Maria da Graça Carvalho led a delegation of MEPs from the ITRE Committee that visited the headquarters and several Knowledge and Innovation Centres (KICs) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), in Hungary and Austria.
Discussions focused on the role of the EIT and its important contribution to the European innovation fabric; the work done so far and in its functioning, including its governance structure and financing models. Members were also interested in the impact the EIT is having on European innovation ecosystems and on citizens' lives, in particular in the social, digital, manufacturing and climate dimensions. The delegation took place in the context of the new legislative proposal for the EIT legislative package (2021-2027) under the Horizon Europe programme.