The document summarizes discussions from a conference on the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) held at Trinity College in Dublin. Over the course of multiple panels and sessions, speakers discussed how the EIT aims to foster innovation and strengthen synergies within the EU by bringing together higher education, research, and companies through partnerships. Specifically, they addressed how the EIT's Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) can leverage funding to stimulate innovation, achieve impact through excellent partnerships and innovative project portfolios, and help measure the EIT and KICs' impact through monitoring. The goal is to better support innovation and job creation across Europe through improved collaboration.

1. Dublin Trinity College April 2013
European Institute of Innovation and Technology:
Fostering Innovation and Strengthening Synergies within the EU.
Introduction by Patrick Prendergast, EIT boad member and Trinity College.
Higher education, research and companies may be involved in partnerships all around Europe. Trinity
University is itself an incubator for Innovation. The mission to innovate and creating job opportunities is
new for Universities. The research must be world class, and beyond borders. The funding is organised to
reach these goals. Internationalisation of Trinity faculties is improving and getting better. EIT and
knowledge triangle: partnership and synergies are both goals and means.
Opening by Sean Sherlock, Minister for research.
Xavier Prats Monné, EU commission.
Maria Da Graça Carvalho, Friends of EIT network, Eu parliament.
Alexander Von Gabain, EIT Governing board.
Minister Sean Sherlock.
Welcoming guests at Dublin and at the event. Speech about general goal of improving mecanisms for
Research and Innovation. It is important to increase efficiency and partnership in the European Research
for creating jobs. It will create benefit for all. New ways of creating Synergies and engagement within
Europe's regions.
Building critical mass is an important matter for research in Europe. Insuring impact of Innovation is
increasing the amount of new products and new jobs in Europe.
Xavier Prats Monné.
IT is supposed to enable better education. If we want to put back european economy on tracks we must
provide european students with new opportunities. EIT will be part of Horizon 2020. Three main ways,
Education dimension, KICs and Societal goals, Excellence european tool and a unique experience of doing
the things differently. There are people everywhere in Europe that can say what Europe has done for them.
Maria Da Graça Carvalho.
Being involved directly in EIT and the initial group that proposed the concept. March 2011. EIT is actualy
in a critical moment while it must be decided to continue with a new budget. Negociations for Horizon
2020 aregoing well and should be finished soon. The process is very complex and linked to 7,2 billions
Euro finance or more. Simplification is something to accomplish including the many recommandations
from simplification report. Efficiency is linked to use of funds. The weakness of mecanism for Innovation
must be changed. Small and medium companies will be encouraged to participate in the project.
Alexander Von Gabain.
Innovation: excellent science and research are necessary but not enough for innovation. Europe is
unlocking its potential for innovation in many different types of applications. Europe was leading
innovation in 1925 but now it is not the case. We have to get all players together. Research, technologies
and industry: taking the risk. The EIT Strategy is to enable progress inside an ecosystem with global
impact, targeting societal goals. Interconnected institutions and businesses are a step for higher impact.
Management of KICs should encourage innovation amogst the best individuals in entrepreneurship.

2. Plenary session 1 - Achieving impact through excellent partnerships.
Question: how to integrate knowledge triangle in order to achieve impact? (Promoting KIC structure for
EIT success).
Alexander Von Gabain with moderator Ann Mettlet, the Lisbon Council.
Panellists: Lambert Van Nistelrooij, EU parliament.
Ian Short, Climate-KIC.
Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn, KIC-InnoEnergy.
Magnus Madfors, Executive Steering Committee, EIT and Ericson.
Lambert Van Nistelrooij.
How to spend the money: Knowledge infrastructure, EIT and a lot of activities, not only for KICs. Regional
funds will then be distributed amongst projects to be submitted. KICs are exemples for other participants. If
we don't change our methods, then nothing happens. For exemple, flying to Singapore to get human
competence is forgetting that eastern Europe have very good technologies and specialists.
Ian Short.
Innovating for low-carbon prosperity and Climate resilience.
Government and public bodies, Research, Business and Education are designing the innovation pyramid.
Production and Society, Adaptation and Mitigation are part of the game of Innovation. Water, Greenhouse,
Building, Land, Bioeconomy, Industry are elements of Innovation landscape.
Sustainable city systems are built on integrated and Climate-friendly solutions. Even large organisations
have the same questions than smallers institutions, they want to know what works, or not.
Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn.
Talking about goals within KICs and how it should be organised for better understanding. Calling itself "a
veteran of KICs" and summarising the experience since 2006. Return of Innovation effort can come after
4/5 years for the earliest products, but the focus is about long term cooperation. SME can get 1 million euro
for projects and also less. Small companies want to get connections by networking through the programme.
Big companies want to have access to the best human competences within the network.
Magnus Madfors.
Why to be engaged in EIT? To secure the future with competence. Interact with institutions leads to better
technologies and innovations. EIT IT labs is doing research programs within its competence and also
according to the market needs. Reseach and Education can be organised but Innovation is coming from
ideas and meeting of people.
Plenary session 2 - Achieving impact through an innovative funding model.
Question: EIT's KICs abilities to leverage funding to stimulate Innovation.
Moderator Ann Mettlet.
Panellists: Jari Ahola, Service and Finance, EIT.
Richard Templer, Education and Co-location center, Climate-KIC.
Constant Smits, Operation officer, EIT ICT Labs.
Bart de Beer, Financial officer, KIC InnoEnergy.

3. Jari Ahola.
"Money". An innovating funding model. 25% maximum funding from EIT, considering that partners will
contribute to a high level of funding. The leverage level is up to 4, meaning 81% return. The EIT is not a
usual grant provider, but an organisation focusing on result by participation inside KICs. Around 30 to 40
percent funding comes from private sector. Identifying partners is an important step.
Richard Templer.
Call himself a veteran. It is the first time EU will try something really different in funding process. Climate-
KIC is a innovation pipeline. It is supposed to enhance the experiment and entrepreneurship. Challenges
have been set by regions and cities. Partners are involved inside the KICs and working on getting results by
researching on the specific goals. 1 billion for funding.
Constant Smits.
Back to the construction of the KICs. Numerous of elements comparely to the US, it is easier to develop
product when 330 milions of potential users are ready to buy it. It is more difficult when you have to face
the specific market of Europe with differences between populations. Activities, Carriers, Catalyst and
Partners. Innovation in Mobile phones, computing, clock and other products are made through these
partnerships. A link can be made through partners that are dedicated in building contact and facilitating
meeting for joint projects.
Bart De Beer.
Commercial company with long term goals. Participation is possible by allocating offices for research
teams. The incubator role is done by hosting a lot of projects. In kind contribution are considered as
funding the project. Only 20% of partnership is made by cash. The in kind contribution is about
professionals, equipements, computing...
Plenary session 3 - Achieving impact through an Innovative project portfolio.
Question: Innovative projects enabling KICs to be successful in reaching quality and excellence in
partnership.
Moderator Ann Mettler.
Panellists: Alexander Caldas, Partnership management, EIT.
Daniel Zimmer, Innovation, Climate-KIC.
Constant Smits, Operation officer, EIT ICT Labs.
Arne Lopez, Operation officer, KIC InnoEnergy.
Alexander Caldas.
A traditional business plan is proposed every year for partnership agreement.
Leverage effect is the basis of participation. It is providing the long term effect on investment.
Daniel Zimmer.
Portfolio of Innovation. Working toward the market. Two important tools, exploring new business model
projects and how to create market about deploiement if innovation. In innovation there is a need for
bottom-up research in order to choose the most interesting projects. How to find the right direction? By
building communities and listening to emerging ideas. Project teams needs a stable situation because their
work can not be made without funding. The right combination is build by a chanel where skills and

4. funding are joining effort toward business goals. Sharing knowledge is a clue even if it is not easy for
business people wether it is usual for Academic fellows.
Stan Smits.
Collecting novel and innovative ideas.
Arne Lorenz.
Changing the mindset, reboting and reformating. Working on the business case, and considering various
types of project like education, research.
Plenary session 4 - Measuring impact: monitoring in the EIT and its KICs. (Not attended)
Question: Monitoring system for EIT and KICs activities, how the measurement is enhancing the results
and performing within the frame of EIT and KICs.
Moderator: Ann Mettler.
Panellists: José Manuel Leceta, Director of the EIT.
Mary Ritter, Executive officer of Climate-KIC.
Willem Jonker, Executive Officer of KIC Innoenergy.
Diego Pavia, Executive officer of KIC-InnoEnergy.
Morning session - Analysis of potential synergies fostered by the European Institute of Innovation and
Technology in the EU Innovation landscape.
Introduction by Sylvia Jahn, policy officer EIT.
Moderator: Patries Boekholt, Managing Director Technopolis.
Closed session.
Plenary session 5 - Synergies at EU and national level.
Question: Showing exemple to encourage collaboration and co-operation within EIT.
Introduction to the topics of the 2nd day.
José Manuel Leceta.
Moderator: John Hegarty, Director of the Innovation Advisory Partners.
Panellists: Mathea Fammels, Unit Policy and Communication EIT.
Marja Makarow, Governing board member.
Erik Neumann, Project lead, Software campus.
Imelda Lambkin, National Director for framework FP7.
José Manuel Leceta.
Thank to everyone for yesterdays involvement in the event because it is encouraging for the next period in
project. These projects, funded by european's money must also be reliable and cost efficient.
What? Education is particular because organised at european level. Helping companies to grow.
How? Creating added value, simplified approaches, dissimination and Outreach.

5. Where to go? Bottom-up KIC-driven links. Downstream National regional levels. Transversal thematic
synergies and complementarities.
John Hegarty.
All protagonists of the KICs are showing enthousiasm of participating. Synergies at Eu and National level:
funding instruments at national level.
Mathea Fammels.
How to facilitate synergies inside knowledge triangle? Educational component is an important added value.
Partnership is fostering synergies. The first analysis was published. "Catalysing Innovation in the
knowledge Triangle".
Societal drivers is the most important component for alignement toward efficient goals. Strong coordination
is also fruitfull.
Imelda Lambkin.
Irish perspective for research Innovation and Development. Efforts are made to make irish work recognised
at International level. Enterprises are encouraged to participate directly in research. Consolidation and
Sustainability of investments. FP7 over 500 milion euro of projects in Ireland. Driving synergies is a
National goal in EIT movement. Emerging forces can take a role in the process.
Marja Makarow.
SHOCS: finish projects for improving the work toward society.
Research are developed by the partners. Geographic based projects of 5 to 10 years. The large companies
are dominant in the SHOCS.
Erik Neumann.
About Software Campus.
Stereotypes about Germany have real implication in Industry projects and goals. IT is involved in many
different fields and bringing change everywhere. Leadership quailication, Mentoring and Networking,
Academic IT projects.
Partners are Industry, Academy, Government and Research.
Plenary session 6 - Engagement with Europe's talented Innovators, and creating new talents.
Question: People involved into projects are students, researchers and entrepreneurs. How to capitalise on
individual's expertise.
Moderator: John Hegarty.
Panellists: Andreas Reinhardt, Student, Climate-KIC.
Pep Salas Prat, Entrepreneur, KIC InnoEnergy.
Kai Kuikkaniemi, Researcher, EIT ICT Labs.
Veronica Campbell, Dean of Graduate Studies in Trinity College.
John Hegarty.
About experience of students.

6. Veronica Campbell.
Phd students can participate to Post Graduate Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The Innovation
Academy is based on several modules. A lot of external organisations are involved in the program. Student
successes are commented by interesting networking and experiences.
Pep Salas Prat.
Phd candidate in the field of energy. Participating in KIC-InnoEnergy. Strong commitment for european
energy future. Need for data mining, and change of behaviour in the project of helping people to save
energy. Want to create a network for KIC-InnoEnergy participants.
Kai Kuikkaniemi.
Working on interactive screens, touch and mobile phone driven.
Andreas Reinhardt.
Climate-KIC and summer school. How to create unique entrepreneurship experience. Explaining how ideas
of research came from visiting various laboratories in the nederlands. From courses about Climate change
and Water issues two groups of students discovered there own interest into finding solutions.
Plenary session 7 - Engagement with Europe's regions.
Question: Regional involvement in partnership with KICs in Co-location Centers and Regional Innovation
Centers.
Moderator: John Hegarty.
Panellists: Jana Kolar, Governing board member.
Xavier Prats Monné.
Manuel Perez Alonso, Entrepreneurial Scientists Association.
Aled Thomas, RIC Director, Climate-KIC.
Xavier Prats Monné.
IET has to be present has european institution and it is important to show the impact for population. It
would be ridiculous to think that three KICs may cover the whole european territory. KICs must meet
Societal challenges. Also the funds invested in IET must be more than a dropin the sea, but the good drop
into Innovation process.
Jana Kolar.
Conservation and Preservation in Slovenia. Innovation is a very regional thing with a strong local
component. Impact on the Region starts with participation in the KICs (Three running so far). Impact of
KICs in Europe may increase with new focus on Innovation. Regions that are aware of IET initiative are
interested in KICs, still much work must be done at Communication level.
Aled Thomas.
Regional Concept within the European territory.
Climate issues are managed at regional level and Cities have responsabilities for key systems. Meaning all
Public facilities. For Innovation, social and technological change are amongst the component of efforts.
Strategy is based on Mission to play a leading role, six regions involved, actors like Companies,

7. Universities, Regional Authorities and Ressources up to 350 billions to be flowing from EU. Innovation,
Education, Entrepreneurship and Dissemination are the key points for KIC activities in Regions.
Manuel Perez Alonso.
Considering the gap between knowledge produced by Faculties and the use of it in the society. The
Network of Science entrepreneurs in Spain was held last year in Valencia. A large potential of development
with an 350 participants group. Science based Companies represent an important value of transformation of
Science to Business market.
Official closure
José Manuel Leceta, EIT Director.
Patrick Prendergast, EIT Gb Member and Provost of Trinity College.
José Manuel Leceta.
The IET vision and Strategy 2014-2020.
The next step: future calls 2013.
EIT will organise seminars on themes for next wave of KICs. Also EIT to present the criteria for next KICs.
2014 for designation of new KICs. Financial rules will be published as well as criteria and list for future
KICs.
One single call, simplified selection, one proposal from each of the thematic fields. Six months delay for
preparing the proposals.
EIT next meeting at Budapest, Hungary 11 12 November 2013. "Innovation power to people". With other
events that week.
Patrick Prendergast.
Current times in Europe are not so easy because of unemploiement and some countries are living in
austerity. Research, Academia and Business have different mind set and it is interesting how KICs can put
all together these people to think and act.
Published by RDM-ROW http://slideshare.net/reporter Dominique Deschamps