Partnerships

EIT Climate KIC

EIT Climate KIC

Partnership website: https://www.climate-kic.org/

EIT Climate-KIC has the principal objective to speed up the transition to a zero-carbon economy. It is focused at developing innovative products and services, starting new companies and training a new generation of entrepreneurs in the field.

Community and Programmes overview:

The Climate-KIC community currently involves organizations from diverse sectors including businesses, universities, cities, public agencies, and NGOs. With a focus on climate action, the Climate-KIC community aims to drive breakthrough innovation and help Europe achieve its goal of a zero-carbon economy by 2050.

As the financing cycle by the European Commission ended in 2025, the Climate KIC relaunched as a not-for-profit foundation and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the European Inistitute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). However the main mission "to catalyse systemic change for climate action through innovation, radical collaboration and place-based approaches" remains the same. 

The community is structured around several integrated programs:

  • Place based transformation programme: These are large-scale projects that serve as real-life testbeds for sustainable regenerative living. More info can be found on the website.  
  • Learning by doing:This program offers learning opportunities through hands-on experiences, online classes, professional development, and graduate school courses. the 4 focus topics are: working in complexity, systems thinking, sensemaking, participatory approaches and collaboration  
  • Climate Entrepreneurship: The aim is to support promising start-ups or companies with growth potential. There are three initiatives:

How to get involved?

To explore opportunities and stay updated on the latest news, visit the Climate-KIC webpage and check their open calls for proposals. You can easily contact them directly by filling in the form on their website. 

Also, you can contact the National Contact Point for Flanders, fernanda.werneck@vlaio.be (on maternity leave, replaced by pascal.verheye@vlaio.be)

What are partnerships?

Partnerships group the EC and private and/or public partners, to coordinate and streamline the research & innovation initiatives and funding in some selected key domains.

How to use partnerships?

  • orientation
    Partnerships publish strategic documents, e.g. outlining the main research and innovation challenges or key focus points.
  • networking
    Partnerships often organise events, such as info days, brokerage events, etc. Meet potential partners and learn about the nuances that are not visible in the official documents.
  • ecosystem analysis
    Partnerships typically have an advisory board, and publish impact studies of previous actions. These are good sources of information to uncover the main R&D&I players in the domain.
  • steering the agenda
    Partnerships collaborate with the EC on outlining the strategy and the future funding opportunities in their domain, based on input from industry, academia, and other stakeholders.
Author Do you have an additional question? Or spotted a mistake? Don't hesitate to contact me!
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Pascal Verheye

pascal.verheye@vlaio.be

Testimonial

image of YoPA – Youth-centered participatory action for a healthy lifestyle

YoPA – Youth-centered participatory action for a healthy lifestyle

The YoPA project, ‘a youth-centred preventive action approach towards co-created implementation of socially and physically activating environmental interventions’ obtained funding from Horizon Europe’s Health Cluster. The project addresses the multifaceted challenges of physical inactivity and health inequalities through a unique participatory approach. The project places teenagers between 12 and 18 years old in vulnerable situations at the forefront of the intervention process. The Institute of Tropical Medicine is a partner in the project and will conduct a Realist Evaluation to understand how youth co-creation contributes to improved adolescent health and well-being in four cities in Denmark, Netherlands, Nigeria and South Africa.  By integrating its results and sharing its approach in an open access Toolbox, ITM aims to contribute to fostering sustainable, youth-led solutions for healthier urban environments.