EIT invests €978M to strengthen Europe’s innovation and skills from 2026 to 2028

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has announced that its Governing Board has approved a budget of €978 million to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills development across Europe for the 2026–2028 period.

This funding will provide additional resources for six Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) as well as joint initiatives, including the EIT Higher Education Initiative, further strengthening the EIT’s role as Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem.

The allocations for 2026–2028 are as follows:

• EIT Health: € 67.3 million 

• EIT Raw Materials: € 74.8 million 

• EIT Food: € 125.3 million 

• EIT Urban Mobility: € 206.9 million 

• EIT Manufacturing: € 163.2 million 

• EIT Culture & Creativity: € 131.6 million

These partnerships bring together leading businesses, universities, and research centres to address Europe’s most pressing challenges – from sustainable food systems and resilient healthcare to advanced manufacturing, critical raw materials, creative industries, and the future of urban mobility. 

Additionally, €79.3 million will fund cross-KIC activities involving financially independent KICs such as Climate-KIC, EIT Digital, and InnoEnergy. These initiatives foster cross-sector collaboration to strengthen Europe’s impact through entrepreneurial education, STEM skills, business creation in areas like AI and women’s entrepreneurship, and international cooperation.

The decision also foresees €130 million for the EIT Higher Education Initiative, which helps universities across Europe build their innovation and entrepreneurial capacity.

About EIT

• The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an EU body founded in 2008 to boost Europe’s innovation capacity. 

• It connects business, research, and education through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), which focus on areas such as climate, health, digital technologies, and energy. 

• EIT supports start-ups, skills development, and cross-sector cooperation, making it Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem.

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