Today, the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) launches a new innovation partnership, in the form of a Knowledge and Innovation Community, to support the competitiveness and growth of Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries. The new partnership will help accelerate these sectors’ recovery and unlock untapped economic opportunities in the fields of architecture, cultural heritage, design, fashion, film, music, publishing, performing arts and video games.
The Knowledge and Innovation Communities coordinated by the EIT can last 15 years. Around €300 million of EU funding under Horizon Europe is available for two new Knowledge and Innovation Communities to be launched during the current funding period 2021-2027, with the possibility to leverage more funds from the private and public sector. The first one, the Knowledge and Innovation Community for cultural and creative sectors and industries, is now about to become a reality.
Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel said: “Culture is the soul of Europe. European cultural and creative industries have the power to improve lives, transform communities, generate jobs and growth, and create spillover effects into other sectors, ensuring that Europe becomes the powerhouse of innovation in the world. Our ambition is indeed to lay the foundations for a European innovation ecosystem based on culture and creativity. This new EIT partnership will help fuel this ambition. It will also support creativity across Europe and turn skills and knowledge into cutting-edge innovations.”
Today’s call for proposals marks the start of the 9th EIT Community, entitled ‘Culture and creativity’, which is expected to start as of summer 2022. Through its calls for proposals, the EIT invites all partners involved directly or indirectly in these sectors, namely business, higher education, research organisations, NGOs, cities and regions, to put forward their visions and projects to drive innovation and sustainable development in the cultural and creative sectors.
The deadline for applications is 24 March 2022 and the EIT will be hosting a series of informational webinars throughout November for interested parties to learn more about the call for proposals. The selected partners will be announced in June 2022.
EIT’s new Culture & Creativity Community will train the sector’s future entrepreneurs through entrepreneurial education programmes, power its cutting-edge businesses through creation and acceleration services, and deliver innovative products and services. The new community also aims to boost the integration of the cultural and creative sectors into regional and local development strategies.
Through its business model, which covers the entire innovation journey, from student to entrepreneur, from idea to product, and from lab to market, the EIT has trained more than 100,000 students, launched 1,400 products on the market and support 3,800 new businesses who have gone on to raise €3.9 billion in external funds since its launch in 2008.
Background
The EIT strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by helping to address global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, composed of leading companies, research labs and universities each dedicated to solving a pressing global challenge, from climate change to health, to renewable energy. Together with their leading partners, the EIT Community offers:
- Entrepreneurial education degrees and courses across Europe that transform students into entrepreneurs , like Ms Dora Palfi of imagiLabs, who is introducing coding to young women and girls, supported by EIT Digital;
- Business creation and acceleration services that take ideas and businesses to the next level such as Northvolt manufacturing the world’s greenest lithium ion batteries, supported by EIT InnoEnergy;
- Innovation-driven research projects that turn ideas into products connecting partners, investors and expertise, such as Diabeloop – D4Kids, an artificial intelligence system to improve type 1 diabetes management for children, supported by EIT Health.
The EIT is Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem bringing together close to 3,000 partners from top business, research and education organisations across Europe in over 60 innovation hubs across Europe.
The EIT has already launched 8 different Knowledge and Innovation Communities covering, among others, the topics of health, digital, manufacturing, urban mobility and climate innovation.
For More Information
EIT Culture and Creativity – 2021 Call for Proposals
European Institute of Innovation and Technology
