The Summit is the largest annual event organised by the newly established EIT Manufacturing Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), operating under the umbrella of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The event aims at concretely showcasing how Europe’s manufacturing industry is leading the way towards a greener and more resilient Europe.
“EIT Manufacturing is Europe’s largest manufacturing innovation community. Our goal is to ensure that manufacturing innovation is led by Europe – the home of the manufacturing industry, and a pioneer in industrial innovation, including industry 4.0. Europe’s two million manufacturing companies will be key drivers of Europe’s green and digital transformation”, explains Klaus Beetz, Chief Executive Officer of EIT Manufacturing.
During its first operational year, EIT Manufacturing has supported more than 80 education, innovation and business creation projects across Europe and with strong involvement from EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) eligible countries. More than 2,000 people have already been trained through the community’s educational activities, close to 30 new high-potential innovations have been identified and supported, and the portfolio of highly innovative start-ups and SMEs is growing.
Manufacturing matters more than ever – in the transition to a climate neutral Europe
With more than two million companies, approximately 32 million jobs and about 14% of GDP, the manufacturing sector is an essential part of Europe’s economy . Furthermore, manufacturing plays an important role in Europe’s quest towards climate neutrality. Up to 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the product and process development stage. Klaus Beetz highlights: „The Green Deal is our plan to make the EU’s economy sustainable. Therefore, Europe needs to invest in manufacturing innovation.” EIT Manufacturing is leveraging EIT’s unique innovation model, consisting of a “Knowledge Triangle” connecting business, research, and education throughout its three pillars: Education, Innovation and Business Creation.
Create, Accelerate and Transform: BoostUp! Grand Final
The EIT Manufacturing Summit will host the BoostUp! Grand Final on 11 December. BoostUp! is an annual competition organized by EIT Manufacturing that targets innovative entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs within the manufacturing industry. In 2020, all five Co-location Centers of EIT Manufacturing, covering Europe in a geographically balanced way to offer physical proximity to all the partners, hosted regional BoostUp! competitions to identify the best projects and companies of the manufacturing industry within their regions. The BoostUp! Grand Final is the final stop of a three-month long journey which started on 23 September in Germany and led the community from Darmstadt to San Sebastian, Gothenburg, Vienna, and Milan. The BoostUp! Grand Final jury, composed of venture experts, has selected winners from this year’s regional finals in the following categories: Create, Accelerate, and Transform. Klaus Beetz: “Our Pan-European innovation community is growing. We received more than 180 applications for the first ever BoostUp! competition. We are set for impact!”
High level keynote speakers from the EU Commission, the EIT and the industry
At the EIT Manufacturing Summit, research, development, and innovation stakeholders will discuss how to support the green and digital transition of Europe’s manufacturing industry. EIT Manufacturing is happy to announce that Antoaneta Angelova-Krasteva, Director for Innovation, International Cooperation and Sport, European Commission, and Martin Kern, Director of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, confirmed their participation for 10 December. Lucilla Sioli, Director of Artificial Intelligence & Digital Industry, European Commission, and Peter Dröll, Director for Prosperity, European Commission, accepted keynote invitations for 11 December. Further plenary sessions include slots with top industrial managers like Caroline Albert (nebumind), Maurizio Gattiglio (Manufuture ETP), Thomas Hahn (Siemens), Daria Tataj (Tataj Innovation), and also Adiari Vazquez (Braver Ventures) who will address the topic of how European manufacturing can win by working with start-ups. “It’s an open event. We invite participants to connect with EIT Manufacturing and meet the people behind our innovation, education, business creation, RIS activities and their impactful results”, adds Dimitris Mavrikios, Chief Operations Officer of EIT Manufacturing.
Background information
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body which is an integral part of Horizon 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports the development of dynamic pan-European partnerships – EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities – among leading companies, research labs and universities.
EIT Manufacturing is one of the innovation communities within EIT. The others are EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, EIT Food, EIT Health, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Raw Materials, and EIT Urban Mobility. EIT Manufacturing’s main goal is to bring European stakeholders focused on manufacturing together in innovation ecosystems that add unique value to European products, processes and services and inspire the creation of globally competitive and sustainable manufacturing. EIT Manufacturing associates close to 60 organizations (universities, research institutes and business) including for example: Volkswagen, Volvo, Darmstadt University of Technology, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), RISE, Siemens, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Phillips, Procter & Gamble, Whirlpool Europe, Fraunhofer, INESCTEC and LMS-Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems & Automation.
EIT Manufacturing — Making Innovation Happen!
Media Contact Details
Cristina Carneiro
Communication Director
cristina.carneiro@eitmanufacturing.eu
M: +351 92 44 444 29
Christina Bertholdt
Communication Manager
christina.bertholdt@eitmanufacturing.eu
T : +49 6151 3844144