European Institute of Technology board appointed

The European Commission has announced appointments to the governing body of the new European Institute of Technology (EIT), an initiative intended to help drive technology innovation across the continent.

By boosting the EU’s capacity to transform education and research results into tangible commercial innovation opportunities, the EIT is intended to help bridge the innovation gap between the EU and its major international competitors.

The EIT’s initial governing body is made up of 18 professionals providing a collective balance of expertise and experience from the worlds of business, research and academic communities from across Europe.

Among the initial appointees is health IT industry expert Professor Martin Schuurmans, former executive vice-president, Philips Research and Philips Medical Systems.

The new institute, currently being established, will have its headquarters in Budapest, Hungary.

The EIT aims to become a flagship for excellence in European technology innovation. It will operate by integrating higher education, research and business innovation. The main vehicle to be used will be establishment of new Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), which will form the EIT’s operational centres.

The plan is for the KICs to pool together a critical mass of the best resources from higher education institutions, research organisations, businesses and other stakeholders in the innovation process. Two to three initial KICs are to be established by the end of 2009.

Welcoming the 18 appointments, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso stated: "I am delighted with the nomination of the EIT’s first Governing Board. The EIT is soon to become a reality and I am convinced that the excellence and commitment of the Board’s members will make it a success."

The Governing Board members were chosen by an ad-hoc independent Identification Committee following a two-stage public consultation.

The 18 appointees are:

• Professor Julia King (Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, Birmingham, UK)

• CARAÇA João (Director, Science Department, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian);

• Professor, Science and Technology Policy, Instituto Superior Economia e Gestão)

• CASTELLS Manuel, Dr. (Research Professor, Open University of Catalonia (Barcelona) and University of Southern California (Los Angeles); Former member, Scientific Council of the European Research council)

• COLLOMB Bertrand, Dr. (Honorary Chairman, Lafarge; Chairman, Institut des Hautes Etudes pour la Science et la Technologie)

• COLOMBO Giovanni (Adjunct Professor, Politecnico di Torino; Former CTO, Telecom Italia LAB and Head of long-term research, Telecom Italia)

• DE BRABANDER Ellen, Dr. (Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Global R&D, Merial;

• Board member, European Industrial R&D Management Association)

• FLODSTRÖM Anders, Dr. (University Chancellor, Swedish National Agency for Higher Education)

• GOŁĘBIOWSKA-TATAJ Daria, Dr. (Founder and Managing Partner, EMF (Enterprise Management & Finance) Consultancy; Professor/Researcher, Warsaw University of Technology Business School)

• HERRMANN Wolfgang, Dr. (President, Technische Universität München)

• LOKTU Morten (Senior vice president, R&D, StatoilHydro ASA)

• MAEX Karen, Dr. (Vice-rector of Science, Engineering and Technology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven); Full Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, K.U.Leuven)

• MAGYAR Bálint, Dr.(Former Secretary of State for Development; Former Minister of Education; Member, Hungarian Parliament)

• MÖLLER Erna, Dr (Executive Director, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation; Emeritus Professor, Karolinska Institutet; Chairman, Nobel Assembly (2007))

• NEUVO Yrjö, Dr. (Professor, Research director, Helsinki University of Technology; Former Chairman, ARTEMIS Joint Technology Platform; Former CTO, Nokia)

• SCHUURMANS Martin, Prof. Dr. (Former Executive Vice President, Philips Research / Philips Medical Systems)

• TROPSCHUH Peter, Dr. (Head of AutoUni, Volkswagen AG)

• VIIK Linnar (Director, Skype Technologies Ltd; Associate Professor and Member of the Board, Estonian Information Technology College)

• VON GABAIN Alexander Ullrich, Dr. (Co-founder, CSO and Member of the Management Board, Intercell AG; Professor of Microbiology, Max Perutz Laboratories, Vienna ; Foreign adjunct professor, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm)

Link

EIT Website