The newly adopted RIS Implementation Framework provides guidance towards the fulfillment a key strategic priority for the EIT as part of its new strategy, the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) 2021-2027, which saw an enhanced mandate for the EIT in the coming years and a budget of almost EUR 3 billion under Horizon Europe.
The EIT’s Regional Innovation Scheme was introduced in 2014 to advance the innovation performance of more countries and regions across Europe, especially countries with moderate or modest innovation scores as defined by the European Innovation Scoreboard. Since its establishment, the EIT RIS has successfully seen the expansion of EIT Community activities to more countries and regions across Europe, contributing to a pan-European spread of EIT Community activities and networks.
The updated EIT Regulation, focusing on the key principles of the functioning of the EIT and its KICs, ensures greater legal clarity towards Horizon Europe and enshrines the financial sustainability principle for the EIT’s KICs. The EIT’s legal base also introduces a lean and simplified funding model for the EIT designed to encourage additional private and public investment more effectively. Finally, it reinforces the EIT's governing structure. ECOPNET (European Cooperation and Partnership Network) appreciates the role of EIT Community that enhances its openness towards potential partners and stakeholders.
The EIT RIS will strengthen its contribution to the advancement and strengthening of innovation capacities across Europe, including, by increasing tailor-made support aimed at strengthening innovation local ecosystems and involving more higher education institutions, businesses and research organisations by developing regional outreach strategies.
The newly adopted EIT RIS Implementation Framework includes the following focus areas:
Improving the innovation capacities of local ecosystems, through capacity building activities and closer interactions between local organisations from business, education and research (the so-called knowledge triangle) and their activities.
Attracting new partners to the EIT Community, including through the establishment of EIT RIS Hubs
Continuing to support modest and moderate innovation countries and regions, as well as the Outermost Regions (as defined in Annex III of RIS Implementation Framework).
Leveraging additional private and public funding, with particular attention to European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds, including through strengthened links with Smart Specialisation Strategies.
Integrating the EIT RIS Implementation Framework as an integral part of EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities’ multi-annual strategies.
Implementing an EIT RIS budget of up to 15% of the total EIT grant to support existing and new EIT Innovation Communities, with the possibility of EIT RIS activities being supported at a co-funding rate of up to 100%.
Overall, the Implementation Framework will ensure that by 2027 the EIT will have contributed to the advancement of the innovation performance of the countries and regions targeted by the RIS programme through the strengthening of innovation capacities and enablers, actors and linkages, growing the support and power of Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem.
Source: European Institute of Innovation & Technology News