The atTRACTION webinar series concluded on 12 February, 2026 with a hybrid event and live webinar titled “Investment Consolidation in New Product Development”, bringing together investors, ecosystem builders, and innovation stakeholders for on-site discussions in Kaunas and online participation. 

Organised within the atTRACTION project framework, the final event focused on a central challenge facing innovation ecosystems across Europe: 

How can fragmented R&D funding be transformed into coordinated investment pipelines that deliver market-ready products? 

A clear message emerged from the discussion: capital follows clarity – not just technology. 

Investment Attraction Requires Structure, Not Fragmentation 

The event highlighted that successful investment attraction depends less on individual technological breakthroughs and more on how innovation is structured, financed, and positioned for the market. Participants emphasised the importance of: 

• Consolidated public and private financing mechanisms that reduce investor risk 

• Cross-regional co-investment instruments that enable faster scale-up 

• Cluster-driven innovation pipelines that provide continuous deal flow rather than isolated projects 

• Clear alignment between technology development, market demand, and growth strategy 

Speakers underlined that one-off grants are no longer sufficient. Instead, innovation ecosystems must design structured investment pathways, where early-stage funding, R&D instruments, and private capital are aligned from the outset. 

Key Investor Signals Identified 

From an investor perspective, several signals were identified as critical for investment readiness: 

• Strong innovation pipelines outperform single-project investment approaches 

• Co-investment frameworks increase credibility, speed, and confidence 

• AI and IT innovations are attractive when paired with scalability and governance 

• Clusters function as risk-filtering mechanisms, helping investors assess maturity and potential 

These insights reinforced the role of ecosystem coordination in transforming innovation into investable assets. 

Designed Investment Readiness as a Strategic Outcome 

The event concluded with a shared understanding that investment readiness is not accidental, it is designed. When ecosystems consolidate funding instruments, coordinate stakeholders, and communicate innovation in market and investment terms, technologies become scalable, credible, and investable. 

The atTRACTION project continues to support this transition by strengthening cross-regional collaboration and investment alignment across European ecosystems. 

The event featured expert contributions on investment consolidation, financing of AI and IT innovation, investment risk management, and the alignment of innovation with market and investor expectations. Insights were shared by Justina Rukšnaitė and Tomas Nakutis (Research Council of Lithuania), Gvidas Petružis (Vilnius University), and Inga Uus (Decreo), shaping a discussion focused on capital efficiency, scalability, and longterm value creation.