Madrid, October 10, 2023. EIT Community, the largest innovation ecosystem in Europe, is positioned as a decisive agent to promote innovation in Spain and contribute to its leadership in Europe. This was stated yesterday by the heads of the different knowledge and innovation communities in Spain of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an organization of the European Union. The event, held yesterday in Madrid and organized by EIT Manufacturing, EIT Health, EIT Climate - KIC, EIT Culture
This satellite event of the official agenda organized on the occasion of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, brought together a large part of the Spanish innovation ecosystem and emphasized the importance of collaborative and interdisciplinary work promoted by the different EIT communities to address the complex challenges facing today's society. Specifically, various intersectoral programs developed by the EIT Community were highlighted to promote Spain's innovative leadership in Europe and support the New European Innovation Agenda, approved by the Commission in July. This Agenda seeks to position Europe at the forefront of the new wave of Deep-tech innovation and help develop new technologies to address the most pressing social challenges and introduce them to the market, benefiting various sectors: renewable energy, agrotechnology, mobility, health, food security and energy independence, among others.
The impact of the EIT in Spain and the need for intersectoral collaboration
“EIT, the largest European innovation ecosystem, can be proud of its active presence and support for innovation in Spain. Our innovation and knowledge communities have attracted 250 partners from different sectors, including academic institutions, companies and organizations dedicated to research. Together, we have supported hundreds of start-ups and thousands of students in their journey through innovation, investing around 100 million euros in Spain in the last two years alone and helping to put more than 80 innovative products on the market. . Our commitment to Spain will continue to grow because innovation is more necessary than ever to face some of the greatest global challenges and promote a more sustainable future for Europe,” explained Martin Kern, Director of EIT.
For his part, Jean-Marc Bourez, CEO of EIT Health, comments that the Covid-19 crisis has revealed multiple challenges in social, economic and political spheres “that require innovative solutions and a deep understanding of the interdependencies and interconnections of various sectors.” economic and social. Joint and intersectoral innovation is key to the sustainability of our societies and to the health and well-being of all.”
Along these lines, Caroline Viarouge, CEO of EIT Manufacturing, commented that "Spain and Europe are very well positioned to take advantage of the industry's capabilities with a strong innovative drive." To achieve this, "we must all walk together to turn this opportunity into a reality. A winning team is a team that dares to innovate and co-create in a diverse ecosystem," said Viarouge, who concluded by quoting Peter Drucker: "The best way to "To predict the future is to create it."
Talent and the skills gap
One of the pillars of the New European Innovation Agenda is the need to foster, attract and retain technological talent to close the gap in Deep Tech capabilities. And this is also one of the challenges analyzed in a panel in which Izabel Alfany participated. , general director of EIT Health Spain.
“We know that 75% of companies have difficulty finding talent and in the healthcare field that percentage increases considerably because many professionals with a technological profile do not know the job opportunities that our sector can offer,” explains Alfany.
The general director of EIT Health Spain has highlighted some of the challenges that companies in the health sector face when it comes to attracting and retaining talent, such as the incorporation of talent for reindustrialization based on health technologies, the development of skills for the implementation of the European Health Data Space or the training of innovators in digital skills.
Likewise, Alfany has also reviewed some of the initiatives that EIT Health has launched at European and national level to address the talent shortage, such as Healthcare Transformation Academy, Think
The event ended with the intervention of Teresa Riesgo, Secretary General of Innovation of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, who highlighted EIT's long history in supporting innovation in Europe and highlighted the importance of transversal meetings like this one.
Finally, Riesgo has warned about the need to develop policies that do not contribute to generating inequality in access to innovation between the different regions of Europe.
About the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is Europe's largest innovation ecosystem, bringing together more than 2,400 members from Europe's leading business, educational and research organizations through more than 50 innovation hubs. EIT is a body of the European Union and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation. Through dynamic pan-European partnerships, called Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC), EIT offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities, strengthening innovation in Europe and driving solutions to pressing global challenges, while fostering entrepreneurial talent to generate sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe.
About EIT Health
EIT Health is a network of leading health innovators, with approximately 130 partners, and is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. We collaborate between countries to offer new solutions that allow European citizens to live longer and better.
As Europeans, we face the challenge of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, and we are aware of the opportunities that technology offers us to advance beyond conventional approaches, prevention and healthy living. This requires innovative opinion leaders and efficient pathways to bring innovative health solutions to market.
EIT Health addresses these needs. We connect all relevant health actors across Europe, ensuring the inclusion of all three sides of the “knowledge triangle”, so that innovation occurs at the intersection of research, education and business, for the benefit of citizenship.
EIT Health: Together for healthy lives in Europe.
For more information, visit: www.eithealth.eu
Media Contact:
Mara Belluco | Communication Manager | EIT Health Spain
mara.belluco@eithealth.eu | 34 934020800 | 34 627089665
Manuel Recio, manuelrecio@europapress.es | 34 600 90 55 93
Rubén Marcos, rubenmarcos@europapress.es | 34 600 90 50 74
