​Maud Evrard has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the European Association of Innovation Consultants (EAIC). She replaces Marie Latour, who has led EAIC Secretariat since the association foundation.

“I am thrilled to bring my passion, experience, and knowledge of membership based organisations to EAIC,” Maud Evrard said. “I look forward to working with EIAC Executive Board, Members and external stakeholders to promote the role of Innovation Consultants in the European R&I ecosystem.
 
Maud has extensive experience with international association management in the realm of European Research and Innovation. She was previously Head of Policy Affairs of Science Europe, the association representing major public research funding and performing organisations in Europe. There, she was in charge of both fostering mutual learning amongst member organisations and representing their collective interest towards the EU Institutions.
 
“Working with EAIC Executive Board member, Maud will co-develop and implement EAIC strategic plan with a focus on growing the association and delivering greater impact for our members” said EAIC President Pekka Koponen. “We are delighted to have her on board!”
 
Marie Latour was among the team of consultants who laid the ground for the foundation of EAIC, starting in 2019. First Member of Board in charge of communications, Marie was then selected as the first Secretary General of EAIC. Her legacy notably includes the Association’s fast-growing reputation.

Today, the EAIC, (European Association of Innovation Consultants) is celebrating its two-year anniversary. It was initiated parallel to the first edition of the Research and Innovation days back in September 2019, when the founding group of consultants decided to unite in a Working Group that aimed to represent them towards EU institutions.
​
Marie Latour has been part of the core team of consultants that have set up and structured EAIC over the past 2 years. She has acquired solid experience in the innovation consulting industry, having led ZABALA Innovation’s Brussels office for the past 7 years. She also has substantial experience with European associations and platform management: for 5 years, she led the European Technology and Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET); prior to that, she was Head of European Projects at SolarPowerEurope, where she started her career in Brussels in 2002.

“My intention is to make the European Innovation Consulting profession recognised for its true value. Innovation consultants are essential players who facilitate the innovation process of the European Industry, informing them and ensuring their active participation in EU-funded projects; it is the EAIC’s role to make this responsibility more visible and recognised,” said Marie, when her nomination was announced publicly.

Today, the European Association of Innovation Consultants is releasing its first collective report “A Guide to Next Generation EU for industry to better understand and seize its opportunities.”

The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to an unprecedented health and economic crisis in our society. Companies of all sizes and entire sectors have been impacted by the pandemic. To overcome this crisis, strengthen and transform our economy, making it greener, more digital and more resilient, creating new opportunities and more jobs, the Commission has launched a temporary instrument, called “Next Generation EU,” which raises the European Union's budget to €2.018 trillion in current prices, the largest economic stimulus ever funded by the EU.

The most relevant European companies in innovation consultancy join efforts to boost the competitiveness in the research and innovation ecosystem.

This week EWGIC released its position paper on EIC Accelerator under Horizon Europe in view of the ongoing Horizon Europe negotiations. Created in 2014 under the “SME instrument” name, the EIC Accelerator has become the largest and most competitive public funding scheme for deeptech startups in Europe.

Today the website of the European Working Group of Innovation Consultants (EWGIC) was released, with now 20 members across 18 countries, this new initiative is taking a new step in its formal structuration.

The European Working Group of Innovation Consultants (EWGIC) gathers experts in the field of European research and innovation projects. The group aims to facilitate exchange and promotion of best practices and success stories, as well as to promote professional skills and expertise in European RDI projects. Today the group gathers 20 companies and two national associations, active in more than 18 countries around Europe. It is growing every month.

One of the first actions undertaken by EWGIC has been the publication of a Manifesto to support project management in Horizon Europe. The proposed measures include:

• Recognising the impact of management expertise by allowing the participation of other partners, not just the Coordinator; and allowing the subcontracting of management tasks;
• Promoting good project management practices such as the early delivery of a project management plan; the dedication of the management activities to a skilled workforce; the use of collaborative project management tools; and the preparation of the impact assessment and the project results exploitation.

The Manifesto has been presented by EWGIC to the European Commission at the occasion of the RDI Days. Today, it has been signed by over 150 organisations across Europe, including consultancies, leading RTOs, public authorities, technology transfer organisations and leading industrial associations.

In the particular context of the current COVID-19 Crisis, members of EWGIC have helped in filing a significant number of applications to the Horizon 2020 programme and especially the EIC Accelerator March deadline, which many start-ups in the area could not have reached without professional help.
​
The website is accessible at www.ewgic.eu . You will find the objectives of the initiative; recent news about EWGIC, the list of members, a link to the Manifesto and the possibility to support it by signing it online, a registration form to request membership to the Working Group

For more information about EWGIC:
Visit our website at www.eaic.eu     
The current list of members is the following: https://www.eaic.eu/members.html   
Follow our LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/european-association-of-innovation-consultants
Follow us on Twitter: @eu_innovconsult
 
Press Contacts

• For any written enquiry: [email protected]   
• Phone enquiries:  Marie Latour + 32 473 89 63 74