New EU funds available for the best eco-innovation projects in Europe
The first European Info Day on Eco-innovation will take place on 8th May in Brussels. It will be a key opportunity to learn more about the € 28 million funds set aside by the European Commission this year to stimulate the market uptake of some of the best environmental products, processes and services in Europe.
The event, organised by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Competitiveness & Innovation (EACI), seeks to attract the talent of European eco-innovators that have come up with a new product, process or service showing clear environmental benefits, but still struggling to succeed in the marketplace.
Waste treatment, material recycling, clean construction methods, green management are but a few examples of areas where innovation can play a key role in developing new sustainable solutions that reduce the ecological footprint of existing industrial processes and enable a more rational use of natural resources.
The Eco-innovation European Info Day will bring together representatives of the institutions and the business world, especially SMEs.
Consolidating Europe’s leadership in the eco-industry sector
With a € 227 billion turnover, the eco-industry sector contributes approximately 2.2% of the EU GDP and employs more than three million people in Europe. Europe is a world leader in environmental technologies, with a market share estimated at one third of the total market. The eco-innovation business is projected to grow in the coming years and more than double by 2020. In spite of such great prospects, ensuring the commercial success of ecoinnovation is still a major challenge for European businesses – particularly for SMEs.
Covering 40 to 60 percent of project eligible costs, the Eco-innovation programme aims at unleashing the replication potential of the best eco-innovative solutions and at broadening their marketability across Europe. Ultimately, it is a fundamental endeavour to ensure that Europe not only maintains but further strengthens its competitive edge in this sector.
The Eco-innovation programme is managed by EACI in close cooperation with the European Commission’s Environment Directorate General. Eco-innovation forms part of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), which runs from 2007 until 2013 with a total budget of € 3.621 million. The main objective of CIP is to improve the competitiveness of European enterprises through specific programmes in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation, information and communication technologies and intelligent energy use.
The Eco-innovation European Info Day is organised by the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI). For further information on the event and the programme visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/etap/ecoinnovation/index_en.htm
Source: Press announcement of EACI
Tags: business, Europe, innovation, technology
