European Commission appoints 20 members to renewed EIC Board with mandate to December 2025
- ›The European Commission appointed ten new members and renewed ten existing members of the European Innovation Council Board.
- ›The EIC Board advises on strategy, the work programme and thematic portfolios for the EIC, which sits under Horizon Europe and manages a budget of more than €10 billion.
- ›Board members serve two year mandates renewable twice with an intended rotation of roughly one third every two years and the new mandate runs until December 2025.
- ›The renewed Board is balanced by gender, geography and age and includes representatives from widening countries, according to the Commission.
- ›The first meeting of the renewed Board is scheduled for Leuven on 10 and 11 January 2024.
Commission appoints new and renewed members to the EIC Board as mandate runs to December 2025
On 13 December 2023 the European Commission announced the appointment of ten new members to the European Innovation Council Board and the renewal of ten existing members. The appointments give the EIC Board a renewed mandate running until December 2025. The Board advises the Commission on strategy, the EIC work programme and thematic portfolios for Europe’s flagship innovation effort funded through Horizon Europe.
What the appointments cover and timetable
Under Horizon Europe legislation the EIC Board plays a central advisory role for the European Innovation Council. The Commission emphasises that the Board helps guide the EIC as a large dedicated innovation programme with funding of more than ten billion euros earmarked under current arrangements. The Commission said the renewed Board will meet for the first time on 10 and 11 January 2024 in Leuven.
How the new Board was selected
Members were chosen from applicants who responded to the call for expressions of interest published in 2021. The Commission says the composition balances a range of profiles from researchers and entrepreneurs to corporate leaders and ecosystem builders. The selection process is intended to deliver a mix of thematic expertise relevant to Europe’s strategic priorities including digital technologies, health and the green transition.
Composition and diversity claims
The Commission described the renewed Board as having strong diversity across several dimensions. It highlighted balances in innovation expertise, gender, geography and age. Specific figures provided by the Commission include gender parity and the representation of 17 nationalities with eight members coming from so-called Horizon Europe widening countries.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
| Total appointed | 20 members | 10 new and 10 renewed |
| Mandate length | 2 years | Renewable twice |
| Mandate end | December 2025 | |
| Budget context | > €10 billion | EIC is financed under Horizon Europe |
| Gender balance | 50 50 women and men | Commission claim |
| Geographic diversity | 17 nationalities | Includes 8 from widening countries |
| First meeting | 10-11 January 2024 | Location Leuven |
| Rotation aim | Approx one third every two years | Designed to refresh membership regularly |
Context and why it matters
The EIC is positioned by the Commission as Europe’s dedicated vehicle for identifying, supporting and scaling breakthrough and deep tech innovations. It combines grant funding pipelines with an equity investment component managed via the EIC Fund. The Board’s advice therefore matters because it helps shape where significant EU innovation money is directed and what thematic priorities are emphasised.
Appointments to bodies such as the EIC Board also signal how the Commission wants to balance expertise between early stage breakthrough research and later stage commercial scaling. The Commission’s statement emphasises expertise across digital health and the green transition which track with stated EU industrial and strategic priorities.
Critical considerations and transparency questions
The Commission’s announcement contains factual details about numbers and diversity. It does not provide granular information about conflicts of interest management selection scores or the detailed evaluation of applicants. For a body advising on large-scale investments and strategy transparency on those points matters for public trust and accountability.
Next steps and what to watch
The renewed Board will meet in Leuven on 10 and 11 January 2024. Observers and stakeholders should watch for published agendas minutes or statements that clarify the Board’s early priorities and how it will interact with EISMEA the agency that implements the EIC and with the EIC Fund. Further transparency on conflicts registers and on how the Board’s advice translates into the EIC work programme would strengthen scrutiny.
Beyond immediate governance questions the appointments come at a time when the Commission is emphasising competitiveness strategic autonomy and industrial resilience. How the EIC Board balances support for deep tech research scaling of startups and regional inclusion will influence where EU innovation funding seeks impact over the coming years.
Practical links and sources
The Commission published the appointment notice on 13 December 2023. The EIC Board operates under rules set out in Horizon Europe and is implemented through the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. Further details about the Board composition selection calls and EIC instruments are available on the EIC and EISMEA websites.