Eureka

For Canadian companies looking to scale innovation beyond domestic borders, international collaboration can open doors that are hard to access alone. Eureka offers a pathway into global, market-driven R&D by connecting Canadian innovators with partners across more than 40 economies. Supported in Canada by the National Research Council of Canada, this initiative helps businesses move from promising ideas to commercially viable technologies through structured co-innovation with foreign firms, research centres, and universities.

Rather than funding a standalone project, Eureka focuses on building strong international consortiums around real market opportunities. Participants gain hands-on support with partner matchmaking, project design, and navigating cross-border collaboration, making it easier to access global value chains and new markets. Canadian small and medium-sized businesses typically receive advisory services and non-repayable funding support through NRC programs to offset a portion of their R&D costs, while larger enterprises and other organizations can also take part depending on the project structure. The level of funding varies by project, but the added value often comes from the expertise, shared risk, and accelerated development timelines that international collaboration enables.

Eureka is particularly relevant for innovation-driven businesses with global ambitions and the capacity to collaborate on advanced R&D. For companies exploring whether an international co-innovation project fits their growth strategy, a closer look at how Eureka works in practice can help clarify the potential benefits and next steps.