european regional development fund cleantech incubation europe: policy and practice event insights...
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EUROPEAN REGIONALDEVELOPMENT FUND
Cleantech Incubation Europe: Policy and Practice Event
Insights from the INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalisation exercise on Eco-Innovation
Laura Roman, Technopolis Group
19 June 2014 / Delft
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What is eco-innovation?
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What is eco-innovation?
Eco-innovation is any innovation that reduces the use of natural resources and decreases the release of harmful substances across its whole life-cycle.
impact on environment (resources and
emissions)
impact on economy(turnover, profit,
sales, exports, jobs)
impact on society (jobs, quality of life)
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INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
ECOREGIONS www.ecoregionsproject.eu
Focus: local and regional development policies in the areas of eco-innovation
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INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
European clusters and regions for eco-innovation network plus (ECREIN+) www.ecreinplus.eu
Focus: developing an effective regional policy mix to support eco-innovation
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Cleantech-incubation Europe (CIE)www.cleantechincubation.eu
Focus: regional policies for cleantech incubation
INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
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INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
Forwarding regional environmental sustainable hierarchies (FRESH) www.freshproject.eu
Focuses on regional policies to support and measure eco-innovation in the construction sector
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INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
Regions using eco-Management for eco-innovation development (RECOMMEND) www.recommendproject.eu
Focuses on regional policies to promote eco-management as an instrument for corporate eco-innovation
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INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
Developing sustainable regions through responsible SMEs (DESUR)
www.desur.eu
Focuses on improving regional policies to promote responsible innovation in SMEs through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes
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INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalization Eco-Innovation Projects
Producer services for European sustainability and competitiveness (PROSESC)www.prosesc.org
Focus: regional policies to promote green and competitive transport (from two-wheelers to e-vehicles and fuel cell buses).
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Challenges addressed by INTERREG IVC projects
Common challenges: Environmental
Economic
Disparities among EU regions
More specific challenges: Capabilities in regional planning for eco-innovation
Fostering eco-innovation among small and large companies
Promoting innovation and dissemination of eco-innovations
Strengthening and greening value chains
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Results of the exchanges of experiences
By mid 2014:
• A total of 136 good practices identified by the projects
• Four good practices have already been transferred
• 30 good practices are in a process of preparation for transfer to a different region
• Some of them are being incorporated in the regional development plans.
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Approaches to eco-innovation identified in the projects
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Types of good practices identified
Eco-Innovation policy good practices
Grants
Innovation vouchers
Green standards for new buildings
Green public procurement
RIS3 strategies
Networking initiatives
Incubators and clusters
Eco-Innovation support tools
good practices
Benchmarking instrument
Green technology atlas
Genuine progress towards sustainability indicator for the region
Eco-Innovation technology
good practices
Low Energy / Zero emission building
New model of biogas plant
E-car battery recharging
infrastructure
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Recommendations to regions promoting Eco-Innovation
Committed leadership of
regional authorities
• Attain political commitment to sustainability goals
• Regional development / innovation strategy should include sustainability targets
• Commitment to sustainability targets provides stable market signals for private investments
• Work across multiple levels of governance, and where needed involve national policy-makers
Regional authorities as
eco-innovation change agents
• Assess local demand for new practices and foster bottom-up processes of change
• Conduct robust analysis of economic, regulatory, technological, innovation, and natural profile
• Make strategic choices in regional planning based on regions’ uniqueness: local assets and resources
Foster framework
conditions for eco-innovation
• Link main stakeholders in implementing EI actions (businesses, R&D providers, consumers)
• Develop local skills and build local capabilities for the green economy
• Raise awareness, improve access to knowledge on eco-innovation to all stakeholders
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Recommendations for clusters and incubators
• Foster triple helix cooperation, and capitalise on the incubator’s physical proximity to R&D facilities incorporating opportunities for concrete projects between the members of the incubators, the private sector, universities or public sector.
• Clusters should work together with incubators and support the entrepreneurial environment in the region.
• Design cleantech incubator facilities to cater to different phases of the innovation process. Good practices include a range of types of incubators and demonstrators. Some are offering a fast-track space for testing and adopting the lean start-up concept in the case of early-stage business ideas. Other demonstrators offer the opportunity of testing their prototypes in real life settings for start-ups that are more advanced in the innovation chain.
