Mar 20, 2026
In this resource we want to share with you a set of tools and platforms that can significantly support the design and implementation of your dissemination and exploitation strategy.
Whether you are working on a Horizon Europe project or any other EU-funded initiative, having the right tools in place is key to ensuring effective knowledge sharing, intellectual property management and impact generation.
Below, we highlight some of the most useful tools across three key areas: patent search, publications and EU dissemination platforms.
Patent search tools for IPR and Innovation Intelligence
Understanding the existing landscape is essential before protecting or exploiting your results. These tools help you analyse patents, assess novelty and explore technological trends.
Espacenet: A powerful patent search and analysis tool providing access to over 140 million patents. Useful for novelty checks, Freedom to Operate analyses and technical inspiration.
WIPO PATENTSCOPE: Offers access to international patent applications and supports global patent searches.
USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office): A key resource for exploring patents registered in the US market.
The Lens: Combines patent data with academic publications, allowing you to understand who is publishing and protecting what across both scientific and technological domains.
Platforms for publications and Open Access dissemination
Dissemination is a core obligation in Horizon Europe, and these platforms support open access, knowledge sharing and strategic publication.
IP.com: A global database for defensive publications, indexed by patent examiners worldwide. It allows you to publish technical disclosures to establish prior art and prevent others from patenting the same invention.
Research Disclosure: A well-established journal for defensive disclosure, trusted by institutions such as the EPO and USPTO.
Zenodo: A free, EU-supported open access repository, widely used in Horizon Europe projects to share publications, datasets and code in a FAIR-compliant way.
arXiv: Another widely used open access repository, particularly relevant for scientific and technical communities.
Creative Commons License Chooser: A practical tool to select the appropriate license for your open access outputs, ensuring you control how your work can be reused.
CORDIS (Community Research and Development Information Service): The European Commission’s platform where project results and deliverables are published, and a valuable source to benchmark other EU-funded projects.
EU Platforms supporting Dissemination and Exploitation
The European Commission also provides dedicated platforms to support projects in maximising the visibility, uptake and impact of their results.
Horizon Results Booster (BOOSTER): Offers expert services to support dissemination and exploitation activities, helping projects move from results to impact.
Horizon Results Platform: A space to showcase key exploitable results and connect with potential users, investors and stakeholders.
Open Research Europe Platform: An open access publishing platform for Horizon Europe beneficiaries, ensuring rapid and compliant dissemination of research outputs.
Innovation Radar: Identifies high-potential innovations from EU-funded projects and increases their visibility towards investors and markets.
Choosing the right tools to maximise impact
There is no single tool that fits all projects. The key is to select and combine tools strategically, depending on your:
Type of results (scientific, technical, commercial)
Dissemination objectives
Exploitation pathways
Target audiences
Used correctly, these tools can significantly enhance your ability to protect your results, share knowledge effectively and maximise the impact of your project.
Final thought
Tools are not just operational support; they are strategic enablers of dissemination, exploitation and impact. Integrating them early into your strategy will help you move from results to real-world uptake more effectively.