EIT Climate-KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, supporting cities, regions, countries, and industries to meet their climate ambitions through systems innovation and place-based transformations. The organisation focuses on catalysing systemic change for climate action through innovation, aiming to create a prosperous, inclusive, climate-resilient society with a circular, zero-carbon economy. ### Strategic Focus Areas - Transition to a circular, regenerative, and low-carbon economy - Supporting the delivery of over 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 - Increasing the climate resilience of 100 European regions and communities - Climate entrepreneurship and innovation ### Financial Resources EIT Climate-KIC manages an annual grant budget of €80-100 million. ### Project Financing Typical project financing ranges from €500,000 to €5 million. ### Funding Criteria - Projects must align with EIT Climate-KIC’s strategic focus areas - Demonstrate innovative and scalable solutions - Show potential for significant climate impact - Involve collaboration among diverse stakeholders ### Recent Projects - Ireland Deep Demonstration partnership - Projects with the government of Slovenia and the province of Gipuzkoa in Spain EIT Climate-KIC provides a platform for collaboration, learning, and innovation, bringing together a diverse community of stakeholders to address the climate crisis.
EIT Climate-KIC is Europe's leading climate innovation agency and community, established in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). It aims to catalyze systemic change for climate action through innovation, supporting cities, regions, countries, and industries to meet their climate ambitions.
Mission and Vision
Mission: EIT Climate-KIC's mission is to drive systemic change for climate action through innovation. This involves integrating sustainable economic development, social change, new institutions, and technological solutions to advance climate mitigation, adaptation, and environmental regeneration[1][5].
Vision: The vision is to create a prosperous, inclusive, climate-resilient society with a circular, zero-carbon economy by 2050[14].
Key Activities
Systems Innovation
EIT Climate-KIC focuses on systems innovation, which requires interconnected solutions across different scales and sectors. This approach is designed to trigger exponential decarbonization and build resilient communities by mobilizing finance, testing business models, and facilitating institutional and behavioral changes[1][5].
Climate Entrepreneurship
The organization accelerates climate innovation by transforming the start-up support landscape to ensure climate impact is deeply embedded in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This includes providing seed funding, structure, and assistance to start-ups and SMEs through programs like the Accelerator and Climathon[4][5].
Education and Capacity Building
EIT Climate-KIC runs various educational programs across Europe and online, targeting students, postgraduates, and professionals. These programs aim to develop participants' skills and capacities, empowering them with up-to-date knowledge and best practices[4].
Deep Demonstrations
EIT Climate-KIC's "Deep Demonstrations" are large-scale projects that act as testbeds for 1.5°C-consistent systems transitions. These projects provide sources of innovation and learning that can accelerate change elsewhere and offer policy inputs[12].
Structure and Governance
EIT Climate-KIC is structured as a public-private partnership, involving over 450 formal organizational partners from more than 30 countries. These partners include businesses, academic institutions, city authorities, and other public bodies[12][14]. The governance structure includes:
- Climate-KIC International Foundation: An independent Dutch non-profit that leads and manages EIT Climate-KIC.
- Climate-KIC Holding B.V.: A private limited liability company focusing on raising and placing funds for climate-relevant innovation.
- Association Climate-KIC: A pan-European network of leading universities, research institutes, businesses, and cities[8].
Impact and Goals
EIT Climate-KIC aims to make significant contributions to achieving net zero-GHG emissions and climate resilience by 2027 in various sectors, including European cities, agricultural regions, industrial regions, and financial institutions[15]. The organization also focuses on fostering breakthrough innovation and strengthening the market deployment of innovative solutions to address global challenges[15].
Conclusion
EIT Climate-KIC plays a crucial role in driving climate innovation in Europe by fostering systemic change through interconnected solutions, supporting climate entrepreneurship, and building capacity through education. Its comprehensive approach and extensive network make it a pivotal player in the fight against climate change.
Citations: [1] https://www.climate-kic.org [2] https://eit.europa.eu/our-communities/eit-climate-kic [3] https://de.linkedin.com/company/climate-kic?trk=ppro_cprof [4] https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/partner/climate-kic/ [5] https://www.climate-kic.org/who-we-are/about-eit-climate-kic/ [6] https://climate-kic.de [7] https://eit.europa.eu/our-activities/opportunities/eit-climate-kic-call-action-pioneers-2022 [8] https://www.climate-kic.org/who-we-are/our-organisation/ [9] https://www.preventionweb.net/organization/climate-kic-european-institute-innovation-and-technology [10] https://dach.climate-kic.org [11] https://www.agrisource.org/en/7_108/5c332f3807c805cd14cf56f6/EIT's Climate-KIC.html [12] https://dach.climate-kic.org/en/who-we-are/climate-kic-in-germany-austria-switzerland/ [13] https://www.era-learn.eu/network-information/networks/eit-climate-kic [14] https://dach.climate-kic.org/en/ [15] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-05/eit_climate-kic.pdf