Abstract
Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC)
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) aims to enhance Europe's ability to innovate. The main instruments used by EIT to support innovation in Europe are the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). A KIC is a highly integrated, creative, and excellence-driven partnership that brings together the fields of education, technology, research, business, and entrepreneurship, in order to produce innovations and innovation models that inspire others to emulate it.
In this and in the forthcoming issues, we will explore the KICs' characteristics and their role in the innovation strategy of Europe.
Climate KIC
Climate change:
Contact: Mr Henrik Morgen—Chief Operating Officer
+44(0) 20 7594 5855
Responding to the climate change challenge will require radical transformation in how we produce, distribute, and consume; in where and how we choose to live and travel; and in how we meet our requirements for energy, food, and water in the context of the environmental values we hold.
The aim of the Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC) is to be at the forefront of this “green revolution,” providing the innovations, entrepreneurship, education, and expert guidance needed to shape Europe's climate change agenda.
Climate-KIC is well established, with five national centers and six regional centers:
• Paris (France) • London (UK) • Zurich (Switzerland) • Berlin (Germany) • Randstad area (Netherlands) • West Midlands (UK) • Hessen (Germany) • Lower Silesia (Poland) • Emilia Romagna (Italy) • Central Hungary • Valencian region (Spain)
Climate-KIC aims to accelerate significantly the innovation required for a transformation to a low-carbon economy, and to ensure Europe benefits from new technologies, company growth, and jobs. This requires consideration of the full value chain from the innovative idea to research and development and further to testing and implementation, a process initiated and overseen by the Climate-KIC national and regional centers. To reach this goal, Climate-KIC's vision is:
• to lead the world toward low-carbon prosperity—Climate-KIC will help innovators capitalize on new business opportunities driven by Europe's first mover response to climate change. • to create an emerging climate change innovation space—Climate-KIC will build the critical mass and forge alliances among existing businesses and new businesses with the aim of creating partnerships that jointly cover all elements of emerging value chains. • to capitalize on public–private synergies to induce innovation—Climate-KIC will help governments and public agencies to develop effective policy frameworks and to pioneer early introduction of climate change products and services in collaboration with the private sector.
This is achieved through four important markets:
• Education: Attracts and develops future climate entrepreneurs and change agents—Climate-KIC's education and training programs will instill climate change entrepreneurship into hundreds of top students and leading practitioners every year by combining climate change science and entrepreneurship with a strong program of learning by doing and of exposure to Climate-KIC innovation activities. • Innovations: Creates promising new collaborations and pioneers new value chain configurations—Climate-KIC is developing a dynamic and open innovation network in addition to managing an integrated network of community partnerships in which partners play a leading role in shaping directions for climate innovations. • Pathfinder: Creates new pathways to low carbon prosperity by fostering the conditions for ongoing innovation—Climate-KIC identifies markets and necessary framework improvements for removing systematic obstacles to climate innovations and replicates best practices within the Climate-KIC city partners, regions, and beyond. • Entrepreneurs: Builds platforms to connect and support the wider climate entrepreneurship community—Climate-KIC is designed around five geographical clusters that provide local innovation infrastructure for students, young entrepreneurs, R&D centers, and venture capital investors. In addition, the Climate-KIC regional network facilitates knowledge and best practice sharing with a large group of climate entrepreneurs.
Compiled by Giuseppe Riva, PhD
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
Source: European Institute of Innovation and Technology