Technological Innovation and Social Change

The European Commissioner for Education and
Culture, Ján Figeľ, announced to the European Parliament
and the Council on 5 February the composition of the ad-hoc Identification
Committee that will recommend members of the future EIT Governing Board. This
Identification Committee will guarantee the independence, legitimacy and
credibility of the identification process. Starting in February 2008, the work
of the identification Committee is expected to take around four months.

The Committee is composed of four professionals of highest standing and
unquestionable independence, providing a balance of expertise in different areas
and coming from across the European Union.

The members of the Identification Committee are:

• Professor Günter Stock, Chairman, President of the Berlin-Brandenburg
  Academy of Sciences and Humanities
• Professor Miklos Boda advisor to the Rector at the Budapest University of
  Technology and Economics
• Cecilia Schelin Seidegård, chairwoman of the Royal University of
  Technology in Stockholm
• Professor Ronan Stéphan, director for industrial affairs and technology
  transfer of the French CNRS, and executive director of France Innovation
  Scientifique et Transfert S.A.

The identification process will
comprise a two-phase consultation with the main representative organisations at
EU level. The Commission, after having informed the EP and the Council of the
outcome of the selection process, will appoint the eighteen members of the EIT
Governing Board.

The EIT represents a unique opportunity to boost Europe's innovation
potential. It will be a flagship for excellence at European level, bringing
together the best scientific, business and education resources to boost the
Union's innovation capacity. It will be based on a two level-structure: first,
on a light-weight governance structure and second, on a set of Knowledge and
Innovation Communities (KICs) that will pool together the best European
resources to perform research, education and innovation activities.

The Governing Board will steer the activities of the EIT. It will be composed
of independent members of the highest potential and prestige and provide a
balanced expertise in business, research and education. It will set the strategy
of the EIT and decide on the areas in which to invest and to establish the KICs.
It will also be responsible for the selection of the KICs, for the monitoring
and evaluation of their work.

The Commission anticipates the appointment of the Board's members around
summer 2008, after the adoption of the EIT regulation scheduled in March
2008."

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