Tag Archives: European Innovation and Technology Institute

My European swansong – encouraging innovation and technological talent

By Judith Bunting | Tue 2nd June 2020 - 1:35 pm

Concept art of Hyperloop inner workings
Today, my work in Europe is nearly complete. The European Parliament committee gave its final vote in favour of an “opinion” for which I was responsible before the UK’s MEPs’ untimely exit from Brussels. I was working with advisers assessing amendments from all parties until the last hour of my last working day.

In the next month or so, the subject goes to full parliamentary Plenary session as part of the bill entitled “The Strategic Innovation Agenda for the European Innovation and Technology Institute (EIT), to encourage innovation and talent and European innovative capacity” – a sweet mouthful that concerns strategy and funding for an amazing institution for the next 7 years. It also includes, with my strong support, a proposal for a new branch of the EIT to support technical innovation in the cultural and creative sectors.

The EIT is a curious beast. With an explicit focus on innovation and commercial development, its purpose is to promote technical education and academic research and bring these together with business such that scientists and innovators benefit from the experience of entrepreneurs and vice versa.