eu4journalists

Education - Culture - Youth

3. European Institute of Technology

The proposal to establish a European Institute of Technology was first put forward by the Commission in its 2005 Spring Report, with the initial idea coming from Commission President José Manuel Barroso. The EIT was seen to be an integral part of the revised Lisbon Strategy which has placed innovation, research and education activities at the top of the Growth and Jobs Agenda. It is hoped that this institute will bridge Europe's innovation gap by translating its knowledge and research into commercial activities.

In October 2006, the Commission submitted to the Council and the European Parliament its proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishing the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The ambitious goal of the EU is to make the EIT a prospective European counterpart to the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

In order to facilitate discussion of the proposal, the Permanent Representatives’ Committee established an Ad Hoc Working Party on the EIT. After a yearlong negotiation, in November 2007, the Competitiveness Council reached a political agreement on the draft regulation for the establishment of the EIT, following the European Parliament's resolution adopted in September, 2007. This agreement was reached after an informal trialogue with the EP, which emphasised the need to test the institute with a limited number of pilot projects before agreeing upon the future of the institute after 2013. As a result of the decision on the European Union’s draft general budget for 2008, made at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on 23 November, 2007, the EIT will be funded entirely from the Community budget. It is expected to be set up by Community legislation in spring 2008, with a budget of € 308, 7 million for the period 2008-2013.

In January, 2008, the Council adopted a common position on the adoption of the draft Regulation for the establishment of a European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The Council’s common position will be subject to the European Parliament’s vote in second reading in February, 2008. The vote will be timed to allow effective implementation of the EIT in spring, 2008, following the final adoption of the regulation by the Council.

The main objective of the EIT is to contribute to sustainable European economic growth and competitiveness by reinforcing the Community’s and the member states’ innovation capacity. It calls for the complementation of the existing Community and national policies and initiatives by supporting the integration of the knowledge triangle - higher education, research and innovation - across the EU. The EIT also aims to build a global reputation and provide an attractive environment for the best talents worldwide. In order to reinforce the international attractiveness of the European economy and its innovation capacity, the EIT and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) should be able to attract partner organisations, students and researchers from all over the world, by encouraging their mobility and cooperating with third-country organisations.

Priority will be given to the transfer of EIT’s research and technological results into business opportunities, the promotion of entrepreneurial initiatives and the enrichment of higher education through the latest, directly applicable knowledge. The Commission hopes to create six KICs between 2008 and 2013, bringing together departments of universities, companies and research institutes. KICs will form an integrated, excellence-driven and autonomous partnership, which will act in response to calls for proposals from the EIT research, education and innovation activities in inter-disciplinary strategic areas, such as climate change or energy efficiency.

The composition and main characteristics of the EIT:

• For administrative management purposes, the EIT will be provided with a governance structure designed to facilitate business involvement. The governing board, made up of high-level members experienced in higher education, research, innovation and business, will be responsible for steering the activities of the EIT. It will also select, design and evaluate the knowledge and innovation communities. The running of the EIT will be overseen by the executive committee. The director, the EITs legal representative, will be responsible for the administrative and financial management. An internal auditing group shall advise the governing board and the director on financial and administrative management and control structures within the EIT.
• The EIT will perform most of its activities through the KICs.
• The two-step approach concept foresees the nomination of a 15-person governing board in the first phase (2008-2012), which would be allowed to set up only a limited number (between one and three) of initial KICs. Further KICs would be developed in a second step.
• Long-term strategic policy guidance will be provided by the EP and the Council, which will have to adopt the EITs strategic innovation agenda for future EIT activities (after 2012).
• The use of an additional EIT label on recognised diplomas awarded by universities and higher education institutes participating in the KICs. The EIT would not be able to award diplomas, as legally only universities can do so.
• The location of the EIT will be decided within 12 months after the regulation enters into force.