Horizon Europe Interim Evaluation Highlights the EIT’s Strategic Role in Innovation and Skills

The European Commission has released the Horizon Europe Interim Evaluation, a legally mandated assessment of the European Union’s (EU) flagship research and innovation programme.

Drawing on extensive analysis and stakeholder engagement — including nearly 1 700 public consultation responses and over 1 000 interviews — the report underscores Horizon Europe’s impressive impact, with over 15 000 projects funded and a combined budget exceeding €43 billion. Significantly, it confirms that every €1 invested through Horizon Europe yields up to €11 in economic gains — an extraordinary return that highlights the programme’s critical contribution to Europe’s global competitiveness.

EIT’s Strategic Role in Driving Investment and Skills Development

In this context, the added value of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is clearly recognised. The evaluation builds on previous Horizon Europe study findings, which highlighted the institute’s strong financial leverage — reporting up to €8 in private investment for every €1 of public funding — complementing the Interim Evaluation’s emphasis on its role in mobilising capital for innovation.

EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) are acknowledged as key drivers of innovation-based growth — supporting startups, training future entrepreneurs, and developing EU Skills Academies in strategic sectors such as solar, wind, hydrogen, batteries and raw materials. 

The EIT’s ability to attract private and public capital at scale reinforces its role in the innovation financing landscape, systematically collecting and reporting data on additional investment secured by supported startups.

The dissemination of research and innovation results through EIT networks — including to venture capital investors — and strong citizen engagement through initiatives such as Girls Go Circular further illustrate the institute’s impact.

Looking Ahead: Strengthening Europe’s Innovation Ecosystem

Looking ahead, insights from the evaluation will inform upcoming Horizon Europe work programmes. These will aim to simplify participation, enhance co-investment mechanisms and better support scale-ups. The EIT — through its model of partnership, innovation and education — remains a cornerstone of Europe’s efforts to transform research and innovation outcomes into impact.

Read the Evaluation  Factsheet