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Frequently Asked Questions on the EIT
KICs
- What is a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC)?
- What themes will the KICs address?
- When will the call for proposal be launched?
- How will a KIC proposal be assessed? What is the KIC selection procedure?
- When will the first KICs be selected?
- How will the KICs be selected?
EIT Concept
- Why a European Institute of Innovation and Technology?
- What is the place of the EIT in the European Union's innovation strategy?
- How does the EIT differ from European funded research programmes?
- What is the role of business in the EIT?
EIT Structure
- What is the EIT's governance structure?
- What is the role of the Governing Board?
Setting up the EIT Headquarters
- Where will the EIT headquarters be located?
- When will the EIT headquarters become operational?
Further information : Europa / Rapid
KICs
- What is a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC)?
The EIT will be equipped with a highly performing innovation base through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), excellence-driven partnerships between universities, research organisations, companies and other innovation stakeholders. They will promote the production, dissemination and exploitation of new knowledge products and best practices in the innovation sector; transforming the results of higher education and research activities into commercially exploitable innovation.
- What themes will the KICs address?
The Governing Board will choose the KICs themes on a strategic basis, covering areas that represent the foremost current and future challenges facing the European Union. In a first phase, these are likely to include climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable energy and the future information and communication society. Future KIC themes will be chosen following the selection of the first wave of KICs.
- When will the call for proposal be launched?
It is expected that the call for proposals will be launched in early April 2009 and that the submission deadline will be late August 2009.
- How will a KIC proposal be assessed? What is the KIC selection procedure?
Stage 1: Eligibility check carried out by EIT staff - a KIC proposal must meet all the KIC eligibility criteria outlined
Stage 2: Evaluation of proposals carried out by independent experts, who will report the results of these evaluations directly to the Governing Board.
Stage 3: Governing Board makes final decision on the KIC selection
For more information on the KIC selection procedure, please look at the KIC Selection Criteria document.
- When will the first KICs be selected?
The first two or three KICs will be selected within a period of 18 months after the appointment of the Governing Board, that is to say by January 2010 at the latest.
- How will the KICs be selected?
The selection of KICs will be based on a competitive, open and transparent procedure. The criteria for the selection of the KICs will be based on the principles of excellence and relevance to innovation. These criteria will be made public at a future date and external, independent experts will be involved in the selection process. Universities, research institutions and businesses interested in applying should therefore monitor closely the decisions of the future Governing Board on this point, via the EIT website.
- Does the EIT provide a platform/service for separate parties interested in forming a KIC to meet and exchange ideas?
The EIT does not provide a specific service for such networking purposes. However, the EIT has been organizing seminars open to the public since November 2008, which have also been designed to allow potential KIC partners to meet, exchange and network in view of the preparation of common KIC proposals. The next events to take place are the Entrepreneurship Seminar and the KIC Info Day, and both are networking opportunities.
- The EIT presentation states that a KIC proposal must draw forward on existing European programmes and projects. Is this because these consortia could guarantee 75% of the KIC budget more easily?
The EIT is not a funding agency, but rather a broker facilitating and promoting interactions between all actors involved in the innovation chain (or rather innovation web). For a KIC budget, the Governing Board is thinking of approximately 75% from parties and 25% from the EIT. Within the 75%, co-funding with other European programs will play a role. Existing funding is thus helpful, but not a must.
- Will well recognised existing consortia stand a better chance than newly formed consortia in being selected as a KIC?
There is no difference in chances between newly formed and established consortia per se. What is essential is the overall outlook to gather the 75% over time as well as the novelty and attractiveness of the proposal. This is well reflected in the selection criteria.
- Entrepreneurship is the key to innovation and information from the EIT underlines the importance of entrepreneurship education within a KIC. How is the EIT thinking of bringing innovative solutions to entrepreneurship in education?
Education of entrepreneurship in innovation is traditionally the docket of business schools. The EIT strongly believes that entrepreneurship should become part and parcel of the engineering and technology education on a Master, PhD and postdoctoral level. In the EIT's approach to innovation, education in entrepreneurship - next to the broadening of transdisciplinary horizons - is a mandatory part of the educational programs in KICs. These will be EIT branded and entrepreneurship-enhancing educational programs. Teaching entrepreneurship in such educational programs will be built on content developed in cooperation with business people, exposing students to entrepreneur role models and providing them with opportunities for work practices in SMEs and industry in the KIC. The EIT's approach will build on existing European programs like ‘Erasmus Mundus' and 'Erasmus for young entrepreneurs’.
- A KIC could include partner organisations from third countries (subject to approval of the GB) and KICs could include more than one co-location centre. Since the EIT Regulations do not address the topic of co-location centres, should all the elements of the knowledge triangle be present in one co-location centre and could a third party 'host' a co-location centre?
Co-location is indeed one of the critical elements of the innovation web that the EIT would like to see. External (to Europe) parties are welcome when they help build the excellence of the innovation web. However, co-location centres should be in Europe (EU Member States and EFTA countries) and preferably limited in number. Each co-location centre must cover the larger part of the innovation web, ideally the whole innovation web. Different co-location centres may - but need not necessarily - reflect different sub-topics and sub-goals of a KIC. Intentionally, the EIT does not want to be more specific than this, in order to leave room for ‘innovation’ on co-location by the KICs themselves.
Co-location centres and other centres in the innovation web mutually win: co-location of people provides a natural flow of knowledge, with students and staff moving around in the web, and is thus impactful for innovation; other participating centres gain from higher quality educational, scientific or business innovation activities and the accompanying gain in visibility.
- Information from the EIT and the KIC selection criteria puts great emphasis on higher education, sharing of knowledge and mobility of researchers as well as students. To what extent should the sharing of knowledge and mobility of researchers as well as students be put forward in proposals and should staff in a potential KIC be trained/ educated at a certain/specific level?
Co-location and mobility of all participating people in the innovation web is essential to achieve the goal of knowledge sharing leading to impactful innovation in terms of business and/or societal impact. As an example: young students can start to participate in a science project, move with the result to an SME or start-up company and thus create an impact based on a seamless flow of knowledge. All people involved should be of excellent quality in their domain of expertise. Education and training activities will thus have a central role to play to keep people on their toes in their field of expertise over time.
EIT Concept
-Why a European Institute of Innovation and Technology?
The EIT represents a unique opportunity to boost Europe's innovation potential. Furthermore, it is itself an innovative concept, which for the first time will provide a framework at European level to pool together the best scientific, business and education resources in order to boost the Union's innovation capacity.
- What is the place of the EIT in the European Union's innovation strategy?
Innovation is a vital precondition for increasing Europe's competitiveness in the world economy. The Lisbon agenda for Growth and Jobs has assigned a high priority to innovation. The European leaders meeting at Lahti (October 2006) agreed to a 10-point programme for action at national and European levels to foster innovation. Among these actions, the establishment of the European Institute of Technology has a prominent place.
- How does the EIT differ from European funded research programmes?
Innovation does not simply happen: it needs a fertile breeding ground to thrive. The essential ingredient of this favourable environment is the integration of the three elements of the knowledge triangle: higher education, research and innovation. It is only when academia, research and business work together that new ideas can be generated and brought to the market. In the EU, the triangle is often fragmented; and thus, the EIT – which itself is not a research programme - differs from European funded research programmes by bringing together the three elements of the knowledge triangle and by focusing on innovation.
- In July 2008, the European Commission published the communication Towards Joint Programming in Research: Working together to tackle common challenges more effectively. What is the relationship between the EIT and the joint programming initiative from the EC?
Both are important initiatives. The Joint Programming Initiative intends to make better use of Europe's public R&D resources by pooling national research efforts. It is about better coordination of national research agendas to achieve critical mass and avoid unwanted duplications. The EIT focuses on the impact of innovation and the commitment of parties, including business, to innovation. The two, the Joint Programming Initiative and the EIT, are complementary efforts that can mutually benefit each other and parties involved.
-What is the role of business in the EIT?
The involvement of the business sector in the EIT is the cornerstone of the initiative. Business expertise is fully represented on the EIT's independent Governing Board, which pilots the EIT's strategic investments. Businesses will also be integral partners within the “Knowledge and Innovation Communities” in order to ensure the commercialisation of knowledge outcomes. Given the sizeable returns on investment which the KICs are expected to generate, partners from the private sector will be expected to contribute substantial financial, human and physical resources within diverse, dedicated teams. In full collaboration with partners from academia, business will also have a key role in defining education activities which should incorporate notably entrepreneurship and innovation-orientated skills. Small and medium-sized enterprises will naturally be invited to become partner organisations in KICs, like any other private company.
EIT Structure
- What is the EIT's governance structure?
An innovative governance structure has been conceived for the EIT to enable it to meet its objectives. This new structure combines top-down and bottom-up approaches. Indeed, it caters for the need for coordination and strategic orientation through its central structures (EIT Governing Board), while providing for a maximum of autonomy in the delivery through the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The relationship between the KICs and the EIT will be organised on a contractual basis, leaving a great degree of autonomy to the KICs to define their own legal status, internal organisation and working methods.
- What is the role of the Governing Board?
Currently, the Governing Board consists of 18 appointed members combining business, research and academic backgrounds. If the EIT wants to address future challenges in the best interest of society, it needs to combine expertise with a vision. In order to ensure that excellence is its only guiding principle, the EIT and its Governing Board are fully independent in their decision-making. The Board will provide strategic guidance, via a seven-year Strategic Innovation Agendas (SIA), which will be a key document for Community innovation policy enabling the EIT to fulfil its pioneering role in innovation and meet the challenges of globalisation. Drawing upon the pooled expertise of its members, the Governing Board will also shape the thematic outlook of the EIT, as well as the framework in which the KICs will operate.
Setting up the EIT Headquarters
- Where will the EIT headquarters be located?
European member states unanimously decided on the 18th of June 2008 that the EIT headquarters would be located in Budapest, Hungary.
- When will the EIT headquarters become operational?
It is expected that the EIT building will be finished and operational by the end of 2009.
- Is the EIT recruiting?
The EIT will recruit staff on a gradual basis until it becomes fully operational. Please check the Career Opportunities section for further information regarding the latest career opportunities.
NEWS
Chairman presents latest developments to the Council of Ministers and European Parliament