European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Recast

This Commission staff working document sets out the impact assessment that accompanies the proposals for an amendment of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Regulation through a recast and for a new Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) for the EIT for the period 2021-2027.

These initiatives aim to align the EIT legislative framework with the Commission proposal establishing the Horizon Europe Programme, the next Union framework programme supporting research and innovation, to define the new priority fields of the EIT as well as its financial needs, and to improve the functioning of the EIT taking into account the lessons learned from the past years. 

This impact assessment focuses on key problems and issues that have been identified as hampering the effectiveness of the EIT based on lessons learned from the EIT interim evaluation and other key sources of evidence.

Policy options

Three policy options are presented below:

(1) A baseline reflecting the continuation of business as usual: the EIT would continue to support KICs and build innovation ecosystems across the EU. The first three KICs, launched in 2010, will cease to receive an EIT grant after 2024 (in line with the maximum duration for support provided by the EIT to KIC) while one new KIC would be set up in 2022 and a second in 2025.

(2) Concerted action: the EIT would continue to support KICs and build innovation ecosystems across Europe. The key results of KIC activities (EIT Label graduates; start-ups created by EIT; new products and services on the market) would be broadly similar to the baseline given that the number of new KICs will be the same. However, there would be a number of efficiency gains resulting from the improvements related to the technical issues and the introduction of a co-funding model. 

(3) Increased support: the EIT would continue to support KICs and build innovation ecosystems across Europe. Within the given budget distribution of this option only one KIC could be launched (in 2022). The key results of KIC activities (EIT Label graduates; start-ups created by EIT; new products and services on the market) would be broadly similar to Options 1 and 2.

Preferred option

Based on the assessment of impacts presented above, Option 2 represents the most suitable way to implement the objectives of the initiative while offering the highest impacts. It would allow for a targeted and proportionate action, amounting to an incremental strengthening of the intervention alongside reinforced legal certainty. Option 2 would be a significant improvement over the baseline Option, it would reflect well the stakeholders views and could be implemented within the suggested timeframe. Particular attention has been paid to the contribution of each Option to the attainment of the overall delivery of EU priorities as set in the Horizon Europe proposal and the role of the EIT in that programme, while also comparing their effectiveness, efficiency and coherence.