What is EIT?
The EIT is an independent body of the European Union set up in 2008 to spur innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe to overcome some of its greatest challenges. It brings together the so-called ‘knowledge triangle’ of business, education and research to form dynamic cross-border partnerships – Knowledge and Innovation Communities, KICs - that develop innovative products and services, start new companies, and train a new generation of entrepreneurs.
What is EIT Food?
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, made up of a consortium of over 50 partners from leading businesses, startups, research centres and universities across Europe with the aim of making the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted.
Supported by the EU, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We unlock innovation potential in businesses and universities and create and scale agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. And we equip entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system, and educate and inspire the next generation.
EIT Food Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT Food RIS)
The EIT RIS is the EIT Community’s outreach scheme introduced in 2014 to share good practices and experience emerging from EIT Community activities. The EIT RIS opens up the activities of EIT’s Innovation Communities to innovators that are not partners, by providing targeted support to individuals and organisations to take part in and benefit from EIT Innovation Communities’ activities, services and programmes.
The objective of the EIT RIS is to contribute to boosting the ability to innovate of countries and regions in Europe that belong to the groups of so-called ‘modest and moderate’ innovators (according to the European Innovation Scoreboard).
UCT Prague and JIC as EIT Food Hub
The consortium of the University of Chemical Technology in Prague and South Moravian Innovation Centre JIC was selected to perform the role EIT Food Hub for the period 2024 – 2025.
The RIS is implemented via formalised collaboration with a local entity functioning as an EIT Hub, an ‘interaction point’ between EIT Food and local actors which helps disseminate the knowledge and know-how of the EIT Community.
Czech subpage on EIT Food website