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EIT Director

Martin Kern - EIT Director

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Martin Kern is Director of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology since 2019 following his appointment by the EIT Governing Board, having previously been Interim Director and Chief Operating Officer at the EIT. Prior to joining the EIT, he worked at the European Commission for 15 years where he held a variety of posts, mainly dealing with enlargement policy and with financial assistance to support economic and social development programmes. This included the role of Head of Operations at the EU Delegation to Serbia, where he coordinated the programming and implementation of EU funds to bring Serbia closer to EU accession. Previously, he worked as country coordinator for financial assistance for Türkiye, and was seconded to the Swedish Foreign Ministry during their EU Presidency in 2009 in the area of EU enlargement. Earlier on, he dealt among other things with the follow up of the use of EU funds in Bulgaria and Romania during the period of their accession to the EU in 2007. He started his career in the EU in Lithuania and Estonia, working in the EU Delegations and supporting the two countries to join the EU, ending his six years in the Baltic States as Acting Head of the EC Representation in Estonia. He started his career with a stint at the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Europe in Switzerland. He holds MA degrees in Economics and English from the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and in European Studies from the University of Reading in the UK.

The EIT Director is part of the EIT Management Team, which oversees the day-to-day work of the EIT implementing its Multiannual Strategy and Annual Work Programme.

Annual Declaration of Interest

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