The EIT Governing Board

The Governing Board is the principal driving force behind EIT governance issues. It brings together 18 high-calibre members balancing prominent expertise from the higher education, research, business and innovation fields. The Board is entrusted with the role of strategic leadership and coordination of the EIT's activities through the selection, evaluation and support of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

The independent selection of the Governing Board members began in January 2008, when the Commission set up an ad-hoc "Identification Committee" whose mission it was to recommend potential members of the EIT's Governing Board by summer 2008. The identification process was broken down into two phases in order to render it as objective as possible. During the first phase, the Committee devised selection criteria for potential members and consulted relevant European organisations on their pertinence. The second phase culminated in a list of potential candidates matching the chosen criteria.

The EIT Governing Board was officially appointed on the 30th of July 2008 (press release IP/08/1220). The 18 members provide a collective balance of expertise and experience from the worlds of higher education, research, business and innovation in Europe.

During the inaugural meeting in Budapest on the 15th of September, the Governing Board unanimously elected its first Chairman, Dr. Martin Schuurmans, to head the EIT's independent decision-making body. The Board reconvened for its second meeting on the 17th of October and during this meeting, the four members of the Executive Committee were elected.

Once the KICs are established, the Board will not only consist of the 18 appointed members but also of four representative members, elected by and amongst the higher education, research, innovation, technical and administrative staff as well as students within the KICs.

Thus far, the Board consists of (in alphabetical order):

- CARAÇA João
- CASTELLS Manuel, Dr.
- COLLOMB Bertrand, Dr.
- COLOMBO Giovanni- Member of the Executive Committee
- DE BRABANDER Ellen, Dr.
- FLODSTRÖM Anders, Dr. - Member of the Executive Committee
- GOŁĘBIOWSKA-TATAJ Daria, Dr. - Member of the Executive Committee
- HERRMANN Wolfgang, Dr.
- KING Julia Elizabeth
- LOKTU Morten
- MAEX Karen, Dr.
- MAGYAR Bálint, Dr.
- MÖLLER Erna, Dr
- NEUVO Yrjö, Dr. - Member of the Executive Committee
- SCHUURMANS Martin, Prof. Dr. - Chairman of the Board
- TROPSCHUH Peter, Dr.
- VIIK Linnar
- VON GABAIN Alexander Ullrich, Dr.

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