivery, tracked outcomes	WP · Ecosystem, WP · Cascading funding
Commercialisation of results	Business cases, IP pathways, market access	Exploitation plan and key exploitable results	WP · Exploitation, WP · Sustainability
Dissemination and community	Communication, events, community building	Outreach plan, events, engaged stakeholder base	WP · Dissemination and communication
Innovation management	Roadmaps, portfolio, impact pathway	Innovation management framework and monitoring	WP · Management, WP · Impact

20 · INTERNAL DELIVERY UNITSUSAM · Horizon Europe Innovation Partner Profile

Specialised units within one legal entity

Units are internal delivery structures, not separate companies. Consortia contract one entity, receive one financial statement and work with one project management interface.

AI Unit

Generative AI, agents, data and knowledge systems, AI adoption.

Technology Unit

Software engineering, platforms, cloud, integration, operations.

Research Unit

Applied research, validation, innovation management, technology transfer.

Education Unit

Curricula, training delivery, simulation learning, assessment.

Ecosystem Unit

Incubation, acceleration, mentoring, investment readiness, community.

European Projects Office

Proposal support, project management, reporting, compliance, audit.

SINGLE-ENTITY ADVANTAGE FOR CONSORTIA

One grant agreement signatory and one PIC

One consolidated financial statement and audit trail

Cross-domain teams without subcontracting the core work

Continuity of staff from proposal to final review

USAM · HORIZON EUROPE INNOVATION PARTNER PROFILE

Open to consortium discussions

Contact us with the call identifier and the role you need to fill. A capability statement, letter of intent and draft work package description can be provided within five working days.

LETTER OF INTENTCAPABILITY STATEMENTDRAFT WORK PACKAGEPIC & LEGAL DOCUMENTS

ORGANISATIONAL CONTACT

USAM

European Projects Office

Email: Horizon@usamif.com
Website: [https://Horizon.usamif.com]
LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/company/usamif]
Location: [Cairo, Egypt]
PIC: [000000000]

This profile is prepared for Horizon Europe partner-search activities.