history

Promoting 
innovation  in Europe.

kENUP's history
Our origin

kENUP Foundation was constituted as a lawful purpose foundation in November 2014. It aims to take responsibility throughout Europe's comprehensive concept for a new innovation system in the healthcare sector.

The initial kENUP innovation system had been jointly co-designed by a consortium of innovation leaders from Europe and further afield, including institutions from research, higher education, industry, transnational institutions, and European Union member states. 

kENUP's original aim was to form a so-called "Knowledge and Innovation Community" (KIC) under the framework of the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT) through means of funding under Horizon 2020. 


kENUP Foundation to support EFSI

In parallel, a new opportunity emerged: as part of the incoming EU President Juncker´s upcoming Investment Plan for Europe, a new “European Fund for Strategic Investments” (EFSI) was discussed within the European Union´s institutions. kENUP was invited by the European Parliament to introduce and share its idea of nurturing knowledge based innovation in Europe. Both the EU´s analysis of a funding gap within the innovation cycle (“valley of death”) as well as the proposed tool box under EFSI (“equity-type of risk investments into corporate innovation projects”) had also been core findings and elements of kENUP’s own research and work. 

Hence, kENUP Foundation decided to adapt its program accordingly and to concentrate on public interventions that include the promotion of corporate financing, high end digital education and complementary horizontal activities, such as, for example, stakeholder meetings in the vaccine industry - with the aim to improve innovation framework conditions alongside the European Commission, the EU Member States, and NGOs.
 
In parallel, kENUP Foundation further strengthened its pipeline for investment projects to fit under the new financing program jointly set up by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB). This came along with attracting new partners, broadening scope and network, and establishing a strong links into Israel´s centres of excellence as well as with the World Health Organization, and OECD.

Since starting its activities under this new framework, kENUP Foundation has successfully promoted projects in immunology and biotech that – among other benefits - received three-digit million EUR financing. Further projects and initiatives include digital industries such as blockchain technology, fintech as well as novel financing instruments. 

kENUP´s network grew substantially. Its partners collaborate – subject to the respective program lines – under various conditions. While many partners have to interact with us under strict confidence, others participate in public hearings, initiatives or in joint programme development activities. kENUP understand itself as open to new partners from around the globe, as long as their activities contribute to the core objectives of societal benefit for Europe, and for areas of strategic concern to Europe.

Contributing to Europe's
Knowledge and Innovation Communities.

The ruling of the General Court of the European Union

After kENUP's application to become a "Knowledge and Innovation Community" (KIC) had not been admitted to the EIT Governing Board's selection process, kENUP - supported by the Republic of Malta - launched an appeal with the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg. 

On January 18, 2018, the Seventh Chamber of the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg ruled on Case T 76/15 (kENUP Foundation against EIT). In its judgement, the General Court
  1. 1. Annulled the decisions of 9 December 2014, as notified by letter of 10 December 2014, by which the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) designated the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on ‘Innovation for healthy living and active ageing’ and rejected the proposal submitted by the kENUP consortium;
  2. 2. Ordered the EIT to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Kenup Foundation, Candena GmbH, CO BIK Center (…), and Evotec AG.
Case T 76/15 had been brought forward by kENUP Foundation alongside its partners Candena GmbH, CO BIK Center, and Evotec AG, with formal support of the Republic of Malta and Leuphana University. The detailed decision has been published by the General Court here. kENUP Foundation had been represented at the General Court by Ulrich Soltesz from Gleiss Lutz Hootz Hirsch PartmbB Rechtsanwälte. 

kENUP Foundation has been a Core Partner of EIT Health between May 16, 2018 and November 28, 2019. 

Sustainably incentivizing the development of 
innovative products in  failing markets.

Establishing public-private investment partnerships

kENUP Foundation is actively supporting the development of potentially market leading businesses, and presents those to public promotional banks in the European Union for consideration under their various programmes applicable to the respective industries, regions, and risk profiles. 

kENUP has established working structures, among others, with the European Investment Bank (EIB), with the Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) as well as with the Malta Development Bank (MDB). Along the same lines, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and kENUP have established a three-year partnership to advance educational outcomes globally.

At any point in time, kENUP Foundation has between one and two dozens of projects in its development pipeline, mostly in biologicals and in distributed ledger technologies. To date, the compound likelihood of a kENUP-supported business to obtain public-private financing has been around 80%. kENUP is continuously assessing commercially viable investment cases that pursue societal benefits. If there is an opportunity we should consider, please get in touch here. 
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