The European Commission has published the call for proposals EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 (RIF: HORIZON‑EIC‑2026‑PATHFINDERCHALLENGES‑01), under the programme Horizon Europe, with the aim of supporting highly innovative scientific and technological research activities. The call, opened on 22 July 2026 and with a deadline set at 28 October 2026, provides an overall budget of €96 million, with an indicative contribution up to EUR 4 million per project and a funding rate of 100% of eligible costs. The call for proposals is divided into three main areas: Challenge, each dedicated to a research area strategic for European competitiveness and for the development of emerging technologies. 1. Advanced materials for energy-independent systems The first Challenge supports the development of new materials capable of harvesting energy from the environment and convert it into usable energy from miniaturised devices. The materials will be able to exploit solar, thermoelectric, piezoelectric, nanotribological, electromagnetic or other innovative physical and chemical processes. The materials developed will be integrated into miniaturized modules and subsequently in energy autonomous systems, such as wireless sensors and connected devices. Performance will have to be compared with the state of the art through a representative use case in a laboratory setting, with demonstration to TRL 4. This line of research contributes to reducing battery dependency and the environmental impacts associated with the growth of the Internet of Things, with potential applications in areas such as health monitoring, wearable devices, agriculture, industry, mobility, smart cities and energy management. The use of digital tools and artificial intelligence It will speed up the entire material identification, design and characterisation cycle. 2. Biotechnology for healthy ageing The second Challenge aims to transform knowledge on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ageing into Concrete biomedical solutions. Projects will be able to develop biotechnological or pharmaceutical interventions that can prevent, delay