FET Open supports early stage science and technology research exploring new foundations for radically new future technologies by challenging current paradigms and venturing into unknown areas. Early detection of promising new areas, developments and trends, along with attracting new and high-potential research and innovation players, are key factors.

FET Open combines high scientific ambition with concrete technological implications. It aims to attract interdisciplinary consortia that do not shy away from exploring connections between remote disciplines in order to open-up new and potentially game changing technological directions that FET as a whole aims to develop into the leading technology paradigms of the future, including through FET-Proactive projects and FET-Flagship initiatives.

In spite of the high initial risk, the long-term impact can be enormous: these new technologies can become the core for new high-growth companies, for new industries or for radically new ways of tackling societal challenges.

The FET-Open call is a part of the EIC pilot, which supports top-class innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies and scientists with bright ideas and the ambition to scale up internationally. It brings together the parts of Horizon 2020 that provide funding, advice and networking opportunities for those at cutting edge of innovation. In line with this, the EIC pilot offers coaching and mentoring services to funded SMEs. The coaching services focus on strategy, organisation and management, financing, technology assessment and commercialisation. Mentoring aims to develop leadership skills such as resilience, tenacity and strategic insight, qualities that could be the key to the growth of a business. FET Open provides the EIC with a bold exploratory engine that shatters the frontiers of current thinking. All FET-Open projects, even if far from today's markets, are full of great ideas to inspire the entrepreneurial minds that the EIC attracts.