So… what if the real risk in your career isn’t “not enough funding”……but betting your proposals on the wrong transition?
In this new episode of InnovEU – The EU Project Chronicles, I unpack the final chapter of my new book Transition Science In The Economy and ask a simple but uncomfortable question:
Are you designing projects for the economy we had…or for the one that’s actually emerging now?
If you work with Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Digital Europe, EDF or national R&I programmes, this episode is designed to help you stop guessing and start placing better bets.
What we cover in this episode
In S4E13 – AI, Platforms & Five Transitions: Are You Building Projects for the Wrong Economy? we dive into:
* The 5 big transitions that now drive prosperity and risk– Green, Digital, New Globalization, War Economy, Housing –and why balance across them matters more than GDP.
* How AI and platform capitalism are breaking the assumptions of classical economics– labour, competition, information – and what that means for your proposals.
* A practical “transition scorecard” you can use to read countries, regions and sectors:where the real funding pressure is, and where the development traps are.
* Real-world case studies of countries, projects and researcherswho stopped chasing buzzwords and started designing work at the intersection of transitions.
If you’ve ever thought “I don’t want to spend three years on a topic that will be irrelevant when it’s funded”, this one is for you.
Watch the full episode
🎧 InnovEU – The EU Project Chronicles
Watch / listen here:
* ▶️ On Substack (video + audio)https://fernandocgaspar.substack.com/podcast
* ▶️ On YouTube (video playlist)https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhPsYe80-Wq1bOuVZmZGso_Kr3W8biIpx&si=2fr5iVhGLEwo2F3j
Listen only:
* 🎧 On Spotify
* 🎧 On Apple Podcasts
(You can watch directly in Substack, in the app, or just keep it in your ears while you work on your next proposal.)
My new book: Transition Science In The Economy
If this episode resonates, it’s because it’s built on the ideas in my new book:
📘 Transition Science In The Economy – published 15/11/2025
In the book, I:
* map how Green, Digital, New Globalization, War Economy and Housing decide prosperity and risk,
* show how I built the AWTY composite index across 150k+ observations,
* and explain why transition literacy is now a competitive advantage for researchers, cities, companies and households.
If you want the full framework on your desk – not just the highlights from the episode – you can grab it here:
👉 Get the book on Amazon:https://a.co/d/c7RoOA4
My digital tools for EU projects
If you want help applying these ideas to real calls and consortia, I’ve built two AI tools to work alongside you:
🚀 GPT – SmartProposal AI
Your AI-powered EU proposal evaluator & writing assistant. (rpb.li)
* Simulates real evaluator scoring before submission.
* Gives detailed feedback on strengths, weaknesses and clarity.
* Suggests AI rewrites for weak sections and generates a pre-submission checklist.
* Learns from your past proposals and evaluator feedback, becoming a tailored co-pilot for your funding strategy.
👉 Check SmartProposal AI:https://rpb.li/YAm2E
🤝 Build Consortium 2.0 – GPT Assistant for Smarter Partnerships (Payhip)
* Helps you design and document strong consortia for Horizon, Erasmus+ and other calls.
* Builds a database from your PIFs and past projects.
* Suggests ideal partners based on call priorities and past success.
* Connects with public databases (Erasmus+, CORDIS) to spot high-value contacts.
* Supports you both when building the partnership and when showing evaluators why it’s the perfect fit.
👉 Explore Build Consortium 2.0:https://payhip.com/b/vEPZd
Let’s build this community
If this episode helps you think differently about calls, consortia and transitions, here’s how you can support the work and stay in the loop:
* 👍 Like the podcast on your favourite platform.
* 🔔 Subscribe on Substack or in any podcast app so you don’t miss future episodes.
* 🔁 Restack this post on Substack to help more people see it.
* 💬 Leave a comment – tell me which transition you’re working on, or which part of the episode hit hardest.
* 📤 Share it with colleagues and friends working on EU funded projects and innovation.
* 👤 Follow me on LinkedIn for shorter, sharper insights and clips:https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandoacgaspar/
And if you’d like to be featured in the podcast – to talk about your project, your call, or your experience with transitions:
👉 Send me a private message (via Substack or LinkedIn) and let’s schedule it.
Because Europe’s future – and your career – are being shaped right now.Your next project might be part of the story.
Get full access to Polis Doxa - The Transitions Letter at fernandocgaspar.substack.com/subscribe
