EUROPEAN REGIONALDEVELOPMENT FUND
The 2nd year capitalisation analysis:
Eco-innovation
RECOMMEND Peer Assessment WorkshopAscoli Piceno – 31st March - 2nd April 2014
Laura Roman, Technopolis Group
2 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalisation Eco-Innovation Projects
ECOREGIONS www.ecoregionsproject.eu Aims to improve effectiveness of local and regional development policies in the areas of eco-innovation – and particularly green technologies, with focus on SMEs
European clusters and regions for eco-innovation network plus (ECREIN+) www.ecreinplus.eu Works on developing an effective regional policy mix to support eco-innovation
Cleantech-incubation Europe (CIE)www.cleantechincubation.euFocuses on good practices and knowledge transfer on regional policies for cleantech incubation
Producer services for European sustainability and competitiveness (PROSESC) www.prosesc.org Focuses on regional policies to promote environmental sustainability and competitiveness of road transport (from two-wheelers to e-vehicles and fuel cell buses).
3 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
INTERREG IVC Thematic Capitalisation 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
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
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
4 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Types of good practices identified
Development and uptake of eco-innovative technologies
• PROSESC has supported the development of electric vehicle technologies• ECOREGIONS and FRESH projects have identified good practices of using clean technologies (e.g. heat pumps, low impact buildings, biogas production etc.)
Focus on particular sectors • road transport (PROSESC project)• sustainable construction (FRESH)
Improving regional policies• Strengthening regional policies and the role of policy-makers through regional strategies• Improving innovation support: eg. Cleantech incubation, eco-management and eco-design, cluster policies
Capacity building in regional administrations • PROSESC: transfer of expert know-how to regional policy-makers• ECREIN+: capacities to design, implement and evaluate eco-innovation measures• CIE: Capacity building for incubation and innovation support to SMEs
6 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Good Practices Transferred - CIE
Start-up Sauna in Helsinki
1) internship program for aspiring entrepreneurs to work at high-growth companies in Helsinki and in Silicon Valley
2) An accelerator for early stage entrepreneurs
3) The Slush conference, gathering the entire
ecosystem of stakeholders
LaunchLab
Pre-Incubation Facility in Delft based on the Lean start-up
concept
Start-ups enter a 12-week programme where they test
their ideas with potential customers.
7 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Opportunities for scaling up and impact
• Projects have given a push to the dialogue between policy makers and industry and expect it to continue in future
• All projects generally provide guides, handbooks, toolboxes, recommendations and lessons learned based on the experience they had.
• Many good practices are in INTERREG database of GPs. All are potentially useful to other regions, players.
8 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Good Practices Upscaled - FRESH
Sustainable
procurement
regulation
Kainuu region, Finland
Results of FRESH incorporated
regulation standards for sustainable construction
Regional
Planning
Guidelines
Mid-West Regional Authority, Ireland
Methodology for evidence-based policy decisions in land use, urban
infrastructures, environmental protection and accessibility to
services
9 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Good Practices Upscaled – ECREIN+
Innov’R
Rhone Alpes, France
“One-stop-shop” grant scheme for applied R&D for SMEs & clusters
developing eco-innovative projects (in energy, construction, sustainable
land development
Upscaled into Innv’R experimentation
Businesses test the viability of newly developed products in public
administrations
Energy House
Uppsala county council, Sweden
Based on traditional cooperation between industry, universities, public
sector and aims to:
1) Establish demand-driven initiatives to capitalise on research findings and
shorten road to market
2) Establish user-driven demonstrations and field studies to
verify new solutions
11 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Preparing for future INTERREG EUROPE
Thematic Objectives selected
• Strengthening Research, Technological Development and Innovation
• Enhancing the competitiveness of SME
• Shift towards a Low Carbon Economy
• Protecting the Environment and promoting Resource Efficiency
12 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Success factors for good practice transfer
Feasibility of the actions planned depends on
framework conditions for eco-innovation, the local market demand, social
responsiveness
Focus on real regional needs in
good practices and innovative solutions
Bringing partners to the same knowledge base and understanding of
eco-innovation
Cooperative attitude, the willingness of other partners to share their
insights and results
Having a partner region with extensive
experience in eco-innovation promotion
Site visits: seeing with your own eyes what’s happening at a specific site
Multiple types of local stakeholders on board:
regional authorities, SMEs, universities etc
ensures their commitment
13 Thematic Programme Capitalisation
Success factors for regional eco-innovation policies
Long-term development strategy includes 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
Committed
leadership of regional authorities
Strategic choices in regional planning made based on regions’ uniqueness: local assets and resources
Role of eco-innovation adopters through GPP and greening their activities
Further enhance demand for EI: voucher schemes for eco-innovation in SMEs, support standardisation etc.
Regional authorities as eco-
innovation push
& pull
facilitators
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
Framework conditions for
eco-innovation