15 years of Climate KIC: continuing our impact through innovation and collaboration
As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, Climate KIC is stepping into the next chapter of our story: our transition to independence from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the unveiling of our new brand. This anticipated shift is more than structural. It represents an exciting and significant step for our team, our partners and our community members. It is also a moment to reaffirm our commitment to building climate-resilient societies and fighting climate breakdown through innovation and radical collaboration.
The future can feel daunting. The planet is warming at a rate that scientists don’t completely comprehend, and the impacts of the climate crisis are accelerating, everywhere. At the same time, growing political isolation and polarisation are stifling progress. And yet, we remain steadfast in our conviction that this is a moment of opportunity.
A legacy of climate innovation and impact
Founded in 2010 by the EIT, our initial mandate was to foster a community of innovators, educators, and businesses that could harness their skills to tackle the climate crisis. We take immense pride in having supported some of Europe’s most innovative and inspiring changemakers over the past 15 years, building a network of over 200 organisations and supporting over 6,000 start-ups with our ClimAccelerator and 44,000 learners with our Climathon and Journey programmes.
Yet despite our successes, we realised that the interconnectedness and complexity of the issues caused by climate breakdown – including environmental degradation, food and energy insecurity, geopolitical and financial instability, and economic and social inequality – calls for a broader, more holistic and integrated approach. So, we evolved.
Today, we apply a systems lens to all our work, catalysing action in places using innovation and radical collaboration. We work with 119 cities, 100 regions, 50 countries and many industries, to enable testing and learning, helping them deploy solutions that address interconnected challenges and unleash scalable transformation.
For us, this means playing the role of an orchestrator. Like a conductor, we connect, bridge, and find patterns in different solutions so that they become bigger than the sum of their parts. We listen, opening opportunities to learn from one another and find a different way to do things, together.
Orchestration for systemic change: connecting people and solutions
Through our Deep Demonstration projects in Ireland, Slovenia or Gipuzkoa, we support decision-makers in integrating the technical, policy, financial, and business model innovations necessary to realise their own vision of a viable future. Through programs like the Climate Leadership Academy, launching in a couple of weeks, we equip leaders with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed for systemic change, and we empower them to turn ambition into action, starting in Ukraine.
City by city, region by region, country by country, industry by industry, and together with our partners, we are creating a movement to demonstrate what is possible and to inspire others to act.
We are also actively revitalising our efforts to transform our Community, creating a dynamic space for our members and stakeholders to connect with one another, engage with experts, and gain valuable insights into key policy developments both in the EU and globally.
Our commitment to transformation and collaboration
After 15 years of driving climate innovation, we are stepping into a new chapter of our history – one defined by independence, ambition and renewed purpose. Since our inception as an EIT Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC), the goal has been financial sustainability. As we have reached maturity, we have strengthened our ability to accelerate systemic change and create impact together with a diverse range of partners, including the EIT. Despite this change, our connections to Europe remain strong. We remain committed to the EU climate agenda, leading two EU Missions on Adaptation and Cities, and we will continue to work with the EIT under a new partnership and with the other KICs on ongoing projects like the EIT Community New European Bauhaus.
With this evolution comes a fresh, new brand – one that reflects our journey and our unwavering commitment to collaboration and transformation at all levels of society. Our brand builds on our legacy, while unfolding our identity as an orchestrator of system change, and reflects our conviction that the way forward is anything but linear. Through the interplay of movement and space, it shows a dynamic pathway of complex, interconnected solutions; but it shows a pathway filled with humanity, natural beauty and opportunity.
A new chapter for Climate KIC and the challenges ahead
We know that the path forward will not be easy; but with the solid foundation we have built, we are fully prepared to thrive independently. We have a legacy of impact, an exceptional team, a dedicated community, and clear ambitions. Importantly, though, we have a conviction that with a new form of radical collaboration, we, together with others – for instance through The Collaborative –, can activate the transformations that are so desperately needed.
This is the beginning of an exciting chapter where we will push boundaries, challenge the status quo, and drive a fundamental shift in the human design for life. Join us.
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Contact us at media@climate-kic.org if you have any questions.