Cross-KIC Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster

Project Information

Cross-KIC RI

Grant agreement ID: 101113214

DOI

10.3030/101113214

Project closed

EC signature date 17 April 2023

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Total cost

€ 9 630 450,34

EU contribution

€ 9 630 450,34

Coordinated by

EIT HEALTH EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Cross-KIC RI (Cross-KIC Strategic Regional Innovations Cluster)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2024-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

EIT Community SRI Cluster is a joint activity of several KICs, funded by the EIT, to implement cross- sectoral actions to boost innovation in Europe’s emerging economies, including those countries eligible for support under the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS), which are modest and moderate innovator countries, as well as other European emerging innovator countries, including all six Western Balkan economies, Moldova and Ukraine. The KICs that actively take part in the EIT Community SRI Cluster are:
• EIT Climate-KIC: Working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy;
• EIT Digital: Driving Europe’s digital transformation;
• EIT Food: Leading a global revolution in food innovation and production;
• EIT Health: Giving EU citizens greater opportunities to enjoy a healthy life;
• EIT InnoEnergy: Achieving a sustainable energy future for Europe;
• EIT Manufacturing: Strengthening and increasing the competitiveness of Europe’s manufacturing industry;
• EIT RawMaterials: Developing raw materials into a major strength for Europe;
• EIT Urban Mobility: Smart, green and integrated transport.
The EIT Community SRI Cluster flagship activity is the EIT Jumpstarter – an award-winning pre- accelerator programme for young innovators in nine thematic fields: Digital, Food, Health, Innoenergy, Manufacturing, Raw Materials, Urban Mobility, New European Bauhaus and Rebuild Ukraine.
Another flagship initiative is EIT Red Kalyna, which aims to recognise outstanding Ukrainian female entrepreneurs who developed innovative products or solutions, or transformed their businesses into innovative ones. We also look for inspiring female leaders who mentor and guide others in innovation and entrepreneurship. Up to ten Ukrainian role models are inducted into the Red Kalyna Hall of Fame every year. The label “Red Kalyna by EIT Community” symbolises their strength and resilience.
In Western Balkans, EIT Infrabooster, a modular training programme is targeting representatives of scientific organisations that own research infrastructures. The programme offers capacity building and support in designing infrastructure-based services, enabling Participants to leverage their commercially relevant research infrastructures as well as the skills and knowledge of their research teams.
The SRI Cluster also responsible to set-up and coordinate EIT Community RIS Hubs in 22 countries.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Since 2017 – in the EIT Jumpstarter programme, 970 talents were trained, representing 43 nationalities, and 97 new start-ups along with 944 new jobs were created. The start-ups have attracted approximately 56M EUR of external funds and capital. The EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final in Athens, in November 2023, enticed approx. 200 people onsite and 1,500 views online. The media covered the event 199 times through articles, interviews and mentions in local and international media.
54 persons from 17 institutions graduated in the first edition of EIT InfraBooster program in Western Balkans, and two SystemBooster events were organized in North -Macedonia and Serbia, targeting innovation agencies and policy actors, resulting in a series of bilateral meetings with key actors.
In 2023 about 20% of the EIT Jumpstarter applicants originated from Ukraine, and 47 Ukrainian teams were selected into the Online Bootcamps. Apart from winners from Rebuild Ukraine category, a Ukrainian team won first prize in EIT Urban Mobility’'s category.
30 Ukrainian women were nominated in 2023’s EIT Red Kalyna call, out of which 9 remarkable individuals were inducted into the Red Kalyna Hall of Fame.
The first six EIT Community RIS Hubs in North Macedonia, Latvia, Montenegro, Malta, Cyprus, Ukraine were launched in 2023.

A short progress summary in H1 2024:

- In 2024 the EIT Jumpstarter has received 600 applications from teams comprising in total 1015 individuals. A total of 186 teams were selected to the EIT Jumpstarter Phase 1 “Online bootcamps”, while 77 teams managed to reach the Phase II “Local Joint Trainings” which will last until the end of Q3 2024.
- The Rebuild Ukraine category and other industry-specific ones have attracted more than hundred applications from Ukraine, which is the highest score among all eligible countries. It was possible thanks to centrally coordinated and intensive promotion of the EIT KICs, awareness raising campaigns as well as efforts of the EIT Community Officer in Ukraine.
- EIT Post-Jumpstarter: out of 44 applications, 26 passed the eligibility evaluation, and 7 start-ups from Croatia, Poland, Serbia, Czechia, Latvia, Ukraine, and Spain were accepted into the 2024 cohort. At the end of June 2024 5 start-ups were selected to participate in the next phases: 2 from EIT Food and 3 from EIT Health.
- To enhance reach in the EIT RIS areas the eit-ris.eu platform was further developed.
- At least 8 events were organised in order to raise the awareness of the Jumpstarter and other EIT Community opportunities such as kick-off of the EIT Community RIS Hubs in Kyiv (30 January 2024), Latvia (1 March), Podgorica (24 May 2024) and Nicosia (18 June 2024), ”EIT RIS@10. Unleashing the innovation potential in the EU Outermost Regions,” organized in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (5 March 2024)..
- The EIT Cross-KIC SRI Cluster launched a new call to recruit EIT Infrabooster participants for the 2024 cycle. Special focus was on promoting the Infrabooster programme in Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkan countries.
- In March 2024 the EIT Cross-KIC SRI Cluster has prepared and shared the Catalogue of services developed by the EIT Infrabooster participants which compliments the DEL 2.2.
- The Ukraine Advisory Board was enriched with new members: SRI Cluster has launched an open call in February 2024 and as a result two new members representing industry were selected.
- In the H1 2024 three Steering Committee Meetings (one online and two hybrid) were organised to update and strategically plan the activities of the SRI Cluster. Two RIS Online Days were organised to seek for synergies and best practices among the EIT KIC RIS Programmes.
- In addition the SRI Cluster was present at the INNOVEIT in Brussels (20 February) as well as INNOVEIT in Paris (Hello Tommorow, 21-22 March) and INNOVEIT in Berlin (GreenTech Festival, 16-17 May)
- In H1 2024 six new EIT Community Officers (ECO) were onboarded. A dedicated full-day training session for the EIT Community Officers was conducted in Brussels in the EIT house on 21.02.2024 giving the ECOs the information and tools to deliver their job effectively and learn the harmonised processes set-up by the Cluster for monitoring and evaluating their performance.
- A large number of start-ups and potential partners have been scouted by the 6 EIT Community Officers and introduced to the respective KICs.
- A second wave of 11 EIT Community Officer recruitments and procurements have been launched in order to expand the network (Estonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Czechia, Türkiye, Slovenia, Portugal, Poland, Hungary). New ECOs are expected to be operational by Q3.
- the EIT established an EIT Community RIS Hub in Montenegro which was officially launched on 24th of May 2024 within the context of a wider kick-off event targeting the whole Western Balkan region and hosting 65 participants from all sectors.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Not applicable