The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

In line with the Lisbon Strategy, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) was created as a new initiative to boost European competitiveness and innovation and to promote sustainable growth in the European Economic Area. By establishing international long-term partnerships between higher education institutions, research organisations, industry and SMEs, the EIT connects the central actors of the knowledge triangle, complementary to other existing European funding structures.

For further details, please visit the EIT Website.

Rather than being a conventional research institute, the EIT itself acts as an administrative structure which employs the so-called Knowledge and Innovation Community’s (KICs) as operational tools. A KIC is a highly integrated public-private partnership that brings together outstanding businesses, universities and research institutes in centres of excellence, the so-called “Co-location Centres”. The first three EIT-KICs are:

Climate-KIC: Climate Change - Mitigation and Adaptation
KIC InnoEnergy: Sustainable Energy
EIT ICT Labs: Future Information and Communication Society

The EIT headquarters are located in Budapest, as is the Governing Board, the EIT’s central decision-making body.

Basic official documents:

Regulation (EC) No 294/2008 of 11 March 2008 establishing the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Commission’s Communication "The European Institute of Technology: further steps towards its creation" - COM(2006)276

Text of the Communication on the EIT "Implementing the renewed partnership for growth and jobs - Developing a knowledge flagship: the European Institute of Technology" – COM(2006)76

Report on the Results of the Public Consultation – SEC(2006) 368

The Commission’s mid-term review of the Lisbon Process - COM(2005)24

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