PROJECT OBJECTIVES

EIT Health has as its mission the search for solutions globally to the major challenges that health faces in Europe today, such as ageing of the population, healthcare costs or the training of professionals for the future, combining public and private resources and with a horizon of 7-10 years. It encourages cooperation between the industry, universities and research centres in order to increase the impact of the innovations in health for citizens, promoting the training of talent with an entrepreneurial spirit and creating new instruments that make an impact along the entire chain on a European level.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an instrument created by the European Union to stimulate European leadership in innovation through the creation of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) that coordinate and give impetus to endeavours in order to achieve greater competitiveness and sustainable economic growth to give a response to the major challenges facing society.

The year 2014 was a key year; the call was published for the presentation of proposals by the different European consortia and, on 9 December, the consortium was selected as an EIT Health KIC. This outcome was the result of the effort that the University of Barcelona with the support of Biocat has made during recent years to prepare a winning proposal.

The EIT Health consortium comprises a total of 144 leading companies, universities and research centres from fourteen European countries. The Spanish node is formed by a total of 25 organisations  – companies, universities, research centres, hospitals and technology centres – committed to innovation in health and its impact on the improvement of quality of life for citizens. Among the core partners are Ferrer, the IESE, the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the Bionengineering Institute of Catalonia (IBEC) of the CERCA network, the Biomechanics Institute of Valencia, the Hospital Clínic and the Madrid Hospitals Consortium.

During the year 2015 EIT Health will formalise its management structures, establishing six regional offices in Barcelona, Stockholm, Heidelberg, London, Paris, Rotterdam and the central headquarters in Munich. During this year, management teams will be incorporated along with the heads of Education, Innovation and Business Development for the different consortium offices. Among the activities for the year 2015, highlights include the organisation of the Summer School Innovation & Business, which will take place in Dublin and Barcelona, and the first call for funding for innovation projects.

ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL DATA

Total EIT Health budget (provisional figures pending confirmation):

• Grant for set up (EIT fund): €3,300,000
• Member fees (approx.): €3,200,000
• Total 2015: €6,500,000

Targets 2016-2018:

• 1 million students per year in the training programmes
• 340 new ideas incubated
• 165 new start-ups