LEADERSHIP
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As a pioneer of sustainability , EIT InnoEnergy focuses its operations on providing support through innovation , entrepreneurship and education . “ Our mission is to be the gene of innovation and entrepreneurship in sustainable energy ,” states Elena Bou , Innovation Director , who has been part of the firm since its origins in Eindhoven . “ InnoEnergy was founded to contribute to the energy transition and to help solve Europe ’ s energy challenges – anything that we do should help to reduce the cost of energy , reduce greenhouse emissions and secure the energy supply .”
Dubbing itself as the ‘ innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe ’, the organisation operates three business lines in order to reach these goals – education , collaborative innovation and startup creation . Under its education pillar , the firm supports Master ’ s and PHD degrees which focus on technology , engineering , innovation , and entrepreneurship . “ These programmes are a game- changer and enable young people with different mindsets to work in traditional energy companies whilst offering something new to them ,” notes Bou .
To promote collaborative innovation , the company brings together different organisations from the industry , including researchers and startups , enabling them to launch solutions onto the market . Finally , under its three business lines , Bou outlines how InnoEnergy supports startups within the industry “ from the very beginning until the moment that they
JUNE 2019