The new 18 member Governing Board of the EIT will identify, select and launch the first EU “innovation hubs” before the end of 2009, expected to cover the fields of climate change, renewable energy and ICT. The board’s inaugural meeting in Budapest on 15 September 2008 will mark the official start to the agency’s operations. Its first tasks will include establishing the institution’s overall strategy and selection and launch of the first two or three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) by the end of 2009. After that, the board will be responsible for the coordination and evaluation of these virtual centres of scientific collaboration. KICs will bring together departments of universities, companies and research institutes to form an integrated partnership to perform education and innovation activities in inter-disciplinary strategic areas, such as climate change, renewable energy and the next generation of information and communication technologies (ICT).