Cross-KIC circular action aims to strengthen collaboration across Innovation Communities for a climate-neutral Europe
Circular Economy is one of the main objectives of European society right now. Moving to more circular models promises a much brighter future for the European economy. This will allow Europe to rise to the current and future challenges of global pressure on resources and increasing insecurity of supply. Feeding resources back into productive use, cutting waste and reducing dependence on uncertain supplies is a direct route to improving resilience and competitiveness. By helping to decouple economic growth from resource use and its impacts, it offers the prospect of sustainable growth that will last.
The EIT Innovation Community will be one of the key stakeholders ensuring this important objective for European society. This will only be achieved with a coordinated and efficient collaboration among the different EIT KICs (Knowledge and Innovation Community) to ensure a greater impact from the Cross-KIC collaboration.
EIT RawMaterials, EIT Digital, EIT Climate KIC, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility have created a Cross-KIC action aiming to strengthen the collaboration of internal and external activities related to the Circular Economy.
The Cross-KIC circular action includes two specific calls described below.
Cross-KIC Call on Environmental Technology Verification (ETV)
Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) is a tool designed to help innovative environmental technologies access the market. It consists of the verification, on a voluntary basis, of the functional and environmental performance of technology by qualified third parties, through tests of controlled quality. The end product is an ETV Statement of Verification published on the ETV website and used in business-to-business relations. This enables technology owners to document the reliability of their claims and differentiate from competitors, and it helps technology purchasers identify innovations that suit their needs.
ETV is implemented by accredited Verification Bodies in three technology areas:
- Water treatment and monitoring (e.g., monitoring water quality, treatment of drinking water and wastewater)
- Materials, waste and resources (e.g., separation and sorting of solid waste, recycling of materials, end-of-life products and chemicals, biomass-based products)
- Energy (e.g., renewable energy, energy generated from waste, energy efficiency)
The call is open to any partner of participating EIT Innovation Communities (EIT RawMaterials, EIT Climate KIC, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility) with a technology included in any of the previously defined areas that has been supported in any ongoing or finished demonstration project. This call is also open for start-up supported by any of the participating Innovation Communities.
Application deadline is 30 April 2020!
Cross-KIC Call on Circular Economy Strategy
The EIT Innovation Communitiesrepresent one of the most relevant stakeholders able to facilitate the implementation of this key European strategy. Thematic fields covered by the Innovation Communitiesrepresent some of the main sectors involved in the Circular Economy main objectives of resource efficiency and zero waste, so the correct and coordinate work of the Innovation Communities will ensure the implementation of key solutions to support the Circular Economy strategy. To be recognised by the European society as the main stakeholder, a coordinated and efficient collaboration among the different EIT Communities is needed. A joint collaboration will ensure a greater and more relevant impact from the EIT Communities’ side compared with individual actions going in parallel by each Community. In addition, this collaboration will not only increase the visibility of the Innovation Communities at European level but also at national, regional level and also at global level.
A joint strategy is necessary for the EIT Communities to address the Circular Economy topic and shape an impact roadmap for the upcoming years. The right implementation of a joint Circular Economy strategy will only be achieved through the correct use of different actions covering the whole range of potential factors affecting the implementation as policy, markets incentives, innovative solutions, adequate educational and business creation initiatives, etc., and all those factors that are covered by Innovation Communities.
All existing partners of participating EIT Communities (EIT RawMaterials, EIT Climate KIC, EIT Digital, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility) are eligible to apply.
