Joint European Disruptive Initiative
{{Short description|Tech-focused venture capital organization}}
{{Fanpov|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox organization
| type = Funding agency
| leader_title = President
| leader_name = André Loesekrug-Pietri
| headquarters = Paris, France
| website = https://www.jedi.foundation
}}
The Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI) is a European funding agency aiming at promoting disruptive technologies. It funds innovation in different "missions" (environment and energy, healthcare, education, digital, space, and oceans),{{Cite web|last=Loesekrug-Pietri|first=Andre|title=Breaking the Wall to European Tech Sovereignty {{!}} Falling Walls|url=https://falling-walls.com/discover/videos/breaking-the-wall-to-european-tech-sovereignty/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Falling Walls|language=en-US}} with the goal of bringing "Europe in a leadership position in breakthrough technologies".{{Cite web|date=2021-03-11|title=The Next Generation of Climate Innovation|url=https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/next-generation-climate-innovation|access-date=2021-11-11|website=BCG Global|language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Maward |first=Marie |date=5 June 2020 |title=Meet JEDI: Europe's equivalent to DARPA? |url=https://sifted.eu/articles/jedi-innovators/ |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=Sifted}} It organizes scientific competitions focused on disruptive technologies.{{Cite web |last=Largue |first=Pamela |date=2021-03-02 |title=JEDI - a force to be reckoned with |url=https://www.powerengineeringint.com/hydrogen/jedi-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Power Engineering International |language=en-US}} JEDI also makes policy recommendations to strengthen European technology sovereignty.{{Cite web |title=Foresight |url=https://www.jedi.foundation/foresight |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=JEDI (Joint European Disruptive Initiative) Foundation |language=en}} {{As of|2024}}, JEDI was funding the projects of over 6,000 researchers in 29 countries across Europe and the world. It is operated independently from any European governments with funding from foundations, companies, individuals and public institutions.{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.jedi.foundation/about |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=JEDI (Joint European Disruptive Initiative) Foundation |language=en}}
JEDI was inspired by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency),{{Cite web |title=Europe and AI: Leading, Lagging Behind, or Carving Its Own Way? |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2020/07/europe-and-ai-leading-lagging-behind-or-carving-its-own-way?lang=en |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |language=en}} the technology research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense. JEDI calls itself a "precursor" to a European advanced research projects agency.
Research on Covid-19
The Joint European Disruptive Initiative launched its first "Darpa-type GrandChallenge"{{Cite web|date=8 July 2021|title=20 Years After 9/11: Achievements and Challenges of EU Counter-Terrorism Efforts|url=https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/51141/ct-colloquium-8-july-2021_speakers_en.pdf|website=Council of the European Union}} on Covid-19 on May 5, 2020.{{Cite web|last=McKee|first=Selina|date=2020-05-05|title=JEDI launches billion molecules against COVID19 challenge|url=https://www.pharmatimes.com/news/jedi_launches_billion_molecules_agains_covid19_challenge_1339736|access-date=2021-11-11|website=PharmaTimes|language=en}} The competition consisted in screening "billions of molecules with blocking interactions on SARS-CoV-2" to develop a drug against the coronavirus — with each participant having to use at least three different calculation methods for the simulations.{{Cite web|title=Austrians as finalists in the biggest programme searching for drugs against COVID-19|url=https://investinaustria.at/en/news/2021/06/innophore-a-leader-in-covid-19-drugs.php|access-date=2021-11-11|website=investinaustria.at|language=en}} The foundation claims to have had approximately 54 billions of molecules screened {{Cite web |title=Covid19 Challenge |url=https://www.jedi.foundation/covid19challenge |access-date=2025-01-10 |website=JEDI Foundation |language=en}} and 878 of them being synthesized. A paper published in Nature showed that the protein PDB 6W9C was one of the most used in silico drug design against Covid-19.{{Cite journal|last1=Croll|first1=Tristan I.|last2=Diederichs|first2=Kay|last3=Fischer|first3=Florens|last4=Fyfe|first4=Cameron D.|last5=Gao|first5=Yunyun|last6=Horrell|first6=Sam|last7=Joseph|first7=Agnel Praveen|last8=Kandler|first8=Luise|last9=Kippes|first9=Oliver|last10=Kirsten|first10=Ferdinand|last11=Müller|first11=Konstantin|date=10 May 2021|title=Making the invisible enemy visible|journal=Nature Structural & Molecular Biology|language=en|volume=28|issue=5|pages=404–408|doi=10.1038/s41594-021-00593-7|pmid=33972785|pmc=8340564|issn=1545-9985}}