EIT RawMaterials: Leading Science Founder Urges Innovation Transformation at Universities in Fight Against Climate Change
14.9.2022 15:56:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
A leading innovator in science has urged European universities and higher education institutions to revolutionise their innovation activities to effectively tackle climate change. Dr. Riam Kanso, founder and CEO of Conception X, will be the keynote speaker at the INNOVEIT Stockholm: Innovation in Higher Education on 15 September. The event is coordinated and led by EIT RawMaterials, the world’s largest consortium on raw materials, funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
The registration for in-person or virtual attendance at INNOVEIT Stockholm is now open.
Reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 means new innovations in technology and energy are urgently needed. These innovations will largely stem from universities and higher education institutions. The EIT Higher Education Institutions Initiative (EIT HEI) funds and supports higher education institutions in growing their research and development faculties and boosting entrepreneurship activities and synergies with industry players, many with the aim of accelerating deep tech and energy innovations coming to market (start-ups and spin-offs).
The EIT HEI Initiative is titled ‘Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education’ and is a unique model that brings together industry/businesses with researchers and higher education. The initiative is a key objective for the EIT as part of the EIT’s new seven-year strategy for 2021-2027. The programme supports higher education institutions with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem, and funding to boost the capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship activities at European higher education institutions.
Dr. Kanso: Urgent Progress Needed for Innovation in Higher Education
Dr. Kanso’s company, Conception X, has a complementary mission to the EIT HEI Initiative. Conception X is an independent, non-profit that works closely with more than 30 universities across the UK to discover and train aspiring PhD founders from leading research labs, helping them become eligible for innovation grants, awards, and venture capital funding. Through a nine-month deep-tech venture programme, PhD students explore ways to commercialise their research while still at university – much like the EIT-Labelled Masters and PhD programmes.
Dr. Kanso says new models like this are needed to unleash Europe’s potential as a hotspot for meaningful innovation, especially with the continent’s 2050 deadline to reach net-zero emissions fast approaching.
Dr. Kanso said: “Universities and higher education institutions are built to spread knowledge that improves the world. Yet, the current system of spreading this knowledge by publishing papers can sometimes hinder progress – by the time a paper is published, the research could be three years old. We need to create models where research and innovation come together to reinforce and advance each other.”
EIT RawMaterials CEO Bernd Schäfer stressed: “Europe is at an epochal turning point, where the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal are placing more extraordinary demands on higher education than ever before. Our EIT HEI Initiative was established for this reason, to empower higher education institutions to become engines of innovation and foster sustainable growth and jobs. The initiative brings Europe’s education, research, and industry leaders together to work on strengthened innovation in higher education with the aim of solving some of the world’s biggest problems - like climate change.”
Speaking about the EIT HEI Initiative, Dr. Kanso said: “We’re working to promote knowledge and innovation and help great people excel. The more allies we have and the more connected we are, the easier it will be to achieve that. Network initiatives like the EIT HEI are crucial.’’
INNOVEIT: Stockholm - Focus on Innovation in Higher Education
This hybrid event will highlight the ongoing work of the EIT’s HEI Initiative. Discussions will focus on how the EIT HEI Initiative will connect with deep tech innovations and talents and EIT-Labelled education programmes for enhanced innovation capacity building.
All active projects selected for both the EIT HEI’s Cohort 1 (launched in July 2021) and Cohort 2 (launched in July 2022) will be present at the event. There are 23 active Cohort 1 and 26 active Cohort 2 projects in the HEI Initiative network. Cohort 1 projects will share the good practices and methodologies they have learned so far for increasing innovation capacity in European higher education institutions.
Dr. Tamer Abu-Alam is the Project Coordinator of one of EIT HEI Initiative’s funded Cohort 1 projects, CloudEARTHi, and an academic at UiT, the Artic University of Norway.
Dr. Abu-Alam says initiatives like the EIT HEI Initiative, and this event, are crucial because Europe can only be decarbonised if industry, research, and higher education work closely together.
‘’Without this coming together of stakeholders we cannot achieve a solution to the climate crisis. We are all working on the same problem - but from different perspectives. This is why the EIT HEI and the Stockholm event are so important - because everyone is brought together, everyone presents their point of view, and based on this we can innovate and work together to address this challenge.”
The CloudEARTHi project guides students on how to develop their business plan in line with the European Green Deal, and how to use big data to address gaps in their business model. Within just two months, one student has already started his own business to recycle computer components – an activity that will help to provide the EU with specific raw materials necessary for the green transition.
Dr. Tamer Abu-Alam will also take part in the panel discussion ‘EIT HEI Initiative: Innovation capacity building good practices.’
The event is an integral part of the INNOVEIT WEEKS, a series of events showcasing how EIT, Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, offers unique opportunities to innovators and entrepreneurs, powering solutions to global challenges.
The registration for in-person or virtual attendance at INNOVEIT Stockholm is now open.
ENDS
Notes for the Editor
European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)
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. The EIT is Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem bringing together close to 3 000 partners from top business, research and education organisations across Europe in 200+ hubs. More than 3 800 students have graduated from EIT labelled master and doctoral programmes and over 100 000 have participated in EIT Community entrepreneurial trainings.
EIT HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education
The EIT HEI Initiative: Innovation Capacity Building for Higher Education is a joint EIT Community programme led by EIT RawMaterials − one of the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities. The initiative aims to support higher education institutions with expertise and coaching, access to the EIT innovation ecosystem, and funding, enabling them to develop innovation action plans contextualised to the needs of individual higher education institutions. In July 2021, 23 projects started their activities after the EIT HEI Initiative Pilot Call. By 2027, the EIT HEI Initiative aims to support 550 higher education institutions boosting European innovation in higher education and driving the twin transition towards a more sustainable, digital and competitive Europe.
EIT RawMaterials
The objective of EIT RawMaterials is to secure a sustainable raw materials supply by driving innovation, education, and entrepreneurship across European industrial ecosystems. EIT RawMaterials provides a collaborative environment for disruptive and breakthrough innovations by connecting business with academia, research, and investment. It also invests in future generations of innovators for the raw materials sector, through initiatives ranging from the education of school students to higher qualifications for industry professionals.
The company is committed to supporting Europe’s transition towards a circular, green, and digital economy whilst strengthening its global competitiveness and securing employment. On this foundation, EIT RawMaterials has been mandated by the European Commission to lead and manage the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA).
EIT RawMaterials – developing raw materials into a major strength for Europe. Connecting Matters!
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220906005543/en/
Contact information
EIT RawMaterials
Vanessa Lorenz, Head of Communications
E: vanessa.lorenz@eitrawmaterials.eu
M: + 49 174 2714312
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Datavault AI Appoints Shareholder and Investment Executive Jeffrey Tirman to the Board of Directors14.10.2026 14:55:00 EEST | Press release
Datavault AI Inc. (“Datavault AI” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: DVLT), an Artificial Intelligence Platform (“AIP”) company providing data monetization, credentialing, and real-world asset (“RWA”) tokenization, today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Tirman to its Board of Directors, effective as of October 12, 2026. Mr. Tirman was designated by NYIAX, Inc. (“NYIAX”) in connection with Datavault AI's recently completed acquisition of NYIAX, and he previously served on NYIAX's board of directors. As a Datavault AI Shareholder, Mr. Tirman brings both an ownership perspective and extensive management experience to the Board. Mr. Tirman has more than 35 years of international investment management experience, focused on corporate transformation, capital strategy and value creation. He has led complex cross-border transactions to strengthen balance sheets, reorganize operations and realign capital structures, both as a primary shareholder and on behalf of independent shareholders. His transa
EZO Reaches Financial Close on €150 Million Senior Debt Facility14.10.2026 14:21:00 EEST | Press release
EZO has reached financial close on a €150 million investment-grade, non-recourse, senior debt facility. The funding will finance the design, installation, operation and maintenance of over 3,000 charge points, representing over 100,000 kWs of capacity, across the UK and Ireland under mostly long-term public sector “PPP-like” concessions with an attractive risk allocation between the public and private sector that will significantly advance EV infrastructure delivery, on time and to budget. These charge points are estimated to generate well in excess of £1 billion in electricity sales over the next 20 years, a portion of which will be shared with the public sector while, at the end of the concession, the chargers will revert back to the public sector. Headquartered in Ireland, EZO has expanded rapidly into the mainland UK, which by 2027 will become its primary EV charging market. The company is building the capital base, technology and operational capability required to deliver reliable
Compass Pathways Joins Forces with Leading Mental Health Organizations to Mark First-Ever U.S. Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) Awareness Day14.10.2026 13:30:00 EEST | Press release
Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to unlocking urgently needed new treatment options in mental health care, today announced the first-ever TRD Awareness Day in the U.S., a day dedicated to recognizing and advocating for individuals, caregivers and communities impacted by TRD. The campaign is being amplified by leading mental health organizations, including National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Mental Health America (MHA) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA). TRD is a form of depression distinct from major depressive disorder (MDD) that is estimated to affect approximately 4 million people in the U.S., of whom fewer than 5% are currently on a TRD-indicated treatment.1,2,3 For many, the journey to recognizing TRD can involve years of cycling through antidepressant treatments that aren't providing meaningful relief, with an impact extending across work, school, relationships and daily life. TRD Awareness Day was established to i
Reliance Foundation and The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation Launch Multi-Year Partnership That Aims to Empower One Million Girls and Young Women in India14.10.2026 13:10:00 EEST | Press release
Reliance Foundation and The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Estée Lauder Companies, have announced the launch of a multi-year partnership that aims to empower one million girls and young women across India. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261014635257/en/ Mr. Stéphane de La Faverie, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies, and President, The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation, and Ms. Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Foundation. The program is designed for girls and young women from 14 to 20 years of age, across both rural and urban communities, with a focus on building life skills and confidence. It will begin in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with plans to expand to other parts of the country in the future. The initiative will help girls and young women strengthen their digital and financial literacy, and info
High-Capacity DDoS Attacks Surge 1,286% in 1H 2026 According to NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Research14.10.2026 13:05:00 EEST | Press release
NETSCOUT® SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: NTCT) released its first half 2026 Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Threat Intelligence Report, revealing a significant shift in how attacks are launched and sourced. With more than 9.1 million DDoS attacks recorded globally by NETSCOUT between January and June 2026, the report highlights that DDoS risk is growing along three axes: the volume of traffic that must be inspected, the number of places where mitigation must be deployed, and the share of attacks that disrupt service without ever saturating a link. “The 1,286% rise in attacks clearing 1Tbps or 1Gpps means high-capacity events are no longer anomalies; they are routine,” stated Hardik Modi, VP Engineering, DDoS Solutions, and ASERT Threat Intelligence Team, NETSCOUT. “With the proliferation of residential proxies and short, rate-based attacks from DDoS-for-hire platforms, traditional coarse network controls are insufficient. Providers and enterprises alike need finer-grained, selective mitig
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom