The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will launch a new Knowledge and Inovation Community (KIC) in the water, marine and maritime sectors and ecosystems.

According to a Commission Staff Working Document, the establishment of a new KIC is relevant for tackling critical global challenges including: water scarcity, droughts, and floods; marine and freshwater degredation; and transition to a sustainable blue economy. The Document is supported by an independent study which overviews recent developments in scientific, technological and socio-economic trends. In this context, the European Commission confirms a new EIT KIC as the right EU instrument to make this overarching collaborative approach a success.

The new EIT KIC will develop an integrated approach across freshwater, marine and maritime sectors, supporting entrepreneurial education and skills development, innovation projects as well as the ideation, development, deployment and commercialisation of new technologies, products and services.

At the beginning of 2025, the EIT will publish a call for proposals inviting applicants to submit their vision for EIT Water. In line with the EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda, the new KIC will be selected in 2025 and launched in 2026.

https://eit.europa.eu/news-events/news/greenlight-eit-water-european-commission-approves-launch