A European Institute of Technology EIT Powerful messages from the public consultation

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A European Instituteof Technology
(EIT)Powerful messages from the public
consultation
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Background

• The idea to establish an EIT was put forward by
  the Commission in the context of the mid term
  review of the Lisbon strategy (February 2005)
• Europe must
• become a knowledge intensive society
• increase its knowledge share in world (US,China,
  India),
• Enhance the contribution of EU science to
  economic and social development
• reverse brain drain - Talents attracted by
  opportunities offered in other world regions
• To address these issues, among other initiatives,
  the 2005 Spring European Council asked the
  commission to further explore the idea of an EIT
  (March 2005)

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The process up to now

• April 2005 The Commission establishes an
  inter-service steering committee (DG EAC (Chair),
  RTD, ENTR, BEPA, SG)
• June-July 2005 Three workshops organized with
  various stake holders
• September 2005 A public consultation was
  launched (September 15 closing date November 15)
• October 2005 A team of experts (3) was set up
  to support the Commission in the process

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Public Consultation

• 4 main questions regarding the EIT
• Possible mission?
• Added value?
• Structure?
• Priorities?

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Consultation Results profiles

• 741 responses from both individuals (70) and
  organizations
• 209 responses from 0rganisations plus 22
  extensive position papers.
• The research and education (RE) sector, in
  particular higher education organizations, is the
  most represented (63), but also the public and
  private ones are well represented (15 and 18).
• In the private sector SMEs are more than large
  organizations (41 vs 34) and the service sector
  is more represented than the industrial one (52
  vs 19)

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Consultation messages

• EUROPEs KNOWLEDGE GAP Weak links between
  science and society
• Supply side gt production capacity
• Lack of top quality science
• Lack of applicability of research output
• Demand side gt absorptive capacity
• Lack of ent/rial culture, risk and innovation
  propensity
• Lack of critical mass of resources, of public
  procurment policies. Inappropriate institutional
  formats/ overregulation
• PUBLIC RESEARCH // INDUSTRY TWO WORLDS APART

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EIT mission and added value

• The Knowledge Triangle (strengthening the link
  between research, education, and innovation) is
  the dominant mission (63),
• Different emphases on
• Performing excellent Research (Academic
  excellence)
• Training new scientists/researchers (Education,
  an intrinsic part of innovation)
• Exploiting Knowledge outcomes to create new
  products, services, jobs, companies
• Building competences and skills on boundary
  crossing
• Assisting the cross-boarder mobility of talented
  researchers (intersectoral/ interdisciplinary/
  international). (Attracting talents/ arrest the
  brain drain)

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The EIT concept

• The EIT should
• be based on new institutional format and
  goverance structure
• focus on discontinuity, representing a new
  paradigm in research, education and innovation.
• have a geographically distributed structure It
  should not reside in one single location, but
  rather in more than one in order to exploit the
  value of local experiences.
• be geographically centred the EIT should look at
  physical proximity as a crucial factor in order
  to sustain the kind of environment that fosters
  excellence and innovation (the campus metaphor is
  dominant).
• resemble a star-like network, (a central node
  plays a major role in coordinating, integrating
  and guiding the activities of the network)
• be built on excellent individuals and teams
  rather than institutions

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The EIT concept

• The EIT should
• pool together the best of existing EU resources
  and assets to achieve critical mass and
  synergies. (collaborative/partnership structure)
• be based on an open structure designed to host
  diverse stakeholders (public and private sector)
  from all around Europe
• flexible and adaptable, established with a long
  term perspective
• be characterized by a high level of autonomy,
  especially regarding scientific activities
• be truly accountable towards society as a whole
  and especially towards its funding sources
• be characterized by a strong European identity
  and visibility of its own, able to overcome local
  boundaries and interests.
• reference model, especially in the RE sector, to
  facilitate change of existing institutional and
  governance structures and cultures.

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Other principles

• The EIT should
• Have an impact across the whole of the EU
• Be financially viable
• Be attractive to potential partners
• The role of the business sector (SMEs Large
  firms)
• Private companies should be involved not only as
  funding (contracting) sources but also as full
  partners.
• New approaches to science and innovation
• Interdisciplinarity, a new way of working and
  pulling diverse resources.. (the focus should be
  more on the borders, rather than the core of
  existing disciplines).
• A wide range of subjects need to be covered
• Within this context social and human studies have
  a place in the EIT.
• / /

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Next Steps

• Mid February Commissions adoption of a
  Communication
• March 2006 Spring European Council (Green
  Light?)
• July 2006 presentation of the regulation of the
  EIT
• Early 2008 adoption of the regulation
• 2009 first activities