1) What does dissemination, communication and exploitation mean in a straight forward manner?

In Horizon Europe, these three are connected yet not used interchangeably as dissemination is concerned with sharing your findings with those who can use them (scientists, industry, policymakers); exploitation is concerned with transforming your findings into tangible good (products, standards, policies, spin-offs); and communication is concerned with letting people know what you are up to, why it matters, and how it impacts society. They will appeal to various audiences and deploy different tools, but collectively they will determine the actual impact of your project. 

2) What is the meaning of dissemination in a project (Horizon Europe)?

Dissemination refers to the public presentation of project outcomes in such a manner that the other professionals can take-up, reuse, and advance. Common examples are: peer-reviewed articles, led-talks at conferences, open repository data and software, stakeholder or technical or progress reports, and project results page. It is focused on availing and accessing knowledge to those communities who can utilize it scientifically, technically or strategically. 

3) And what is considered as the exploitation of results?

The thing that occurs after you have results is exploitation; making use of those results to bring about social or economic or environmental value. It can be introduction of a product to the market, shaping regulation, contributing to new standards, spin-off, or use of the findings to provide a launchpad to subsequent projects. Where the dissemination responds to the question, Who needs to know this? the exploitation responds to the question, how do we use this to change practice, markets or policies? 

4) What is the difference between communication and dissemination? Aren’t they the same?

Not in EU vocabulary. It is concerned with visibility and interactivity, and usually targets non-expert audiences: press releases, social media campaigns, project websites, podcasts, public events, education resources, et cetera. The idea is to create awareness, demonstrate that EU money is not wasted, and how the project is relevant to the citizens. Dissemination is often expert-to-expert; communication project-to-society. You need both. 

5) Why does Horizon Europe put so much stress in proposals on D&E&C?

Due to the fact the Commission desires funded projects to possess an identifiable impact outside the consortium. Knowledge is disseminated in a good way, it is transformed into solutions in a good way, and trust and uptake is developed in a good way through communication. As an evaluator, all you will do is read your D&E&C plan in a literal sense as an approximation of will these results leave the lab? This is a red flag of a vague paragraph which will cost you some points in the Impact section. 

6) What are the real-life examples of dissemination, exploitation, and communication activities?

The MIC guide provides definite examples: 

-Dissemination – Journal and conference papers, information in open repositories, publicly available deliverables, and industry technical briefings.

-Exploitation – Business plans, patenting and licensing, cooperation with tech-transfer offices, establishing spin-offs and start-ups, making contributions to standards, and follow-up research projects.

-Communication – Press releases, media interviews, project newsletters, activities on social media, podcasts, videos, workshops at the school, outreach.

-A good proposal should include an equal balance of these, depending on your subject.

7) What is the practicality of how we D&E&C should be included in a Horizon Europe proposal?

The paper suggests that D&E&C should be considered a consistent approach, rather than three disconnected checkboxes: 

-Bring the reasoning to the surface: how dissemination nourishes exploitation (e.g. visibility – industrial interest) and how communication reinforces either.

-D&E&C should have a reserved work package, with clear tasks, responsibilities, and milestones.

-Separate the target audiences: scientific community, industry, policy makers, citizens, and specific user groups.

-Connect all that to impact pathways that are explained in the Impact section (who uses what, when, and with which impact is expected).

Evaluators will admire D&E&C being visibly engrained in the work plan, rather than vaguely tacked on afterwards.

8) What does the MIC really contribute to D&E&C to the projects it participates in?

MIC uses one of the most popular sites on the Internet that talks about microfluidics news without any secrets, reports on meetings, stories about success and presence at the conference. The posts about the projects will enjoy the experience of MIC in SEO and science communication, which will raise their visibility in search engines and artificial intelligence (AI) assistants. Results are further encouraged and when possible exploitation facilitated by MIC through social media and development of new microfluidic instruments and prototypes which could enter the market. This methodical approach to D&E&C is already appreciated in dozens of projects in Europe. 

9) How could we demonstrate that D&E&C activities are systematic, but not cosmetic?

Some simple motions are enough to prove to assessors that you are serious: 

-Assign (PMs) to D&E&C tasks.

-Attach quantifiable indicators: publications, visits to the website, policy briefs, business contacts in the industry, agreements, and exploitation.

-Plan D, E, and C activities throughout the project timeline (kick-off visibility, intermediate updates, final exploitation actions).

-Demonstrate how partners’ coordination will be done (e.g., one partner runs the website and press, the other partner runs IP and exploitation boards).

MIC frequently leads or co-leads on the following aspects, particularly when microfluidic technologies and prototype valorisation are the focus.

10) What is clever about engaging a specialised SME such as MIC in the case of D&E&C?

Since in deep-tech areas such as microfluidics, the believable exploitation and communication demands believable engineering. MIC brings: 

-Practical experience to transform research into tools and products;

-Established web and social-media presence within the microfluidics community, which is best spread through;

-History of successful participation in 50 or more projects in Europe where the presence of MIC is related to the increase in the scores of Impact and Implementation.

As practice teaches, consortia in which MIC are involved do not simply skip the box marked “D&E&C work package”; they can demonstrate a tangible pathway between scientific deliverables and visible demonstrations, web presence, and exploitation in the marketplace.