EIC appoints Isabel Obieta as Programme Manager for responsible electronics
- ›The European Innovation Council has appointed Isabel Obieta as Programme Manager for responsible electronics.
- ›The appointment expands the EIC's domain coverage and its proactive, vision-driven approach to managing project portfolios.
- ›Programme Managers are temporary, high level experts employed via the EIC and the EISMEA to shape technology visions and steward project portfolios.
- ›The EIC highlights this as its third female Programme Manager but does not provide independent data on broader diversity or impact outcomes.
New EIC Programme Manager to lead 'responsible electronics' portfolio
The European Innovation Council has named Isabel Obieta as a Programme Manager responsible for the EIC's work on responsible electronics. The appointment, announced on 3 October 2022, is presented by the EIC as an expansion of its technology coverage and of its capacity to build strategic visions and actively manage portfolios of funded projects. The EIC also noted that Obieta is the third woman to occupy a Programme Manager post.
Who is Isabel Obieta and what she brings
Isabel Obieta is a semiconductor and microelectronics specialist by training. Her background includes academic credentials in physics and microelectronics and a career spanning industrial R&D, wafer fabrication, project management in materials and microtechnologies, and leadership positions in technology centres. Her experience covers micro and nanofabrication, sensors, printed electronics and managing portfolios of European and private R&D projects. The EIC frames these credentials as relevant to leading a portfolio focused on sustainable and responsible approaches within electronics and semiconductor technologies.
What EIC Programme Managers do and why the role matters
Programme Managers are a distinct operational model the EIC uses to steer strategic technology areas. They combine horizon scanning, stakeholder engagement and active portfolio management. The model is intended to move beyond one-off grantmaking and toward forming coherent portfolios of projects that can collaborate on shared roadmaps, data sharing, market analysis and investor outreach. Programme Managers also act as connectors across Europe’s innovation ecosystem, engaging with agencies and initiatives such as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the European Research Council, national innovation actors and private initiatives.
| Feature | Description | Source / implication |
| Employer and hosting | Programme Managers are employed by the European Innovation Council and the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). | EIC announcement |
| Tenure | Appointed for a limited duration up to four years. | EIC announcement |
| Support structure | Supported operationally by EIC Project Officers and interacts with the EIC Board and President. | EIC announcement |
| Core tasks | Develop visions, manage portfolios of EIC-funded projects, engage stakeholders, and help shape calls and collaborations. | EIC Programme Managers description |
| Rules | Subject to strict conflict of interest and confidentiality requirements. | EIC announcement |
Strengths and open questions
The Programme Manager approach is an attempt to add strategic oversight to a large, distributed funding instrument. Placing experienced domain experts in the centre can help surface systemic bottlenecks and direct resources to where they can compound impact. It also reflects a broader EU shift toward more mission oriented and ecosystem-aware innovation policy under Horizon Europe.
At the same time the model raises governance and implementation questions that deserve scrutiny. Relying on external experts in charge of portfolio directions presents potential conflicts of interest even when rules are in place. Short appointment cycles can limit continuity for long development pathways typical in deep tech. Finally, the EIC’s public statements frame appointments as expanding vision and capacity but do not provide independent metrics or evidence on whether programme manager stewardship measurably improves the performance or market uptake of projects.
How this fits into the EU innovation ecosystem
Programme Managers operate within the architecture of Horizon Europe and the EIC, implemented by EISMEA. They are expected to coordinate with national contact points, research funding bodies and other European programmes. This is important because systemic technologies such as semiconductors and electronics depend on multi level interventions ranging from R&D to manufacturing, regulation and standards. The efficacy of the Programme Manager model will depend in part on its ability to translate strategic visions into concrete calls, durable collaborations and measurable outcomes across these levels.
What to watch next
Watch for the Programme Manager’s published roadmap, the specific challenges or calls she helps design, and any pilot portfolio activities such as coordinated data sharing or joint investor outreach. Those actions will be the closest indicators that the appointment moves beyond signalling to operational change. Monitoring independent outcome metrics will also be necessary to judge whether this approach improves project impact and European competitiveness in areas such as semiconductors and sustainable electronics.
The EIC announcement welcomes Isabel Obieta and highlights the Programme Manager model as a new way to manage funding. That remains a reasonable claim but it should be followed with clear evidence that vision-driven portfolio stewardship yields faster commercialisation or stronger systemic resilience than prior approaches.