About Us
The European-Canadian Centre for Innovation and Research (ECCIR)– formerly known as the German-Canadian Centre for Innovation and Research (GCCIR)– is a non-profit organization that facilitates the development of European-Canadian research and business relations. With support from Alberta Innovates and the Government of Alberta, we offer a range of services to corporate stakeholders, notably to Canadian SMEs, in support of international relationship-building and networking needs. These services include:
- Assisting with international strategy development
- Advising and grant writing support for key funding sources
- Offering tailored matchmaking through brokerage events and matchmaking trips to Europe
- Arranging programs and meetings for visiting delegations
- Organizing internationalization events, webinars, and symposia
ECCIR is the coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Canada Consortium. With over 470 partner organizations and 3000 local experts in 69 countries, the EEN is the world’s largest support network for SMEs with international ambitions. The EEN Canada is an International Network Partner of the EEN and comprises ECCIR as the Network Coordinator, the European Chambers of Commerce in Toronto and Vancouver as main cooperation partners, and the Next Generation Manufacturing Cluster (NGen), the Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia, PRIMA Québec, and In2novation as local cooperation partners. As the Canadian Network Coordinator, ECCIR:
- Offers privileged market insights and connections to European and Canadian SMES
- Promotes and matches Canadian companies with European stakeholders through the EEN Partnerships Database
- Provides targeted matchmaking through brokerage events, trade missions, and workshops
ECCIR is a member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, the Clean Resource Innovation Network, and the IraSME Network. IraSME is a network of European ministries and funding agencies that are owners or managers of national and regional funding programs for cooperative research and development projects. ECCIR regularly participates in both annual IraSME calls for proposals to support joint, innovative R&D projects.
Based in Edmonton, Alberta, our offices are located in MacEwan University’s Roundhouse, a vibrant hub in downtown Edmonton that fosters research, advances innovation, and provides collaborative opportunities for community and economic development.
The ECCIR acts as a facilitator, working together with a wide variety of partner initiatives and organizations in Canada:
