Innovation hub for North Macedonia, launched by EIT

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is pleased to announce the launch of its first joint hub in North Macedonia set to take regional innovation to the next level and provide local entrepreneurs, innovators and learners with innovation support. 

The EIT Community will boost innovation in the Western Balkans region by opening the first joint regional hub in Skopje, North Macedonia. By connecting regional actors, innovators, and partners to Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, the new EIT Community RIS Hub – the first of its kind, will strengthen cooperation among leading business, education and research organisations while increasing the region’s competitiveness and sustainable economic growth. The new Hub is part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) programme designed to tackle Europe’s persistent innovation divide.

Innovation hub for North Macedonia, launched by EIT

The new hub is being launched today at the Center for Technology Transfer and Innovation in Skopje, North Macedonia, with local stakeholders and distinguished guests.

Fatimir Bytyqi, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Affairs said: ‘Given their expertise and presence across Europe, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology is uniquely positioned to support us in increasing our innovation capacities and creating stronger synergies among regional partners. I look forward to seeing new ground-breaking technologies emerge and new opportunities for entrepreneurs in North Macedonia.’ 

Nektarios Tavernarakis, Chair of the EIT Governing Board added: ‘We are delighted to open the EIT Community’s first joint hub in North Macedonia. Because of the region’s talent pool and economic strengths, particularly in smart agriculture, and information and communications technologies, the Western Balkans is an important region for the EIT Community. We aim to increase access to EIT opportunities through the new hub and to strengthen the innovation capacity of North Macedonia. We anticipate many success stories to be born here and scale towards the European market.’

The newly opened hub in North Macedonia will represent all the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and focus on attracting and engaging an increasing number of North Macedonian participants into EIT Community activities. The hub will provide innovators with a centralised source of information on all services and opportunities provided by the entire EIT Community, both locally and more widely.

Additionally, it will spearhead the EIT Community’s engagement with local authorities, including providing policy support and expertise as required. The EIT has appointed Mr. Aleksandar Stamboliev as a National Secretary to lead the operations of the new hub. He brings over 20 years of experience in the start-up and technology field, and is currently the CEO of BAU Accelerator, committed to helping technology start-ups scale globally.

The launch of today’s hub North Macedonia is the first of such regional hubs to open with more planned in the next three years to provide the EIT Community with a strengthened on-the-ground presence across the whole of Europe.  Stay tuned for the EIT Community Day event happening in Nicosia, Cyprus on the 14 June, where the EIT will announce the calls for establishing similar innovation hubs in Cyprus, Malta, Montenegro and Ukraine. All interested organisations are encouraged to apply to shape the EIT Community RIS Hubs in their respective regions.

EIT – MAKING INNOVATION HAPPEN!
WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY (EIT)?

The EIT strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial talent to create sustainable growth and skilled jobs in Europe. The EIT is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, among leading companies, research labs and universities. Together with their leading partners, the EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe: entrepreneurial education courses, business creation and acceleration services and innovation driven research projects.

EIT POWERS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES

The EIT’s nine Knowledge and Innovation Communities work to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy (EIT Climate-KIC); bring innovation to the European cultural and creative sectors and industries (EIT Culture & Creativity); drive Europe’s digital transformation (EIT Digital):

Lead the global revolution in food innovation and production (EIT Food); give EU citizens greater opportunities to lead a healthy life (EIT Health); achieve a sustainable energy future for Europe (EIT InnoEnergy); strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s manufacturing industry (EIT Manufacturing); develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe (EIT RawMaterials); and solve the mobility challenges of our cities (EIT Urban Mobility).

EIT FACTS & FIGURES

• Europe’s largest innovation network: 3 200+ partners from top business, research and education organisations across Europe in 60+ innovation hubs across Europe
• Making innovation happen: powered more than 5 600 start-ups and scale-ups, created more than 1 670 new products and services that have gone to raise more than EUR 6 billion in external capital. More than 4 600 students have graduated from EIT labelled master and doctoral programmes and over 10 000 have participated in EIT Community entrepreneurial trainings.

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