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Please find the original article reposted here: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/albania/european-institute-innovation-and-technology-and-eu4innovation-launch-new-community-hub-boost_en
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, and the EU4Innovation launch its newest joint EIT Community Hub in Albania.
EU4Innovation (EU4I) is a multi-Donor Action jointly co-financed by the European Union (EU), the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and SIDA and implemented by GIZ and SIDA.
The new EIT Community Hub is the first of its kind in Albania and will strengthen cooperation among leading business, education, and research organisations by connecting regional actors, innovators, and partners to Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem. It will serve as a one-stop shop for local talent and entrepreneurs to benefit from the EIT Community’s opportunities in education, business creation, and innovation.
This new hub is part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) programme, which is designed to fuel Europe’s innovation drive.
In its mandate to accelerate the country’s economic transformation into an innovation-driven and knowledge-based economy, leveraging Albania’s human capital, entrepreneurial and research potential, EU4Innovation is supporting the establishment of the EIT Community Hub in Albania. This is a flagship intervention of the Action, which drives innovation, promotes entrepreneurial & innovative thinking as skill sets for future talent, and facilitates the flow and co-creation of knowledge between quadruple helix actors.
The new EIT Community hub launched on February 10th, 2025, at the Europe House in Tirana, Albania. High-level national, regional, and EU-level officials attend the event. This first event aims to foster collaboration, introduce the EIT Community Hub in Albania, and highlight its role in driving innovation and regional development.
The newly opened hub in Albania will represent all the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and focus on attracting and engaging an increasing number of local participants in EIT Community activities. The hub will provide innovators with a centralised source of information on different services and opportunities provided by the EIT Community in Albania, all the EU Member States, and all Horizon Europe-associated countries. Additionally, it will spearhead the EIT Community’s engagement with local authorities, including providing policy support and expertise as required.
“The EU has been actively supporting Albania’s innovation ecosystem through our flagship EU4Innovation programme. Today, we take another important step with the launch of Albania’s first EIT Community Hub which will serve as a bridge between Albanian and European innovation ecosystems, fostering collaboration among businesses, educational institutions, and researchers. This Hub – result of a true Team Europe cooperation – will further boost Albania’s innovation potential. With modernised education and training systems, the country will be able to tackle one of the biggest challenges: brain drain. The EU is committed to contributing to address this challenge by supporting the country to improve the quality of education, equipping students with relevant skills, and ensuring they have opportunities to build their futures here in Albania,” said Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Albania, Hubert Perr.
The EIT Director, Mr. Martin Kern, greeted the event and congratulated the EU and EU4Innovation on this initiative, highlighting: “The new EIT Community Hub in Albania will represent all the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) and focus on attracting and engaging an increasing number of local participants in EIT Community activities.”
About the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT):
The EIT strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and 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 and EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) among leading companies, research labs, and universities. These KICs drive systemic change in Europe and beyond, focusing on key areas such as climate change, energy, health, food, manufacturing, raw materials, digitalisation, urban mobility, and culture and creativity. Together with its leading partners, the EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe, including entrepreneurial education courses, business creation and acceleration services, and innovation-driven research projects.
Learn more: https://eit.europa.eu/
About EU4Innovation
The European Union, Germany, and Sweden are working to create high-paying jobs in Albania by developing an innovative economy. The project leverages Albania’s human capital, entrepreneurial potential, and research potential. The project is funded by the European Union with co-funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Sweden. It is implemented by GIZ Albania and the Swedish Embassy in Albania.
Learn more: https://euforinnovation.al/
About EIT Community Hub Albania
LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eit-community-ris-hub-albania/
Country page: https://eit-ris.eu/albania/