Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) is highly integrated, creative and excellence-driven partnership which brings together the fields of education, technology, research, business and entrepreneurship, in order to produce new innovations and new innovation models that inspire others to emulate it.

The KICs will be driving effective “translation” between partners in ideas, technology, culture, and business models, and will create new business for existing industry and for new endeavors.

KICs are legally and financially structured entities of internationally distributed but thematically convergent partners. These partners involve key actors from the three sides of the knowledge triangle: research, higher education, and innovation-entrepreneurship-business.

The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) designated its three first KICs in December 2009. They are:

• Climate KIC
• EIT ICT Labs
• KIC InnoEnergy

The aim of the Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC) is to be at the forefront of this “green revolution”, providing the innovations, entrepreneurship, education and expert guidance needed to shape Europe’s climate change agenda. Climate KIC gathers nearly 90 partners in Europe, including large companies, SMEs, cities and regions, universities etc.

EIT ICT Labs’ main mission is to turn Europe into a global leader in ICT innovation. It breeds entrepreneurial ICT top talent by transforming higher education towards promoting innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. EIT ICT Labs partners represent some of Europe’s and the world’s leading organizations, universities, research institutes and companies, in the field of ICT.

KIC InnoEnergy’s strategy is to be the leading engine for innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of sustainable energy. KIC InnoEnergy activities in education, technology and innovation & entrepreneurship are designed, developed and implemented by a very reasonable balance of top rank industries, research centers, universities and business schools, the actors of the knowledge triangle.