The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) aims to foster the knowledge triangle activities by supporting activities from education, through research and innovation, to entrepreneurship and the market. The role of the EIT is the creation, evaluation, monitoring and financing of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). These communities are private collaborative partnerships with legal personality (like joint-ventures) that will establish an innovation chain that will encompass the management of intellectual property rights and the transfer of education, research and innovation to the business, commercial and social context. These communities will operate with several Co-Location Centers (CLC or Innovation Hubs) and Regional Innovation Schemes, distributed throughout Europe, where mobility between them is encouraged. The main characteristics of KICs are:
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Integrated collaboration of all key players in the knowledge triangle;
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Market orientation;
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Strong business involvement;
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Education at all levels (from research to the market);
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Interdisciplinary approach with a view to a strong societal impact;
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Formation of flexible and independent structures
The KICs main activities includes calls on educational initiatives like masters, PhD, etc; ideas competitions, calls for incubation and acceleration, as well calls on innovation projects. The following KICs are currently in operation:
| Climate KIC | Climate Change, mitigation and adaptation |
| EIT InnoEnergy | Sustainable Energy |
| EIT Digital | ICT and future communication |
| EIT Health | Innovation for healthy life and active ageing |
| EIT Raw Materials | Raw Materials |
| EIT Food | Food |
| EIT Manufacturing | Added value Manufacturing |
| EIT Urban Mobility | Urban mobility |
EIT will be part of Horizon Europe on the Pillar 3, Innovative Europe. The current KICs will continue to finance projects in their areas. The first 3 KICs , EIT Innoenergy, Climate KIC and EIT Digital will stop receiving EIT funding in 2024. At the same time, EIT will launch 2 new KICs, the first one on the area of Cultural and Creative Sectorial Industries and another KIC in an area to be defined. EIT KICs will strengthen the RIS concept (Regional Innovation Scheme) to increase their presence in countries with less participation in KICs. Entrepreneurship training at European universities will also be reinforced through the HEInnovate initiative.
