The Lifelong Learning Platform is happy to announce its contribution to the consultation put forward by the European Commission on the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and its Strategic Innovation Agenda for 2021-2027.
During summer, the European Commission had suggested modifying the legal base of the EIT to align it with the EU’s next research and innovation programme Horizon Europe (2021-2027). In the words of Commissioner Navracsics, the renews strategy would serve three objectives: 1. Increasing the regional impact of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs); 2. Boosting the innovation capacity of higher education; 3. Launch of new KICs (cultural and creative industries, and a second one to be decided in due course).
The LLLPlatform welcomes the education pillar of the new strategy of the EIT post-2020. The new strategy is very much in line with the claims of the European education sector, in particular for its focus on skill investment, capacity-building, lifelong learning, as well as the promotion of cross-sector cooperation through the knowledge triangle, foreseeing synergies between the KICs with other educational programmes like Erasmus+ and addressing societal challenges through innovation. The strategy, its objectives and activities are clearly relevant for the members and partners of the LLLPlatform.
We have found, however, a loose definition of education stakeholders in general and of civil society in particular. The strategy does not explicitly mention how civil society and other stakeholders (i.e. networks of public authorities) can be involved in the KICs and other activities. Two likely, immediate and beneficial outcomes of an increase in their participation would be to have more impact at policy-level (e.g. by involving regional authorities) and secondly, reaching out to more HEIs, citizens and other experts through already existing networks organised as civil society.
That is why LLLP would like to see more clarifications and information on the role and involvement of “broader stakeholders” in benefiting and promoting the initiatives (1). It is also interested in learning more about the plans regarding synergy building with Erasmus+ and hopes the strategy will foresee concrete actions in this regard.
LLLP’s contribution to the EIT consultation is public and can be consulted on the European Commission’s website or downloaded here.