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EIT ICT Labs and FI-PPP signing Memorandum of Collaboration on 21 June 2012

Building stronger synergies between research, innovation and education in European ICT.

An agreement bringing together EIT ICT Labs of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and the EU's Future Internet Public-Private Partnership (FI-PPP) was signed on 21 June in the presence of Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for Digital Agenda, and Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
The Memorandum of Collaboration lays down the principles for future collaboration between the two European initiatives aiming at building stronger synergies between research, innovation and education in the ICT sector. Aligning efforts and expertise in this way will generate important network effects, meaning more start-ups, more patents and more economic growth for Europe.

This agreement is a perfect example of the cooperation we want to develop between the EIT and other initiatives within Horizon 2020, the new EU programme for research and innovation. Combining EIT ICT Labs' talent and knowledge with the firepower of Future Internet PPP will enable us to deliver more effective results and to inspire the entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow.Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou

EIT ICT Labs is one of the Institute's three 'knowledge and innovation communities', which bring together top universities and research institutes with leading businesses across Europe, while the Future Internet PPP promotes the development of European-scale platforms for smart systems in areas such as transport, health and energy.

ICT is a driver for economic growth and increased quality of life. As ICT innovation players at the European level EIT ICT Labs and the Future Internet PPP join forces to bring these benefits to European citizens. EIT ICT Labs is proud to bring its ICT education and innovation skills to the table to jointly with the FI-PPP drive the uptake of future Internet technologies and services. Within FI PPP and EIT ICT Labs we both cover a multitude of shared objectives and have considerable diversity through the numerous projects and approaches conducive to innovation as such. Now it is time also to seek synergies and get aligned, both initiatives being such major investments in the European scale.Prof. Willem Jonker, CEO of EIT ICT Labs. Mikko Riepula, Project Manager for the FI PPP support action CONCORD

The Future Internet PPP and EIT ICT Labs will focus on ICT infrastructure, entrepreneurship, business development, education and training. The agreement will also enable both parties to build on the results of Future Internet PPP projects in an effective way.
The signing ceremony took place in the Berlaymont offices of Vice-president Kroes in presence of Commissioner Vassiliou. The Memorandum of Collaboration was signed by Prof Willem Jonker, CEO EIT ICT Labs and a sample of legal representatives of the 154 participants in the Future Internet PPP at the ceremony.
 
More information:
EIT ICT Labs: http://eit.ictlabs.eu/ict-labs/all-news/article/eit-ict-labs-and-fi-ppp-signing-memorandum-of-collaboration-on-21-june-2012/
www.eit.ictlabs.eu 
Future Internet: http://www.fi-ppp.eu/