The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has called for proposals to build a new sustainable innovation partnership – EIT Water – to strengthen Europe’s water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems.
EIT has invited consortia of organisations and industry leaders to put forward their visions and strategies to address "challenges in significant fragmentation across ecosystem management, and overuse of natural resources".
EIT warned that some 38% of the European population is affected by water scarcity, impacting 29% of the territory. It reported the economic cost to European citizens as €2bn to €9bn.
The institute has pledged to develop "an integrated approach across freshwater, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems". EIT Water, it said, will "support entrepreneurial education and skills development, innovation projects as well as the business creation and commercialisation of new technologies, products and services".
EIT Water will become the EIT’s tenth Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC). EIT claimed that the existing KICs have made a "remarkable impact driving the creation of new technologies, tackling global challenges and reinforcing Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable development".
KICs receive EIT funding for up to 15 years. EIT Water, it said, can expect a starting budget of up to €5m in 2026 to set up its innovation ecosystem. Any future funding would be assessed against the impact of the KIC’s activities and decided upon by the EIT governing board.
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