Work in Parliament Maria da Graça Carvalho defends more balance in the distribution of funds and a new KIC dedicated to Water, in a report on the EIT

A more balanced distribution of European funds, with an emphasis on Education, which values the geographic distribution of support, promoting excellence wherever it is found - and not just “in the wealthier regions of some countries” - as well as equality of genre.

The valorisation, namely in the Cultural Heritage aspect, of the new Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) proposed by the European Commission for Culture and the Creative Industries. The launch, in 2025, of another KIC dedicated to Water, entitled: “Water, Marine and Maritime Sectors and Ecosystems KIC”.

These are some of the main proposals contained in the legislative report on the “Strategic Agenda for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) 2021-27”, to which the PSD MEP Maria da Graça Carvalho is the rapporteur.

In the document, which will now be discussed and voted by MEPs before being negotiated with the European Council, Maria da Graça Carvalho introduces a series of amendments to the Commission's initial proposal, which are based on three main principles: “Balance, Sustainability and Simplification”.

To achieve these objectives, measures are pointed out, such as the valorisation of projects with a broader geographic distribution of the participating entities, encouraging the participation of countries that do not yet have KICs; valuing collaboration with small and medium-sized companies; and the preferential treatment – when on equal terms in other aspects – of projects whose teams have a greater gender balance.

“Since its creation in 2008, the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT) and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) have played an important role in enriching the innovation ecosystems, training thousands of researchers, creating new businesses, and improving cooperation and transfer of technology between universities, research institutions and the private sector”, says the MEP in the Explanatory Note to the report.