The result of a public consultation to which nearly 200 organisations and individuals responded shows that higher education, research and business organisations strongly support the mission of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). In addition, the respondents considere that the EIT should play a distinctive role in 'Horizon 2020', the future EU Programme for Research and Innovation, and forge closer links with other European and national efforts.

The results of a consultation published by the European Commission showed a broad support to European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). According to the respondents, in order to drive more and better cooperation between the worlds of academia, entrepreneurship, research and innovation the EIT plays an important role. Also a majority of respondents praised the way in which the EIT ensures the participation of businesses in its work and urged the Institute to step up its outreach activities. The consultation will feed into a 'strategic innovation agenda' for the EIT which the Commission is due to propose by the end of this year.

Nearly all respondents (90%) agreed that the EIT should have a distinctive role within Horizon 2020. This would be the name for the next R&D programme from the EU. Among the responses, respondents considered business involvement as highly relevant for the future success of the EIT. Regarding the creation of new KICs, the themes respondents found most relevant were health/ageing (81%), and sustainable cities/mobility (77%). They also strongly called on the EIT and its KICs to reinforce communication about its results and to improve its outreach across Europe. The EIT should promote new models of knowledge sharing and open innovation and come up with concrete measures to disseminate the results of its activities and innovation models to all relevant stakeholders.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) was set up in 2008 at the initiative of the European Commission and is an autonomous EU body stimulating world-leading innovation. It aims to achieve this objective through the pioneering concept of cross-border public-partnerships known as knowledge and innovation communities (KICs). The Commission received 187 contributions to the public consultation on the future of the EIT, 134 of which were submitted via an online questionnaire, and 53 as written contributions. Contributions were received from a wide range of stakeholder organisations from higher education (35%), business (26%) and research (22%).