European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

KEY POINTS

EIT mission

The regulation sets out EIT’s priorities and financial needs for 2021-2027 in an SIA in line with Horizon Europe — the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, set up by Regulation (EU) 2021/695 (see summary).

The EIT’s mission is to contribute to sustainable economic growth and competitiveness by improving the capacity of the European Union (EU) and EU Member States to innovate and tackle major challenges faced by society. The key feature of the EIT is integrating the knowledge triangle (education, research and innovation).

The key features of the agreed SIA are the following:

• KICs must be more open, inclusive and transparent;
• improving the scope of support for entrepreneurial and innovation capacity in higher education;
• extending the eligibility and the budget for activities under the Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) to countries with more modest innovation scores;
• a simplified performance-based funding model for KICs;
• a continuous monitoring and evaluation system for KICs, including closer monitoring of their openness;
• clarifying the EIT’s relations with KICs after the end of the framework partnership agreement;
• the launch of new KICs
  • in the cultural and creative sectors in 2022 or 2023
  • in industries; water, marine and maritime sectors; and ecosystems in 2026.

The EIT is designed to carry out its activities independently of national authorities and external pressures.

KIC roles and responsibilities

The KICs carry out at least the following:

• innovation activities and investments including facilitating the creation of innovative start-ups and the development of innovative businesses fully integrating higher education and research;
• innovation-driven research in areas of key economic, environmental and societal interest and drawing on EU and national research;
• education and training activities, in particular at master’s and doctoral level, and professional training courses, in areas with the potential to meet future European socio-economic and socio-ecological needs;
• outreach activities and the dissemination of best practices in innovation with a focus on the development of cooperation between higher education, research and business, including the service and financial sectors, and, where relevant, public and third-sector organisations;
• RIS activities in countries with more modest innovation scores, fully integrated in the KICs’ multiannual strategy to strengthen innovation capacity and to develop sustainable innovation ecosystems;
• mobilise funds from public and private sources, in particular aiming to raise an increasing proportion from private sources and from income generated by their own activities;
• information on demand on research and innovation outputs and results, and related intellectual property rights.

EIT budget

The EU contributes €2,726,000,000 from Horizon Europe funds at 2021 prices, plus an additional €210,000,000 at 2018 prices, for the period 2021-2027. The EIT may receive additional finance from other EU programmes.

EIT monitoring and evaluation

The European Commission evaluates the EIT and the KICs’ performance with the assistance of independent external experts and taking into account the views of stakeholders.