The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) welcomes four new members to the EIT Governing Board today: Jan Figel, Janis Grevins, Nora Khaldi, and Razvan Nicolescu.

The members were appointed by the European Commission and Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth said:

‘The Governing Board is central to the EIT’s governance and the strategic orientation, and I am delighted that these outstanding innovation practitioners are willing to share their valuable experience and knowledge to guide the EIT in its contribution to the green and digital transitions. They are joining the Governing Board at a crucial time, as the EIT starts to implement its new Strategic Innovation Agenda 2021-2027, which offers more opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs across the EU to work on concrete solutions to the societal challenges we are facing. – Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

The EIT Governing Board oversees the strategic direction of the EIT as well as the selection and monitoring of its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). It is composed of experienced professionals in the fields of education, research and business.

The four new EIT Governing Board members are:

• Jan Figel served as the first Slovak European Commissioner. He was also a Chief Negotiator in the accession process of Slovakia to the EU. In national politics he has served as Vice-President and Member of the Parliament, Deputy Prime Minister and State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Janis Grevins is an academic executive with a strong focus on institutional development, technology implementation and business linkages. He has been the Director of Riga Business School at Riga Technical University since April 2003. He also serves as the independent member on the Supervisory Board of Tet Ltd., Latvia.
• Nora Khaldi is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nuritas, a biotech company committed to finding disease-beating molecules in food. Since launching in 2014, Nuritas has grown rapidly and boasts well-known funders and support from the EU Horizon 2020 and the European Investment Bank, among others, raising over EUR 60 million to date.
• Razvan Nicolescu served previously as the Romanian Minister of Energy. He is currently a partner of Deloitte Romania responsible for energy and climate change practice and an associate professor of the Romanian Academy for Economic Studies.

Appointed for four years, they will guide and steer the EIT together with the other members of the EIT Governing Board.