Final selection criteria for EIT Governing Board Members

REPRESENTATION

Members should participate in the Governing Board in their personal capacity and must therefore act in the best interest of the EIT, independently from any political, governmental, academic, institutional, industrial or other specific interests. A formal code of conduct will be implemented for Board members.

The composition of the Governing Board should be collectively balanced, including representatives from the innovation, research, business and academia worlds. Consideration should be given to excellent candidates at all stages of their careers. Balance of membership should also be taken into account in terms of geographic and gender balance, without however compromising the required merit-related criteria.

EXPERTISE

Members of the Governing Board must be innovators, academic, scientific, or business leaders with widespread reputation, outstanding leadership and forward-looking abilities, as well as experience on a European and global level.

Members should not consider themselves representatives of a given sector, but have a broader view and practical understanding of overall European innovation goals and systems, global market  trends and both academic and business environments. 

Members need to be able to identify collectively strategically important priority areas in fields of key economic and societal interest for Europe.

Members need to have a documented capacity to take strategic decisions and demonstrate extensive managerial and financial capacities, with an ability to combine strategic and operational skills and to mobilise resources from private, public and philanthropic sources.

Members need to collectively cover a wide spectrum of disciplinary areas, including natural, biological, technological, social, economic and management sciences.

Members need to demonstrate the ability of working collectively as a group, and bring together their broad range of experience and expertise from innovative institutions and enterprises.

Members need to demonstrate high-level networking abilities with relevant players within and outside the EU, with a special emphasis on the ability to integrate all three elements of the knowledge and innovation triangle (where research, education and business interact to promote innovation). 

Members need to demonstrate a proven record in promoting academia-business cooperation and knowledge transfer.

Members with a predominant business background need to have experience in internationally successful R&D activities, technology financing and venture capital, innovative business, entrepreneurship or in the introduction of successful new technologies and/or products.

Members with a predominant scientific background need to be current or recent research practitioners, with a proven track record in scientific excellence as well as in research geared towards innovation and value creation and extensive international experience in research management and organisation.

Members with a predominant higher education background need to have a proven record in the conception, integration, and strategic management of education, research and innovation activities within universities.

AVAILABILITY

Members should demonstrate availability to serve for a four-year period, as well as to engage strongly in the work of the EIT during the initial kick-off phase.

NEWS