The European Commission has today launched a call for ideas on the setting up of a European Innovation Council (EIC) to support Europe’s most promising innovators.

All interested parties are invited to respond to the call, including those innovators who do not usually participate in EU support schemes. Suggestions are welcome on how an EIC could be designed to improve Europe’s capacity to generate and scale-up breakthrough innovations.

“Europe has excellent science, but we lack disruptive market-creating innovation. This is what is needed to turn our best ideas into innovative products and services that provide growth and jobs,” explains Innovation Commissioner Carlos Moedas.

“I want to test the idea of creating a European Innovation Council, which could replicate for entrepreneurs what the European Research Council is doing for Europe’s best researchers. Therefore, I am launching a call for ideas so Europe’s innovation community can tell us what they think an EIC could improve.”

Moedas made his announcement earlier today at the Science|Business Annual Conference in Brussels. In a Q&A, he said that Europe has a number of strengths in innovation and is home to several world-class innovation hotspots. However, although the number of start-ups created in Europe rivals competitors such as the US, Europe lags behind in disruptive innovation and in scaling up start-ups into world-leading businesses. An EIC, it is hoped, could contribute to solving this problem.

The online call for ideas will remain open until 29 April. Results are expected by June.

The post Moedas seeks feedback on innovation council appeared first on Horizon 2020 Projects.