EIT Digital 2020 boosts entrepreneurship and education for a strong Digital Europe

EIT Digital today (5 Mar) launches the construction of the ‘EIT Digital 2020’ activities and accepts submissions until May 3. EIT Digital 2020 is aimed at entrepreneurial minds planning to launch a digital tech startup or product, or to deliver entrepreneurial digital tech education programmes.

The EIT Digital work programme 2020 is guided by the EIT Digital Strategic Innovation Agenda 2020-2022, which identifies the five strategic areas of our work programme: Digital Tech, Digital Industry, Digital Cities, Digital Wellbeing and Digital Finance. We consider these to be the key strategic areas to work on for a strong digital Europe.

During the period of March 5 to May 3, 2019, EIT Digital solicits proposals for its Innovation Factory and Entrepreneurship Academy.

The EIT Digital Innovation Factory supports pan European entrepreneurial teams to launch new startups and new products. With our pre-incubation support, partners will be embedded in our European ecosystem and receive a financial co-investment to package their technology, sign up customers and attract investors.

The EIT Digital Entrepreneurship Academy provides education support for development and deployment of programmes and courses with business development-oriented components. Our partners can be part of our European ecosystem of Higher Education Institutions and co-invest with us to receive both financial and experienced teaching support.

The selection will be finalised by the end of June 2019 and activities are expected to start on January 1, 2020.

Willem Jonker, EIT Digital CEO, emphasises: “Digital deep tech will impact all aspects of our economy. For a strong position in the digital world, Europe needs to leverage its existing strengths in innovation & entrepreneurship by creating value out of top European research results and building the next generation of global digital industry players.”

Over the years, the EIT Digital ecosystem of more than 120 Industry partners and 70 Research and Academia partners have contributed to build a strong Digital Europe with more than 380 products launched on the market, more than 120 digital deep tech startups created, with over 1,500 Master School graduates with skills to innovate and become entrepreneurs, and over 180 PhD thesis defined with the Industry.

For more information on the EIT Digital 2020 program, please visit eitdigital.eu/eitdigital2020.

About EIT Digital: EIT Digital is a leading European digital innovation and entrepreneurial education organisation driving Europe’s digital transformation.

EIT Digital delivers breakthrough digital innovations to the market and breeds entrepreneurial talent for economic growth and improved quality of life in Europe. It does this by mobilising a pan-European ecosystem of 200 top European corporations, SMEs, startups, universities and research institutes.

As a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Digital is focused on entrepreneurship and is at the forefront of integrating education, research and business by bringing together students, researchers, engineers, business developers and entrepreneurs.

This is done in our pan-European network of Co-Location Centres in Berlin, Budapest, Eindhoven, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Paris, Stockholm and Trento. We also have a hub in Silicon Valley.