The idea behind Climate-KIC is to drive innovation in climate change through creative collaboration. It forges partnerships — large and small, local and global — between the private, public and academic sectors. Climate-KIC was set up in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, an EU body. It has developed a strong foothold in the UK and Ireland since, with centres in London, Birmingham, Dublin and Edinburgh.

The Climate-KIC success story

In 2017, we supported 11 Scottish companies through the Climate-KIC Accelerator programme here at ECCI. Between them, they’ve already scooped more than £500,000 worth of investment, bagged 14 awards and created 17 new jobs. We’re now a full partner of Climate-KIC, with 22 start-ups being helped through the Accelerator and Greenhouse programmes in Edinburgh. Unlike some start-up support programmes, we don’t bar our Climate-KIC entrepreneurs from accessing other funding. Nor do we claim intellectual property rights for any ideas we help them develop.