EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND Cleantech Incubation Europe: Policy and Practice Event Insights...

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.

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Thank you!

Laura.roman@technopolis-group.com