What is the idea behind the European Institute of Technology (EIT)?
The EIT shall bridge the innovation gap between the EU and its major competitors. The idea is to set up long-term partnerships in critical areas such as climat change between all actors involved in the knowledge triangle:
Research, education and innovation.
Structure:
The Commission is proposing an integrated, two-level structure of the EIT that combines both a bottom-up and a top-down approach:
A governance structure which is based on a Governing Board (GB).
Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): joint-ventures of partner organisations representing universities, research organisations and businesses.
Next steps:
The proposed regulation on the EIT will be discussed both in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers in accordance with the co-decision procedure. The target is adoption by the end of 2007 or early 2008. In this case, the EIT would become operational in 2008, with the first two Knowledge and Innovation Communities in place by 2010-2011.
Further reading:
Description of EIT and documents for download
Some Frequently Asked Questions on the EIT
Step forward: EU's Competitiveness Council on 25 June 2007