Commissioner visits sustainable energy hub in Krakow
European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou will make a fact-finding visit to Kraków in Poland on 5-6 June to meet representatives of business, research and academia involved in the city's branch of the sustainable energy knowledge and innovation community (KIC InnoEnergy), part of the ground-breaking European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
During her visit, Commissioner Vassiliou will also meet Barbara Kudrycka, Minister for Science and Higher Education. They will hold a joint press conference at the KIC centre (Ul. Czerwone Maki 84, Kraków) on 6 June at 12:30. Poland also has a regional branch of the EIT's Climate KIC, focused on climate change, in Lower Silesia. Polish partners in the KICs include the Jagiellonian University (Kraków), which the Commissioner will visit, AGH University of Science and Technology (Kraków), the Silesian University of Technology (Gliwice), Wroclaw University of Technology, the Lower Silesia Regional Development Agency, the Institute for Chemical Production of Coal, the Central Mining Institute, as well as leading companies Tauron (energy), Lotos (oil), Rafako (boiler manufacturer) and PGNiG (oil and gas). Across the EU, the EIT's three existing KICs – the other focuses on ICT bring together nearly 300 partners from education, research and business.
In just two years, 27 start-up companies have been created and 35 patents are in the pipeline. 1 900 students will have enrolled in the KICs' education and training programmes by the end of the year. By 2020, the EIT aims to create 600 start-ups as well as supporting 10 000 Master's students and 10 000 PhDs focused on science and entrepreneurship. The EIT has received just over €300 million from the EU budget since its launch in 2008. It is expected to be allocated more than €2 billion in 2014-2020, allowing it to launch six additional KICs.
More Information
- European Institute of Innovation & Technology
Increasing European sustainable growth and competitiveness by reinforcing the innovation capacity of the EU - KIC InnoEnergy
Leading Engine for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Energy - Climate-KIC
European network of innovators working together to address the challenge of global climate change - EIT ICT Labs
Driving European leadership in ICT innovation for economic growth and quality of life - DG Education and Culture
Website - Commissioner Vassiliou
Website - Twitter
twitter@VassiliouEU
