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Aspect guidelines 1 21-12-2007

Aspect guidelines

Aspect guidelines

Guidelines for public policy makers to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space

21-12-2007


Aspect guidelines

The Aspect guidelines are provided within the INTERREG III B project ASPECT by the following project partner:

Province of Mantua, Italy

Arianna Acerbi, Leo Breedveld, Angelo Bellomi

Marisa Calvano, Roberto Grassi, Emanuela Medeghini

[email protected]

www.provincia.mantova.it

With special acknowledgement for their contributing support from all project partners:

� ADNV, Switzerland

� BAUM Consult, Germany

� Bayern Innovativ, Germany

� Chamber of Commerce of Lyon, France

� CEIPIEMONTE, Italy

� Clusterland OÖ, Austria

� ÖGUT, Austria

� Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska, Slovenia


Aspect guidelines

Index

Executive summary ................................................................................. 4

1. Introduction......................................................................................10

2. Definition of eco-companies ..................................................................12

3. Overview of eco-companies in the Alpine Space .........................................15

3.1 Eco-companies in Europe....................................................................................... 15

3.2 Eco-companies in the Alpine Space ........................................................................... 19

4. Needs of eco-companies.......................................................................23

4.1 Needs provided by the Aspect-survey ........................................................................ 23

4.2 Needs provided by the SWOT-analysis........................................................................ 24

5. Strategies and tools to foster eco-companies .............................................26

5.1 Inventory of strategies and tools in the Alpine Space...................................................... 26 5.1.1 Strategies and tools in Austria......................................................................... 28 5.1.2 Strategies and tools in France ......................................................................... 31 5.1.3 Strategies and tools in Germany ...................................................................... 32 5.1.4 Strategies and tools in Italy............................................................................ 35 5.1.5 Strategies and tools in Slovenia ....................................................................... 38 5.1.6 Strategies and tools in Switzerland ................................................................... 40

5.2 Common strategies and tools to foster eco-industries ..................................................... 43

6. Best practices of strategies and tools .......................................................48

6.1 Inventory of best practices in the Alpine Space ............................................................ 48 6.1.1 Best practices on clustering and networking ........................................................ 48 6.1.2 Best practices on policy planning ..................................................................... 52 6.1.3 Best practices on information exchange ............................................................. 54 6.1.4 Best practices of other instruments .................................................................. 56

6.2 Learning experiences from the best practices .............................................................. 59

7. Conclusions, recommendations and future outlook......................................65

7.1 Conclusions: state of the art in the Alpine Space........................................................... 65

7.2 Recommendations: 10 golden rules to foster eco-companies............................................. 66

References...........................................................................................68

Annexes: best practices in the Alpine Space .................................................69

Annex 1: best practices in Austria ................................................................................. 69

Annex 2: best practices in France ................................................................................. 76

Annex 3: best practices in Germany............................................................................... 80

Annex 4: best practices in Italy .................................................................................... 93

Annex 5: best practices in Slovenia .............................................................................. 106

Annex 6: best practices in Switzerland .......................................................................... 110

Annex 7: questionnaire for the inventory of the Aspect guidelines.......................................... 116


Aspect guidelines

Executive summary

The ASPECT guidelines represent a manual for public policy makers on how to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space. The goal of the ASPECT guidelines is to provide support to organisations and public policy makers in order to foster eco-industry development and attract external eco-industry investments, especially since these SMEs are very dependant on public policy. The guidelines describe common tools, strategies and best practices for promoting and attracting eco-companies.

The ASPECT guidelines have been developed within the INTERREG III B project ASPECT by the Province of Mantua (Italy) with the contribution of all the other project partners: ADNV (Switzerland), BAUM Consult and Bayern Innovativ (Germany), Chamber of Commerce of Lyon (France), CEIPIEMONTE (Italy), Clusterland OÖ and ÖGUT (Austria), Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska (Slovenia). The ASPECT project has been executed in the period March 2006 – February 2008.

Objective of the ASPECT project

The European Union aims to stimulate the competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are the first purveyor of employment. At the same time, ecosystems in the Alpine areas must be preserved in order to provide a pleasant place to live and an attractive place to visit.

The goal of the ASPECT project is to bridge the gap between economic development and environmental protection by promoting eco-companies, most of which are SMEs with high growth rates. Eco-companies play a major role in protecting the environment by dealing with air, soil, waste, noise, water and energy.

According to Mrs. Danuta Hübner, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, “the aim of the ASPECT project – promoting eco-companies – can be seen as exemplary since it combines two of the main challenges of cohesion policy: on the one hand stimulating economic growth and employment; and on the other hand preserving the environment. We are convinced that developing eco-technology and environmental protection strengthens competitiveness in the long term.”

The ASPECT project aims at fostering economic growth of eco-companies in the Alpine Space through a detailed programme including a toolkit for organisations and public policy makers, a comprehensive analysis on common tools and strategies for promoting and attracting eco-companies and the creation of a network of businesses with similar goals and needs. Also, an overview of best practices has the goal to witness the passion and originality of the Alpine Space eco-companies and to represent a source of inspiration for improvement.

The project is implemented by the joint effort of regions belonging to six countries and the thoroughness in the analysis was made possible by the involvement of 341 companies. Specific features of the ASPECT project are the bottom-up approach through the extensive survey of eco-companies, the identification of the needs of eco-companies, the focus on the main target group of regional policy makers and the exchange of best practices for the promotion of eco-companies.


Aspect guidelines

What is an eco-company?

According to the OECD: “eco-activities are activities which produce goods and services to measure, prevent, limit, minimize or correct environmental damage to water, air and soil, as well as problems related to waste, noise and eco-systems. This includes technologies, products and services that reduce environmental risk and minimize pollution and resources”.

The ASPECT definition of eco-companies is slightly broader as it includes all individual companies that can be part of a network of environmental businesses and services (eco-industrial parks, eco-districts, eco-sites, environmental parks, green business parks, eco-industrial sites etc.), and comprises all activities related to prevention, treatment and control of environmental impacts.

Overview of the Alpine Space eco-companies

The ASPECT survey, conducted among 341 eco-companies, represents a comprehensive overview of businesses engaged in environmental technology in all Alpine Space regions and a unique reference and working tool for public policy makers.

The Alpine Space is characterised by SMEs: 95% of the interviewed eco-companies have less than 250 employees, while over 50% less than 20. Furthermore, eco-companies are a significant part of the economy, in some countries more than in others. The turnover of European eco-industries as a percentage of GDP is about 2.3%. Among the participating countries, the turnover is the highest in Austria (4,3%), followed by Slovenia (3,3%), Germany (3,0%), France (2,8%) and the lowest in Italy (1,5%). In the Alpine Space, most of the companies are SMEs with a turnover up to 5 Million Euro.

More than 50 % of the responding companies operate regionally (diameter of 50 km) and within their country. For Italy (Piemonte), Germany (Bavarian Alpine Space) and Austria the European market has nearly the same relevance as the national market. Still, the internal market is the most important market for Alpine Space eco-companies (70% of the market share).

Among all ASPECT regions, the “Engineering and Counselling” sector is the most common, followed by the “production” sector. In the field “end of pipe technologies” most of the companies work in the “Waste Management” and “Recycling” sector, while in the “Cleaner production” field the area of renewable energies/climate protection is well represented. Especially in the Bavarian Alpine Space, activities in the field of “renewable energies/climate protection” play a significant role.

A majority of eco-companies strive for a high level of quality and reduction of environmental impact through the implementation of management systems. More than 30% of the responding eco-companies have a certified quality management system fulfilling the ISO 9001 quality and/or ISO 14001 environmental standard.


Aspect guidelines

Project methodology

The development of a sound strategy for the promotion of eco-companies has been based on a detailed analysis by means of a questionnaire answered by 341 eco-companies focusing on their needs and a questionnaire for the project partners about the situation in their specific region. This research was followed by an elaboration and evaluation phase which allowed to focus on priorities and develop tangible deliverables (strategies, tools, best practices).

The project methodology followed a three-step process:

� Assessment of eco-companies’ needs through a questionnaire on company requirements and difficulties. Major outcome is the need to make funding and financing more accessible to innovative SMEs and to receive support in the application to funding programmes. Furthermore, cooperation with other SMEs is seen as a chance for mutual support, further growth and success. Also, a deeper understanding of the market situation and future trends is considered as highly desirable.

� Survey on strategies and tools to support and promote eco-companies. By means of a questionnaire directed at all project partners, it was possible to define an overview of the policy instruments and tools applied in the different regions, the possibilities for improvement and the role of public administrations and organisations in supporting and promoting eco-companies. This collective research allowed not only to report all strategies and success factors typical of each Alpine region, but also to analyse the why’s and the how’s in order to identify elements that stimulate competitiveness and create incentives for public-private partnerships. The different policy instruments described by each partner were divided into categories and the information was cross-analysed with the results of the questionnaire on companies’ needs. It was noted that the three basic needs of eco-companies (clustering and networking, export and market access, funding and financing) are only partially covered by the services provided in the various Alpine Space regions. While clustering and networking seem to be well represented, policy planning, promotion and export, information exchange and awareness raising might be further improved. Funding and financing need further attention throughout the whole Alpine Space as the problem appears to be only partly the lack of sufficient funding schemes, but moreover a lack of knowledge on how to apply successfully for the various funding programmes.

� Overview of best practices, which provides information on a number of different success stories and a sound foundation to undertake a path towards more efficient solutions. The 29 case studies collected represent all categories of strategies and tools analysed, thus offering ideas to answer common needs. This phase represented an important moment of interaction and the possibility to further enhance and market their specific services.


Aspect guidelines

Ten Golden Rules

In order to formulate regional policy advice, all best practices were evaluated by the ASPECT partners and resulted in “lessons learned” from each local experience. Subsequently the lessons learned were grouped into policy instruments (clustering, policy planning, information exchange and other instruments), in order to translate the lessons into recommendations for public policy makers. These grouped recommendations allowed the identification of 10 golden rules on how regional public policy makers can foster eco-companies:

1. Be pro-active on environmental matters and rely on the internal market: pro-active policy-makers can support eco-companies in their region through the implementation of dedicated policy programmes addressing critical environmental issues (e.g. regional waste programme, regional energy plan) and resolving them with the help of local suppliers (eco-companies in the Alpine Space). The internal market is the most important market for Alpine Space eco-companies (70% of the market share);

2. Focus on the bottlenecks and provide practical solutions: the ASPECT survey clearly identified the need for funding and financing and access to foreign markets. As a first initiative, the ASPECT project provided training on funding and financing and facilitated a number of successful business contacts;

3. Organise clustering and networking in an effective and efficient way: the Alpine Space is characterised mainly by highly qualified SMEs with less than 20 employees. Consequently, clustering and networking represent a crucial element to support business development, economic growth and internationalisation. The organisation and management of clustering and networking should follow a participatory approach to maximise its effectiveness and efficiency;

4. Apply a mix of policy instruments: there is no single solution; regional public policy makers should apply a mix of policy instruments to foster eco-companies. Regional values and identities (“couleur locale”), would definitely reject a policy setting in which “one size fits all”;

5. Implement less but better and more ambitious regulations: in line with the New Approach, the trend is moving towards less (and better) regulation, and more voluntary self-commitment. Specific ad more ambitious regulations could mean a breakthrough for specific eco-company sectors (e.g. passive house standards);

6. Support the adoption of eco-tools in order to guarantee competitiveness: highly qualified eco-companies could further strengthen their environmental competitiveness through the adoption of environmental instruments, like pollution prevention, environmental management systems and eco-label programmes;

7. Create public private consortia and partnerships: the similarities among eco companies within the Alpine Space region can provide the critical mass for joint strategies by creating consortia for large international projects, while the differences of the specific Alpine regions offer an opportunity to complete each others strengths and therefore compensate the existing weaknesses. Furthermore, public-private partnerships are often required to deal with complex environmental problems that cannot be resolved by one single actor;


Aspect guidelines

8. Do not reinvent the wheel, but transfer cross-border experiences: the ASPECT project collected and evaluated a large number of cross-border case studies (29 Alpine Space best practices), providing a database of ideas, tangible projects and learning experiences that could be used to support eco-companies in other regional contexts of the Alpine Space;

9. Do not underestimate lobbying and networking: there is a need to enhance political contact (official visits, delegations) to inform potential markets about the Alpine Space technologies and to strengthen bilateral economical and technological cooperation as an important instrument to “open borders” to foreign markets;

10. Award the best performers: monitor the performance of eco-companies against environmental criteria and award the best performers that will act as a benchmark in order to assure their leading position in the market of eco-services (for instance by means of audits, eco-labels and awards).

Main results

The ASPECT project’s objectives of developing common strategies to foster economic growth of eco-companies in the Alpine Space has been met by means of the identification of tools for promotion towards public authorities, the support of business development, clustering and networking and a comprehensive series of best practices.

The network and interactions developed with this project represent a base for the development of synergies through joint strategies, cooperation and the creation of consortia for international projects.

A concrete support for organisations and policy makers is given by the ASPECT guidelines, a manual on policy instruments to foster eco-industry development and attract external eco-industry investments.

Some specific results obtained through the ASPECT project are:

� Survey and on-line database of 341 eco-companies in the Alpine Space;

� Identification of strategies and tools to foster eco-companies;

� Reference point on eco-companies comprising 29 best practices;

� Advice for regional policy makers formulated in 10 golden rules;

� Regional seminars for eco-companies (e.g. SESEC, Kempten, Kranj (Slovenia));

� 3 day course on EMS for Italian eco-companies;

� Several short courses on funding and financing (e.g. Germany, Italy);

� Several successful match making results among Alpine Space companies.


Aspect guidelines

Conclusions

The Alpine Space is characterised mainly by highly qualified SMEs. Consequently, clustering and networking through a participatory approach are crucial instruments to support eco-companies in the Alpine Space. To facilitate the matching of supply and demand various tools can be applied, whose effectiveness and efficiency depend on the local context.

There is no single solution: regional public policy makers should apply a mix of policy instruments to foster eco-companies. Regional values and identities (“couleur locale”) would definitely reject a policy setting in which “one size fits all”. The Aspect guidelines should therefore be interpreted as an innovative guidance that can be used in different contexts, where local policy-makers decide how to foster eco-companies in their specific situation, following the subsidiarity principle of EU policy.

Pro-active policy-makers can support eco-companies in their region through the implementation of dedicated policy programmes addressing critical environmental issues (e.g. regional waste programme, regional energy plan) and resolving them with the help of local suppliers (eco-companies in the Alpine Space). In other words, regional policy-makers can make a difference, especially when they succeed in involving the internal market, being the most important market for Alpine Space eco-companies (70% of their market share).

Information exchange is an important aspect of the ASPECT project. By means of the transfer of cross-border experiences, regional policy makers do not need to reinvent the wheel, but can draw on advantages from experiences gained through a large number of cross-border case studies (29 Alpine Space best practices), providing a database of ideas, tangible projects and learning experiences that could be used to support eco-companies in other regional contexts of the Alpine Space.

The ASPECT guidelines provide support to organisations and public policy makers to foster eco-industry development and attract external eco-industry investments. The guidelines describe common tools and strategies for promoting and attracting eco-companies. Specific recommendations have been made for public policy makers which can be summarised in 10 golden rules. The next step is the application of the ASPECT guidelines in the various regions of the Alpine Space with concrete case studies and in order to obtain tangible results on how eco-companies can be effectively further supported and promoted. The ASPECT guidelines are meant to facilitate this implementation process offering a range of tools and strategies both for the eco-companies and for the policy makers.


Aspect guidelines

1. Introduction

The Alps are a very sensitive area in terms of environment due to their geographical and demographic configuration, but also in terms of economic challenges as a result of their topography.


The Aspect project aims to bridge the gap between economic development and environmental protection by promoting eco-companies, most of which are SMEs with high growth rates. Eco-companies play a major role in protecting the environment by dealing with air, soil, waste, noise, water and energy [1].

The objectives of the Aspect project are to foster economic growth of eco-companies in the Alpine Space through support and promotional activities, such as:

� Development of common strategies;

� Creation of tools for promotion towards public authorities, general public etc.;

� Support of business development, clustering and networking.

The goal of the Aspect guidelines, the main result of work package seven of the Aspect project, is to provide support to organisations and public policy makers in order to foster eco-industry development and/or attract external eco-industry investments. Furthermore, the guidelines describe common tools and strategies for promoting and attracting eco-companies, especially since these SMEs are very dependant on public policy [2]. The methodology for the creation of the Aspect guidelines consists of three core elements [3]:

� Needs of eco-companies: an inventory of the needs of 360 eco-companies in the Alpine Space, by means of a questionnaire and SWOT analysis, allowed a clear focus of the guidelines and resulted in tangible deliverables (strategies, tools, best practices);

� Strategies and tools to support and promote eco-companies: the main target group of the guidelines are public administrations and organisations which, among other tasks, are involved in strengthening the competitiveness of the eco-companies in their region. The direct target group are public administrations and organisations, while the eco-companies form the indirect target group, creating incentives for public-private partnerships. The guidelines, although written in the first place for the public sector, need to identify strategies and tools that will be beneficial for both (win-win);

� Bottom-up approach illustrated with best practices: the strength of the Aspect project is the bottom-up approach by means of the information exchange among the regional partners of real cases concerning strategies and tools to support eco-companies in the Alpine Space, the collection of best practices and the formulation of common strategies and tools. The bottom-up approach guarantees the involvement of eco-companies, traditionally strongly present in the Alpine Space but often by means of SMEs, and the possibility to further valorise and market their specific services.


Aspect guidelines

The three core elements synthesise the methodology of the Aspect project. The needs of eco-companies are potentially satisfied by strategies and tools and implemented in best practice case studies. Like any policy planning tool, the outcomes are evaluated and result in recommendations to improve the policy-making process: in our case the creation of the Aspect guidelines.

Fig. 1: methodology of the Aspect guidelines [3].

In the next sections, the definition of eco-companies and their needs, based on a questionnaire and a SWOT analysis in the Alpine Space, will be outlined. Consequently, the needs will trigger the strategies and tools to be pursued by local public authorities in order to foster eco-companies in the Alpine Space, evidenced by best practice case studies.

In the view of Mrs. Danuta Hübner, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, the aim of the ASPECT project – promoting eco-companies – can be seen as exemplary since it combines two of the main challenges of cohesion policy: on the one hand stimulating economic growth and employment; and on the other hand preserving the environment. These principles are also the cornerstone of the Community Strategic Guidelines on Cohesion, which establish the framework for the cohesion policy for the period 2007-2013.

Future programmes will be designed in such a way to cover the following three overarching priorities, in line with the Lisbon and Gothenburg Agendas: make the EU a more attractive place in which to invest and work; transform the Union into an area of high growth, innovation and competitiveness; and return Europe to full employment, with more and better jobs.

The ASPECT project complies with these objectives. It aims at stimulating growth through the development of eco-activities capable of measuring, preventing and limiting environmental impacts. It operates in a sensitive area like the Alps, particularly fragile from the environmental and geographical point of view.

The Lisbon agenda aims at sustainable jobs and growth. Developing eco-technology and environmental protection strengthens competitiveness in the long-term. It is a condition without which growth cannot happen considering the scarcity of natural resources. There is no point in being competitive unless quality of life is enhanced and the planet is preserved for future generations. That is why our policy gives great priority to the environment, linked to the overall EU environmental policy. Future cooperation programmes will highlight these aspects even more clearly [4].

Aspect

Guidelines

Strategies & tools

Best practicesNeeds of eco-

companies

Aspect

Guidelines

Strategies & tools

Best practicesNeeds of eco-

companies


Aspect guidelines

2. Definition of eco-companies

Eco-companies have been defined by the Aspect project in a way that the definition would reflect all eco-activities in the Alpine Space, consequently broadening the definition to all participating regions in the Aspect project.

Starting point has been the definition according to the OECD: “eco-activities are activities which produce goods and services to measure, prevent, limit, minimize or correct environmental damage to water, air and soil, as well as problems related to waste, noise and eco-systems. This includes technologies, products and services that reduce environmental risk and minimize pollution and resources” [5].

Eco-activities comprise activities related to the environment, environmental technologies, as well as less polluting products and services which reduce the risks for the environment, minimise pollution and help to save resources.

Eco-activities can be performed both by public authorities and private companies which can be regarded as eco-companies, distinguishing sector eco-activities and transversal eco-activities (Table 1).

Sector eco-activities Transversal eco-activities

Waste management and recycling

Collection, transport, logistics, waste pre-treatment, waste sorting, waste counselling, waste management, mechanical-biological waste treatment, thermal waste treatment, composting, digestion, landfill, recycling, material recovery, resource metabolism management.

Infrastructure

Manufacture, installation and distribution of materials, equipments, products (included in each previous category).

Water and wastewater treatment

Water extraction, water supply, water purification, sewerage, wastewater Treatment, mini wastewater treatment plants, sewage sludge and surplus sludge treatment, resource loop closing, groundwater purification, prevention, reduction, optimisation.

Measuring, Steering, Control Technologies

Process automation, steering technologies, measuring technology, analytics, bio-sensors, environmental monitoring, environmental analytics, environmental simulation, software development.

Soil and contaminated land

Contaminated land, land quality assessment, in-situ technologies, ex-situ technologies, GIS.

Risks (Natural and technological)

Risk management, measure and control.

Air quality, off-gas management

Off-gas purification, catalytic technologies, thermal technologies, dust and drops separation, filters, biological technologies, chemical-physical technologies, prevention, reduction, optimisation.

Communication and increasing awareness

Increase environmental public awareness and best practices visibility. Create trademarks to highlight the environmental quality of the project(s).

Noise Prevention and treatment

Active noise prevention and treatment, passive noise prevention and treatment.

Training

Training of users and providers of services.

Renewable Energy

Biogas, bio-fuel, biomass, energy derived from waste utilisation (biogas, thermal treatment), hydropower, wind energy, solar energy (thermal), photo voltaic, geothermal energy, reduction of fuel consumption, prevention, reduction, optimisation.

Advice and council

Environmental analysis, follow-up of environmental projects, energy savings, raw materials reduction, environmental hygiene, integrated product policy (IPP), ecodesign, process optimisation, eco-balances, LCA, certification (ISO, EMAS).

Tab. 1: examples of eco-companies: sector eco-activities and transversal eco-activities.


Aspect guidelines

Furthermore, the Aspect project has put effort in the clarification of related definitions of eco-companies, like:

� Eco-industrial park (broad definition): community of manufacturing and service businesses located together on a common property. Member businesses seek enhanced environmental, economic, and social performance through collaboration in managing environmental and resource issues. By working together, the community of businesses seeks a collective benefit that is greater than the sum of individual benefits each company would realize by only optimising its individual performance [6];

� Eco-industrial park (narrow definition): community of companies, located in a single region, that exchange and make use of each other’s by-products or energy;

� Eco-district (nature oriented definition): a part of an eco-region characterised by distinctive geologic, soil, water, fauna and land use;

� Eco-district (business oriented definition): business community located in a district or region. Member businesses seek enhanced environmental, economic, and social performance through collaboration in managing environmental and resource issues;

� Eco-site: demonstration site dedicated to innovation and knowledge transfer to promote environmental protection and equitable sustainable development. An eco-site is a physical site (or local network of related sites) that promotes and contributes to environmental protection, sustainable development and innovation (research, experimentation, testing), carries out actions for knowledge transfer (awareness campaigns, education, training) and receives visitors to demonstrate environmental technologies [7];

� Environmental park: scientific and technological park for the environment, where companies are located together on a common property and offer environmental services;

� Green business park: synonym for eco-industrial park and/or environmental park;

� Eco-industrial site: synonym for eco-industrial park;

� Eco-industries: synonym for eco-companies.

The Aspect definition of eco-companies reflects many elements of the above indicated definitions, except for the nature oriented definition of eco-districts. Eco-companies are individual companies that can be part of a network of environmental businesses and services (eco-industrial parks, eco-districts, eco-sites, environmental parks, green business parks, eco-industrial sites etc.), that comprise all activities related to the prevention, treatment and control of environmental impacts.

In short, the Aspect definition follows the OECD definition (but broadly interpreted), comprising a number of related definitions and activities, enabling all regions to include their specific eco-companies in the broader definition (Fig. 2).


Aspect guidelines

Fig. 2: Definition of eco-companies according to the Aspect project.

eco- activities

produce

PUBLIC

PRIVATE

eco-activities

produce

eco-companies BIG & SMEs

GOODS

SERVICES

to

Measure

Prevent

Limit

Correct

IMPACTS ON

ENVIRONMENT

SECTORS

Waste management Water treatment

Soils Air quality management

Noise prevention

Risks

Renewable Energies

TRANSVERSAL ACTIVITIES

• Manufacture installation,

distribution of products • Advice & Council

• R&D

• Communication


Aspect guidelines

3. Overview of eco-companies in the Alpine Space

In this chapter an overview is provided of eco-companies in the Alpine Space. Firstly, an overview of eco-companies in Europe is outlined, based on a report of Ernst & Young commissioned by DG Environment [8], in order to better understand structure, size and perspectives of eco-companies in Europe.

Secondly, an overview is provided of eco-companies in the Alpine Space, based on the results of the Aspect-survey [9]. The Aspect-survey is based on a business enquiry, which was directed to companies engaged in environmental technology (eco-companies) in all Aspect Alpine Space regions. 341 eco-companies in the Alpine Space returned the survey (average response rate of 13%), providing a solid overview of the structure of eco-companies in the region.

In contrast with the Ernst & Young study which relies basically on financial data from Eurostat applying a top-down approach, the added value of the Aspect-survey concerns the collection of new data, applying a bottom-up approach gathering quantitative and qualitative data from 341 individual eco-companies in the Alpine Space [9].

3.1 Eco-companies in Europe

A financial overview of structure, size, employment, perspectives and barriers for growth in the enlarged EU25, has been provided by a report of Ernst & Young, commissioned by Dg Environment [8], based on information of Eurostat. Here, eco-companies are divided into two general categories, pollution management and resources management. The total EU eco-industry turnover in 2004 was €227 billion from pollution management1 and resource management2 activities.

The average eco-industry expenditure per country in the EU-25 is €9.4 billion, yet France spends as much as € 45.9 billion and Germany € 66.1 billion. The two countries’ combined turnover makes up 49% of all EU-25 expenditures.

The three following countries spent in the analysed year €21.2 billion (UK), € 19.2 billion (Italy) and € 14 billion (Netherlands), representing together the 24% of the EU-25 total expenditures.

The remainder is divided among all other countries (see Table 2), which spent from € 10,1 billion (Austria) to € 0,1 billion (Cyprus). The 10 new member states made up only 5.7% of total eco-industry turnover although they represent 16.3% of the EU population.

1 Pollution management consists of nine eco-industry sectors that manage material streams from processes managed by humans (the technosphere) to nature, typically using “end of pipe” technology. It also includes cleaner technologies and products, which are mentioned in the definitions as “equipment”. In order of turnover: solid waste management and recycling; waste water treatment, air pollution control; general public administration, private environmental management; remediation and clean up of soil and groundwater; noise and vibration control; environmental research and development; environmental monitoring and instrumentation. 2 Resource management includes five eco-industry sectors that take a more preventive approach to managing material streams from nature to the technosphere: water supply; recycled materials; renewable energy production; nature protection; eco-construction.


Aspect guidelines

Figure 3: Turnover as a percentage of GDP, 2004 [8].

The balance between pollution management and resource management (end of pipe remediation versus preventive measures) varies considerably among countries (Fig. 3).

On average, 36% of total turnover comes from resource management. In the UK, Belgium and Portugal, spending is equally balanced. Resource management spending is dominant in the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Finland. However these three countries’ combined resource management expenditures amount only to € 3.6 billion. In contrast, only 10% of Austrian environmental expenditures are for resource management.

Eco-industries are a significant part of the economy in some countries more than in others (Fig. 3). The turnover of eco-industries as a percentage of GDP has an EU average of 2.3% and is highest in Denmark and Austria. Although a greater percentage of Danish and Austrian economies consist of eco-industries, the impact of eco-industries from these countries is limited because their overall economies are much smaller than those of France and Germany. There isn’t a considerable difference in the importance of eco-industries between EU-15 and new member states. Many of the new member states (Slovakia, Estonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Poland) have a turnover in eco-industry relative to GDP that is higher than the EU average.

As seen in Figure 4, turnover per capita is considerably higher in older member states. There is a more than 23-fold difference between expenditures of € 69/per capita in Latvia and € 1635/per capita in Denmark. Only Slovenia (€ 437/capita) and Hungary (€ 221/per capita) among the 10 new member states have expenditures of more than € 200/per capita.


Aspect guidelines

Figure 4: Turnover per capita, 2004 [8].

Fig. 5: Pollution and resource management as a percentage of EU-25 eco-industry turnover, 2004 [8].


Aspect guidelines

Solid waste management and recycling; waste water treatment and water supply are by far the largest sectors (Figure 4). These three older commodity-based sectors make up 66% of total eco-industry turnover. Waste water treatment requires very large investments in order to meet the requirements acquis communautaire, particularly the Water Framework Directive (directive 2000/60/EC) adopted in 2003. Under the directive, water quality must reach satisfactory levels by 2015. As a consequence, this sector will be prominent for another 10 years. Air pollution control is growing in importance, due to emission reductions required by different EU Directives.

The relative importance of the major sectors varies considerably among the member states. Water supply and waste water treatment (WWT) are greater issues in new member states, whereas solid waste management is of equal importance in the EU-15 countries. The degree of development of the activities (selective collection of solid waste, investment in WWT facilities, flue gas cleaning) varies, as national priorities determine investment sequences. In the long run, as EU Directives are effectively applied in all member states, the proportion of turnover spent in various sectors is expected to be more homogeneous.


Aspect guidelines

3.2 Eco-companies in the Alpine Space

The Aspect-survey is based on a business enquiry, which was directed to companies engaged in environmental technology (eco-companies) in all Aspect Alpine Space regions. With a common questionnaire, each Aspect-partner directed the same questions to eco-companies in the respective region to get comparable results for the entire Alpine Space. The Aspect-survey contains the main results derived from 341 responding eco-companies in the Alpine Space [9].

In order to give an overview of eco-companies in the Alpine Space, the results of a number of key questions of the survey concerning general company data (branch, employees, turnover, export-activities, etc.), are outlined below.

Fig. 6: Sectors of eco-companies in Alpine Space by country [9].

Among all Aspect-regions the sector “Engineering and Counselling” is the most common sector, followed by sector “production” (Fig. 6).


Aspect guidelines

Fig. 7: Areas of activities by countries [9].

In the field “end of pipe technologies”, most of the companies work in the sector “Waste Management” and “Recycling”, while in the field “Cleaner production” quite a few eco-companies are working within the area of renewable energies/climate protection. Especially in Bavarian Alpine Space, activities in the field of “renewable energies/climate protection” play a significant role (Fig. 7).


Aspect guidelines

Fig. 8: Turnover of Eco-companies by countries (year 2005) [9].

Eco-companies in the Alpine Space are basically characterised by SMEs. In all 6 countries of the survey, at least 50% of the interviewed Eco-companies have less than 20 employees. That points out that the majority of eco-companies in Alpine Space is represented by small and micro enterprises.

In terms of turnover (> 1 million euro), the province of Mantua, France and Austria have relatively larger companies. In the Alpine Space, most of the companies are micro- or small-sized enterprises with a turn-over up to 5 million Euro (Fig. 8).

Fig. 9: Primary markets of Eco-companies in Alpine Space [9].


Aspect guidelines

More than 50 % of the responding companies have their main markets in the Region (diameter 50 km) and nation-wide. For Italy (Piemonte), Germany (Bavarian Alpine Space) and Austria the European market has nearly the same relevance as the National market. In average over all ASPECT regions 25 % of the respondents are (mostly, in addition to other levels) serving the regional market level (Fig. 9).

Fig. 10: Management systems implemented in Eco-companies (by country) [9].

A majority of eco-companies in the Alpine Space are striving for a high level of quality and the reduction of environmental impact in their operations, and therefore implemented different management systems. More than 30 % of the responding Eco-companies in Alpine Space have a certified quality management system fulfilling the ISO 9001 quality and/or ISO 14001 environmental standard. Other standards do not seem to play a significant role (Fig. 10).


Aspect guidelines

4. Needs of eco-companies

4.1 Needs provided by the Aspect-survey

In order to know where eco-companies envisage the largest support needs, the Aspect-survey made suggestions, which were evaluated by the 341 responding eco-companies. The answers gave hints as to further develop the ASPET project as well as how to support institutions like chambers of commerce and municipal or regional business development departments.

Figure 11: Support needs by country [9].

Priority Topic Support need

1. Funding & financing Advertising of possible European funding

2. Funding & financing Advertising of possible Non-European funding 1

3. Funding & financing Joint application for funding programs

4. Market-access Regulatory watch

5. Market-access Access to existing market studies

6. Lobbying Create a guideline for local and regional decision makers on how to create good climate for eco-companies

7. Information Setting up an international database or provide access to an existing one concerning cooperation partners

8. Promotion & internalisation Face to face match making events

9. Communication & networking Development of regional networking activities

10. Qualification & counselling Financing

Tab. 2: Top 10 of the possible offerings within the ASPECT-project [9].


Aspect guidelines

As might be expected, eco-companies all over the Alpine Space have high support demand in the topic “Funding & financing”. Obviously, measures are missing to make it easier for innovative SMEs to access investment money and funding to establish start-ups, pilot plants or research activities. Especially, access to public funding seems to be a problem. While various databases describe funding programmes, SMEs need support to assess the chances of applications. Respondents also indicated that they are lacking general skills to describe research and development projects and that they need means to find possible cooperation partners for such projects.

Besides funding, there is a high demand for support in the “Market-access” topic: SMEs are obviously lacking an overview of the market situation and future trends as well as in the Alpine Space and in all national and international markets. In the field of “Information”, SMEs are looking for more hints on possible cooperation partners for research, product development and market penetration.

4.2 Needs provided by the SWOT-analysis

Next to the results of the Aspect-survey, which highlights the needs of the eco-companies, the SWOT analysis also indirectly shows a number of needs when indicating the companies’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and treats [10].

The SWOT-analysis resulted in two important recommendations regarding similarities and differences of the specific Alpine regions:

� The similarities of the EI within the Alpine Space region can be gained for joint strategies and measures to support the EI as well as to bunch capacities and resources for large international projects by creating consortia;

� The differences of the specific alpine regions give an opportunity to complete each others strengths and therefore eliminate the existing weaknesses. This could be during temporary cooperation at the project acquisition as well as through the creation of consortia to offer complex projects as “turn key projects” or “Build-Operate-Transfer models.

These two recommendations of the SWOT-analysis are the basis of a number of eco-company needs, which have been indirectly identified through the SWOT-analysis:

Clustering and networking:

� To gain full market potential of international or large projects, the SME’s of the alpine Environmental Industry need to establish networks with thematic focus (for instance by means of export-network, developing instruments, R&D network, partner finding platform for projects and consortia);

� Need for communication and coordination of the environmental sector (information networks) within the region and on the European level. Moreover, joint investments with foreign partners, aiming at technological transfer, need to be developed;

� The Alpine Space region has very good preconditions to use the two largest means of renewable sources, the hydro power and the biomass from wood, however joint cooperation might be decisive to gain an international market position;


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� Increasing networking between the companies, especially SMEs, to handle large projects with higher risks or with a need for high knowledge in legal and financial terms. The establishment of consortia of several SMEs or the cooperation of SMEs with large international groups as sub-suppliers might be a suitable solution.

Export and lobbying:

� Access to new markets related to preventive solutions (eco-design, clean processes, membrane technology and environmental management) ask for more collaboration among Alpine Space partners in order to allow competitiveness at an international level;

� Need to further promote and develop existing instruments to support export activities, especially for SMEs (e. g. in France the “Eco Enterprises Export Plan”, in Austria the initiative “go international” or the “Deutsche Export Initiative” in Germany);

� Need to enhance political contact (official visits, delegations) to inform about technologies and to strengthen bilateral economical and technological cooperation, as an important instrument to “open borders” to foreign markets for Alpine Space eco-companies.

Funding and financing:

� In export regions, where environmental infrastructure has to be build up from scratch, often innovative financing and operating models are requested. If small eco-companies of the Alpine Space cannot find appropriate structures of cooperation (e. g. consortia, daughter companies, joint venture), a large part of this market potential can not be gained;

� Lack of awareness of the opportunities of innovative financing models as well for the public entities as for the companies. Many companies in the Alpine Space are not familiar with innovative financing models or are not ready to enlarge their field of activities beyond their usual “produce and sell activities”. Innovative financing models are highly requested in Central and Eastern Europe;

� Especially at projects for public entities, which have less capital resources or which would rather opt for ongoing annual expenses than one-time investments, innovative financing models (e.g. contracting) could strongly improve the chances of the eco-companies in the international competition.


Aspect guidelines

5. Strategies and tools to foster eco-companies

5.1 Inventory of strategies and tools in the Alpine Space

In order to get an overview of strategies and tools applied in the Alpine Space, an inventory has been carried out with the scope to collect among participating Aspect partners regional strategies, tools and best practices, indicating for each region how they foster eco-companies.

The inventory has been executed by means of a guidance document (Annex 7, [11]) containing a questionnaire focussing on two main elements;

1. Strategies and tools to support and promote eco-companies (§ 5);

2. Best practices to illustrate the before mentioned elements (§ 6).

Common strategies (I)Common strategies (I)

Mix of policy instruments: the carrot and the stick

� Regulation

� Standards

� Policy making

� Market incentives and financial mechanisms

� Awareness raising and promotion

Fig. 12: Illustration of the mix of policy instruments: the carrot and the stick [2].

Key point of the strategy of policy makers to foster eco-companies is the optimal mix of policy instruments: voluntary instruments and economic incentives versus compulsory instruments (e.g. environmental regulation), or in other words, the carrot and the stick (Fig. 12). The basic question is: what mix of policy instruments is applied in your region to foster eco-companies?

Another core strategy is the way eco-companies are stimulated at the micro level to adopt environmental instruments and how they are guided in their roadmap towards a more sustainable situation (Fig. 13). What is the role of the public administrations and organisations and what is their strategy and which tools do they promote to strengthen the competitiveness of eco-companies in the region?


Aspect guidelines

Common strategies (II)Common strategies (II)

Micro level: strengthening of the environmental competitiveness of eco-companies

through the adoption of environmental instruments

LCA & ecolabel

ISO & EMAS

Competitive advantages

Time &

awareness

LeadershipComplexity & experience

Command &

Control

Industrial

Ecology

Sustainabilityeco-districts

Pollution control

Fig. 13: Example of a strategy to strengthen the environmental competitiveness of eco-companies [2].

Inventory of toolsInventory of tools

ReportingInformation centre

Agenda 21Monitoring of eco-districts

Awareness raising

Ecomondo,

Terrafutura

Events, trade-

fairs and conferences

Match supply

and demand

Public-private

cooperation

Public-private

cooperation

Bilateral

meetings

Information centre


Info: sites, database etc.

Application

for open calls

DOCUP IIMIURFP7, LIFE,

INTERREG

Economic

instruments

SGA

(ISO/EMAS)

Waste policyWaste policy

plan

Waste policy

Water policy

National

policy

EU policy for

ecoindustries

Policy making

CertificationMunicipal standards

Provincial standards

Regional standards

National standards

CEN / ISOStandards

PermitLocal

regulation

Authorisation

Procedure

Authorisation

Procedure

National laws

“Testo Unico”

IPPC directiveRegulation

CompanyMunicipalityProvincialRegionalNationalEUBoundaries (target)

MicroMesoMacroLevel

Fig. 14: Example of policy tools and clustering tools to support eco-companies at various levels [2].


Aspect guidelines

The matrix of Figure 14 has been used as a guidance tool for the Aspect partners to identify which tools they apply at different levels (macro, meso, micro). Principal focus of the Aspect guidelines is the regional level (green oval) due to the goal and scope of Interreg: exchanging information and best practices at the regional level. The provided best practices deal basically with regional policy programmes, economic incentives and voluntary instruments at the regional level (red circle).

The questionnaire, collecting regional data on how each region foster eco-companies, consisted of the following key questions [11]:

� What kind of strategies and mix of policy instruments are currently applied in your region to foster eco-companies and is there a need to redefine the current strategies?

� What is the role of public administrations and organisations and what is their strategy to strengthen the competitiveness of eco-companies in the region?

� What kind of tools (local policy planning, regulation, economic incentives, clustering and networking tools etc.) are currently applied in your region to support and promote eco-companies en what kind of tools are still missing?

� Describe in separate annexes a number of best practises of strategies and tools to foster eco-industries in your region?

5.1.1 Strategies and tools in Austria

In the document “Regional inventory for the development of guidelines to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space Austria”, prepared by ÖGUT and COG [12], the strategies of Austria to foster eco-companies have been identified by means of 4 policy programmes:

� The “Masterplan Environmental Technology (MUT)” has been published by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water and by the county Lower Austria. The Masterplan was elaborated in several working groups by a large number of stakeholders, among it the relevant ministries, representatives of the environmental technology branch, cluster organisation, research institutes and environmental organisations. The plan contains 30 measures structured in the 4 activity fields: export, research and qualification, financing and fostering the domestic market;

� Strategic programme “Innovative Upper Austria 2010”: five-year programme from 2005 to 2010 which serves as a directive for Upper Austria’s location and technology policy. 250 experts have drawn up a total of 43 concrete measures, which place a constant emphasis on the development of human resources and will have a positive effect on the entire region. Our “programme for the future”, which has been approved by both the Upper Austrian government and parliament, focuses on R&D, technology-oriented qualifications, networks, Upper Austrian as an economic and technology location and EU networking;


Aspect guidelines

� Upper Austria 2000+ Strategic Programme: since 1998, Upper Austria has vigorously pursued a cluster-oriented economic and technology policy on the basis of the “Upper Austria 2000+ Strategic Programme”. The aim was to achieve a sustained improvement in the competitiveness of the location. Revenues from privatisation were allocated to the implementation of the “Strategic Programme” in the form of the Upper Austrian Future Fund, which was distributing a sum of € 81 million over a five-year period. One major aspect of this programme was a systematic expansion of the existing areas of economic and technological strength in Upper Austria, which was aimed at enhancing the innovative capacity of companies, in particular through networked co-operation;

� The “National Biomass Action Plan for Austria” has been developed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water. In the year 2003 in the government program the goal has been declared to raise biomass utilisation for energy by 75% until the year 2010. The National Biomass Action Plan recommends the growth of energetic biomass utilisation by 100% until the year 2010 and 250% until the year 2020 (compared to 2004). The Plan analyses the potential of the different kind of biomass sources and the possible kinds of utilisation.

Furthermore, a clear need has been identified to redefine the Austrian strategy on renewable energies. The current policy in supporting renewable energies, especially in the sector electricity, shows hardly stable framework for the development of the renewable energy branch. Although the feed in tariffs for the single projects are secured by long term contracts, for the companies it is difficult to plan their resources (staff, production sites), as the framework for future projects are changing every year. A new strategy should be to fix frameworks, which enables a mid term planning of the future market on renewable energies for the several sectors.

In Upper Austria the following tools have been implemented to foster eco-industries: information exchange and communications, training, co-operation, marketing and PR, internationalisation and quality, innovation through co-operation and joint projects.

Joint project are supported by the Upper Austrian cluster teams through: introduction of project topics, support during partner searches, organisation of workshops, moderation of meetings, information exchange, preparation of applications for funding and project monitoring in collaboration with Upper Austrian provincial government.

The Upper Austrian provincial government also provides funding for innovative, joint projects within the framework of the cluster initiatives, involving at least three companies, one of which fulfils the EU criteria for classification as an SME. The funding is employed to pay up to 30% of the costs incurred for personnel, external services and consulting, travel and other expenses. The limit is € 25.000 per project partner.

Furthermore, Austria frequently uses the clustering tool to foster eco-industries. For the following thematic networks clusters have created: Cluster “Building, Energy, environment” in the region Lower Austria; Eco world Stryria; The interest group passive house Austria; Austrian Wind Energy Association; Austrian Compost and Biogas Association; Austrian Association for small hydro power; Environmental Technology Network.


Aspect guidelines

Other applied tools in Austria are trade fairs (Envietech fair in Vienna; International trade fair for energy efficiency and renewable energy in the city of Wels), environmental awards (Energy globe award, Waste management award Phönix) and information exchange (databank, studies on export regions, internet-platform, eco-counselling of enterprises).

The federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management actively supports eco-companies by means of for instance funds for energy and climate protection and other environmental support schemes; klima:aktiv, an initiative for climate protection and part of the Austrian climate protection strategy; and the installation of an advisory board for environmental technologies.

Finally, Vienna and Lower Austria have an info-point called “die umweltberatung”, an independent organisation with the aim to educate and advice private households, communities and enterprises concerning sustainable lifestyles.

Due to the large amount of supporting tools in Austria, it is not a surprise that Austria is one of the leading countries in environmental technologies in the EU, together with countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and France. Nevertheless, there are still some tools missing:

� Regulation: to force innovative and high environmental standards at public procurements, extend EU-Twinning projects in the field of environmental regulations and their implementation, integrate passive house standards at the subsidy programmes for house building, obliged energy manager for larger companies, to establish a green electricity law which enables a long term planning of renewable energy companies;

� Economic incentives: foster the ecological components of the tax system, install domestic funding instruments to finance demonstration plants in export regions, establish a relevant fund to finance climate protection projects in Austria to avoid penalties due to missed Austrian Kyoto targets, extend the specific know how of environmental technologies at financing institutions for a better estimation of credit risks for projects;

� Coordination: coordination and support of English websites, implementation of a coordinating institution to provide information about environmental technology and their markets, to reinstall a water-technology network in Austria and coordinate the existing data and information within the water sector;

� Promotion: active promotion of environment and energy technology in foreign countries and support for export activities.


Aspect guidelines

5.1.2 Strategies and tools in France

The regional economic strategy in Rhône-Alpes has been laid out in a document called “schéma régional de développement économique”; this document reflects the vision of all economic stakeholders in the Region. It mentions 2 environmental challenges: (i) move towards an innovative chemistry sector more linked with eco-industries and (ii) develop skills on renewable energies. Consequently, one of the strategic goals is to assert the Rhône-Alpes region as a reference in terms if sustainable development and environment [13].

To achieve this goal, innovative actions are undertaken, for example:

� the Regional Authority “Rhône-Alpes Region” has launched an initiative named the ECREIN Network: European Clusters & regions for eco–innovation and eco–investments networks (6 European regions are concerned: Lombardy, Bade–Wurtemberg, Andalusia, Ile de France, Malapolska and Rhône-Alpes). It was created in order to compare eco-innovation promotion tools at the European level and to make improvement proposals, especially in terms of financial support mechanism. More generally, in order to achieve Gothenburg objectives, eco-innovation is one the priority inserted in the ERDF Operationnal Programme in Rhône-Alpes.

Regular tools to foster eco-industries in Rhône-Alpes are:

� Clustering and collaborative initiatives: The Regional authority and the French government have both supported clustering in the Region. The first stimulates business-oriented clusters while the National Government focuses on fostering R&D projects. The Regional Cluster is named Eco-Energy and covers issues relating to renewable energies and energy management. The clusters labelled for “Excellence” by the Government include Chemistry-Environment (AXELERA competitiveness cluster) and New Energy Technologies (TENERDDIS competitiveness cluster), both of which bring together private businesses, both large and small, educational institutions, and research laboratories.

� Market incentives and financing mechanisms by means of financial subsidies or fiscal measures. The Region has developed financial support in favour of SMEs which are investing in eco–innovation project or technologies to moderate the additional costs of clean technologies. In this regard, for example, subsidies of 15% of the cost can be obtained by a Small and Medium Company, with a maximum of 150,000€ for clean technology investments. Also, R&D projects may be funded, at levels ranging from 35% to 75% (maximum 100,000 €) depending on how upstream from the market the research is.

� Awareness raising: one of the distinctive instruments for awareness raising is by means of “Rhônalpénergie Environnement” (Regional agency created in order to inform, advise and assist local authorities in the field of renewable energies and environmental conservation). Agence locale de l’énergie du Grand Lyon (ALE): this organisation is part of “The Intelligent Energy – Europe program”. The main vocation of this framework is to favour eco-innovation and to facilitate access of financial support allowed by the region.


Aspect guidelines

Business development support for eco-companies in the Rhône–Alpes region in France comprises:

� Various activities of the Chamber of Commerce of Lyon: the creation of eco-actors guides, which is a web platform enabling company selection by skills & competencies, and which is regularly updated. The Chamber of commerce of Lyon is also part of “Objectif environnement” which is financed by the Rhône-Alpes Region authority and ADEME (French national Agency for the Environment and Energy). The program proposes assessments in order to evaluate the environmental situation of companies, estimate feasibility and create a plan of action. The program also proposes training by means of Cap Environnement: a program designed to assist SMEs in integrating the ISO 14001 certification into the management of Companies. This has an indirect impact on eco-companies as it stimulates the demand side.

� Concerning export potential: ADEME has implemented the PEXE (Export Plan for Eco-Companies) in order to enhance the international development of Eco-companies (SMEs). The plan combines cooperation between public and private actors, support of government, taking market environmental evolution into consideration and better coordination among all partners. Companies can benefit from the COFACE Insurance plan which enables them to aim for foreign markets with a limited risk (financial support against failure). All the prospecting expenditure are financed by COFACE. In this field, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon plays an active role by leading 2 thematic taskforces: acoustics and renewable energies.

Finally, resource centres may also contribute to the environmental policy, for instance:

� INEED: Dedicated to Rhônalpine SMEs which do not possess enough resources in order to develop a sustainable development project, especially regarding the biomass and natural construction. INEED has developed an International technological monitoring in order to follow the evolution of tools, technical skills, know-how required for eco-innovation.

5.1.3 Strategies and tools in Germany

The strategies and policy instruments to foster eco-companies in the region of Bavaria (Germany), are based both on regulation and voluntary self-commitment [15]:

� Regulation: at present Germany has more than 800 environmental laws, 2700 ordinances and more than 4000 administrative regulations relating to the environment (e.g. the renewable energy sources act). Their purpose is to guarantee environmental standards (prevention of water, soil and air pollution, regulated waste recycling and disposal), to introduce production methods that are compatible with the environment and to promote environmental technologies;

� Voluntary self-commitment: on account of its voluntary nature and to dispense with additional rules and regulations, voluntary self-commitment has been used as an instrument of environmental policy by the Federal Government and state governments for a long time. Environment management systems (e.g. EMAS, ISO 14.001, ÖKOPROFIT or QUB) are voluntary measures adopted by the industry and


Aspect guidelines

are also promoted within the framework of self-commitment (e.g. Environmental Pact of Bavaria). Within the framework of the Environmental Pact, for example, the Bavarian State Government, together with the central organisations of industry, has arranged for a specified number of companies to obtain certification in accordance with an environment management standard. As part of this cooperation, the State Government intends to increase industry’s own responsibility and simultaneously to reduce bureaucracy with regard to the control of environmental requirements.

In Germany environmental technology is regarded as an important economic factor. The Federal Ministry of the Environment is deliberately promoting the development, use and spread of environmental technologies. Along with legal regulations on the observance of environmental standards, there are numerous measures for promoting innovative environmental technology.

Bavarian strategy for promoting technology is based on regions of excellence, where clusters are created through the geographical bundling of competences and targeted establishment of institutions (e.g the Augsburg/Swabia region). The cluster approach at a regional level, creates a favourable climate and numerous synergies for the establishment and development of eco-companies.

Furthermore, the following tools are applied to support and promote eco-companies in the region of Bavaria: financial aid, promotion of environmental networks, promotion of export and development of new markets, promotion of research, support of technology transfer and innovation and information exchange.

Financial aid: There are numerous programmes offered by the Free State of Bavaria providing financial aid for SMEs. These also include programmes that provide funds for environmental projects. A few examples: Bavarian Programme for More Rational Generation and Use of Energy; Bavarian Technology Promotion Programme; Bavarian Environmental Consultancy and Audit Programme; Focus on Promotion of Municipal Energy-saving Concepts; Promotion of Technology-oriented Business Start-ups; Eco-credit/Bavarian Environmental Credit Programme; Guidelines on Grants for Small Sewage-treatment Plants.

Promotion of environmental networks: local and thematically oriented networks are being specifically initiated and promoted. A few examples:

� BAIKUM: network of eco-companies, focus on export of technology;

� Bavarian Energy Forum: network and information platform for promoting the introduction of renewable energies in Bavaria;

� KUMAS Network: local network of eco-companies, institutions and public agencies in the Augsburg/Swabia region;

� eza!: Allgäu Energy and Environmental Network], a non-profit limited company for the promotion of renewable energies and efficient energy use;

� Environmental Pact of Bavaria: Voluntary membership of companies working for the protection of the environment and the climate which fulfil the conditions of the Environmental Pact;

� Environmental Cluster Bavaria: network for Bavarian eco-companies and research institutions, focus on the networking of research and industry.


Aspect guidelines

Promotion of export and development of new markets: there are a number of initiatives and institutions, for the most part initiated by the Bavarian chambers of commerce and industry, the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs or the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment. A few examples:

� Bayern International, a company of the Bavarian State Government for promoting external trade. Main activities include the organisation and implementation of Bavarian joint stands at international trade fairs, as well as the organisation of delegation and entrepreneur trips;

� Bayern Fit for Partnership (BFP), a programme with a focus on the environment, initiated by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. It supports the marketing and distribution activities of Bavarian enterprises through targeted advanced training measures;

� Technology Transfer Water (TTW): The aim of the project is to support Bavarian providers, mainly SMEs, on the world market for water management.

Promotion of research: the Free State of Bavaria maintains and promotes numerous chairs at universities, faculties at universities of applied sciences, integrated research units and extra-mural research institutions working on subjects that are relevant to the environment. There are comprehensive programmes providing financial support. For example at the end of 1999 the Free State of Bavaria initiated a “High-Tech-Offensive” programme. Since then, around € 1.35 billion have been invested in high-tech projects. The key technologies that were defined for the High-Tech-Offensive included environmental technology.

Support of technology transfer and innovation: targeted measures are implemented and institutions maintained with the aim of putting research results and latest developments into practice smoothly and quickly by means of: technology-transfer institutions at all universities; Bayern Innovativ, a publicly held company for innovation and knowledge transfer; Environmental Cluster Bavaria; Environmental Technology Business Incubation Centre (UTG).

Information exchange: consulting agencies, guidelines and internet portals facilitate access to environmental information for enterprises and private persons. A few examples: Info Center Environment and Economy (IZU); non-profit solar energy information and demonstration center in Fürth (SOLID); sector-specific guidelines provided by the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment.

Unless the solid and effective implementation of strategies and tools to support eco-companies in the region of Bavaria, still some issues could be further improved:

� Funding and financing: improved assistance with regard to grant applications, information on promotion schemes, special support of the market launch, risk capital. innovative financing options;

� Pilot plants: Although support for R&D of new technologies is very good, their market launch is often difficult. In Germany, there are too many obstacles and reservations as regards the setting-up of pilot plants;

� Export: Access to international markets is difficult for SMEs (e.g. high costs of market development). A systematic extension of the existing programmes (contact brokerage, politicians who can open doors etc.) would be desirable;


Aspect guidelines

� Information exchange and communication: support by making available sector-specific information (information on partners, contacts and technologies, sector-specific studies, information on legal framework conditions and market analyses) are of particular benefit to SMEs;

� Turn-key solutions: Owing to the constantly increasing complexity of problems in the environmental sector, there is a growing requirement among customers for turn-key solutions (i.e. all-inclusive solutions). Often “turn-key solution suppliers” are unable to present themselves in an international system of tenders or when they have to compete with big corporations. The formation of solution-oriented company networks (trade clusters) and cooperation platforms can help these companies to increase their chances of success.

5.1.4 Strategies and tools in Italy

The plans and programmes of the Province of Mantua are influenced by the National and regional approach: on one side the Province does not provide a specific scheme in favour of eco-companies, on the other environmental sustainability is taken into account in all the different sectorial plans. The leading theme in provincial strategies is the one of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency promotion; the main tools taken into account by provincial plans are awareness raising actions (on environmental issues, recycling, energy saving...) networking, support actions and pilot projects. Eco-innovation in SMEs has also been a leading theme in the last years.

Italy lacks a specific strategic framework in favour of eco-companies, which are not identified by public national, regional or local plans as a target as such. Strategic guidelines and framework regulations at National level are included in the following laws and plans on environment, sustainable development and business innovation:

� Regulations derived from European directives have defined the application of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and ESA (Environmental Strategic Assessment). ESA Directive was implemented in Italy only in 2006, with D.LGS 152/06, entered into force on July 31, 2007. The new Italian regulation provides that ESA has to be applied during the preparation phase of all Public Plans and Programmes, in order to look for and promote cooperation strategies with all stakeholders. This new regulation has a strong potential for the introduction al provincial level of tools in favour of eco-companies.

� The National Plan for sustainable development was adopted in 1993. It comprises all productive sectors, industry and agriculture, including tourism, infrastructures (energy and transports), and the waste management sector. The plan provides that “for sustainable development it is necessary to introduce actions and tools to isolate productive cycles with regard to external environment, energy saving, improvement of products quality and life span”. The plan is mainly implemented by the promotion of “environmental management systems” at production level, that can be certified according to the world wide classification ISO 14001, and according to the European Regulation on EMAS. This National plan is therefore interesting because it introduced a cultural change on environmental sustainability of the production system, and it impacts the “demand” of typical services and products of eco-companies, that can be implemented on a voluntary bases.


Aspect guidelines

� Funding in the environmental sector are foreseen by Law 338/2000, for the implementation of environmental management systems, and investments aimed at reducing the environmental impact of companies. Yearly de-taxation systems are made available for companies research and development projects, energy efficiency in buildings and the purchase of environmental friendly industrial engines.

Some interesting strategy inputs and funding schemes are available at Regional level:

� The programme implementing objective 2 European structural funds and the Rural Development plan at Regional level offered in the period 2000-06 opportunities for eco-innovation of SMEs, for energy efficiency in the public sector and for awareness raising measures on one side and for the development of renewable energy sources in the perspective of diversification in agriculture on the other. In this framework several projects were implemented in the “objective 2” area of the province of Mantua, for public energy management and for RES use and energy efficiency in public buildings. It is to be noted that local eco-companies did not necessarily benefit from the public projects.

� Among the current Lombardy programmes the following are to be mentioned: Operational Programme for Competitively 2007-13 including measures for funding eco-innovation in SMEs and the promotion of RES; Entrepreneurship plan including funding for research, development and innovation, including eco-innovation; Rural development plan including co-funding of 40 to 60% for RES production.

Also private sources of funding co-finance projects related to eco-companies (e.g. Bank foundations finance environmental education projects and energy audit of public buildings in small municipalities, the Lombardy Chambers of Commerce Network funds innovation projects of SMEs).

The Province of Mantua, a local authority in charge mainly of the territorial coordination of the reference area in South-East Lombardy, offers the a mix of strategies and tools to support eco-companies. It is to be noted once again that none of the following is targeted directly to such SMEs:

� The “Action plan for sustainable development in the province of Mantua” has been implemented in the framework of Agenda 21 methodology as a voluntary tool. This plan stands as a guideline for programmes and projects in the province; it was elaborated in a participatory way and it consists of 43 possible projects. Four of them, directly or indirectly in favour of eco-companies, were implemented.

� The “Provincial energy plan”, is a general guideline defining the energetic situation, the needs and the potential as well as the future and territorial perspective. All sectorial action-plans included in the PEP are meant to promote energy efficiency and to increase the use of renewable sources (in public and private buildings, in agriculture, in companies). Moreover the plan identifies specific projects to support the production of renewable sources in our territory, also by mean of creation of new plants / eco-companies. A specific action plan has been developed since 2004 for the promotion of Renewable energy sources in Agriculture “4-Agri”. The project comprises a mix of promotion tools, technical


Aspect guidelines

assistance and pilot actions aimed at turning farms and agro-food SMEs into agro-energy farms (biomass production and use and other RES).

� From another perspective the “Business Activities plan” comprises measures to promote environmental quality and energy efficiency in the overall productive system. Besides awareness raising, information and training projects, the plan includes a project to actively contribute to the setting up of Renewable Energy production poles and innovative technologies for the exploitation of biomass.

� The “plan for waste management” is presently being elaborated and even though this is a voluntary instrument, it will provide important advantages for eco-companies of this sector.

Among the awareness raising and networking tools implemented in relation with the above mentioned strategic plans and carried out thank to European funding the following are to be mentioned:

� promotion of Green Public Procurement at Municipal and Provincial level.

� creation of a provincial Agency for the Intelligent Management of Energy Sources, in charge of awareness raising for the public and technical assistance for SMEs on energy issues. The potential of the Agency lays in the wide commitment of several local stakeholders that are members (Province and some Municipalities, Chamber of Commerce, Municipal public utilities, Consumers Association, Farmers Associations).

� support action carried out by the Chamber of Commerce to promote eco-innovation by way of information training, promotion and networking.

The described provincial approach is strongly influenced by the National and regional framework where horizontal strategies for promotion of eco-companies do not exist as such. As a consequence, most of the strategic inputs and tools regard the improvement of the “demand side” of environmental services and products (and they do not necessarily favour local eco-companies). Few of the identified tools concern the creation of new eco-companies for renewable energy sources exploitation, and just a few of them concern the support to market strategies or the technological improvement of existing eco-companies. Considering the actual status of national and regional strategies, the potential of the province in defining and implementing effective tools is also limited. Further steps can be nevertheless taken in order to identify more clearly the own provincial strategy and consequently better benefit from existing tools, and/or define more focussed actions.


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5.1.5 Strategies and tools in Slovenia

Although in Slovenia there is no specific strategy to support eco-companies, many strategies are defined for environmental development policies at the national level [16]:

� Slovenia’s development Strategy (SDS): defining the country development vision and aiming as well at five development priorities with related action plans. SDS focuses on environmental as well as economic, social, political, legal and cultural issues;

� National Energy Programme (NEP): coordination of institutions dedicated to energy supply, mechanisms for the transition from the supply of energy products and electricity to providing reliable, competitive, environmentally friendly energy services;

� National Environmental Action Programme (NEAP): the frame for environmental policy in Slovenia and aiming at general improvement of environment, quality of life and natural resources protection. NEAP focuses on preventing pollution, precautionary principle, the Polluter Pays Principle as well as an integral view on the life cycle of a product. The programme is based on the Environmental Protection Act and compliant with the European Union environmental programme;

� Programme on development of environment and transport infrastructure (OP DETI): an implementation document of the Republic of Slovenia for the period 2007-2013, defining the direct legal obligations and rights related to the implementation of EU cohesion policies in Slovenia.

Slovenia has also developed strategic documents on regional level, each of the twelve regions having its own Regional development programme (RDP). The programme currently in force in Gorenjska is RDP Gorenjska for the period 2007 to 2013. One of its priorities is technological development, entrepreneurship and innovation, which are connected to the broader project "Business and technology centre Gorenjska". Much attention within the Regional development Programme Gorenjska is paid to efficient use of energy, environmental protection and sustainable development.

One of the priorities of RDP Gorenjska is sustainable development with the “Programme on infrastructural, environmental and spatial development”. Key priorities of this programme are: to arrange waste water discharge and treatment in Sava and Sora catchment areas up to the confluence in compliance with the National Environmental Action Programme; to establish traffic connections within the complete region in compliance with the development and needs of economy and tourism; to reduce the quantity of waste collected at the landfill; to animate city centres and village cores; to include potential natural and cultural heritage within the area of TNP and other protected areas in the development efforts of local communities.

The following tools are applied in Slovenia to foster eco-companies: regulation, economic incentives, clustering and networking, promotion and information exchange.

Regulation: environmental legislation governed by several fundamental regulations, including the Environmental Protection Act, the Chemicals Act, the Waters Act, the Protection Against Natural and Other Disasters Act, the Nature Conservation Act, the Transport of Dangerous Goods Act etc. The authority to implement these acts is split between the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Defence.


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Upon joining the EU, Slovenia adjusted to the acquis communautaire in force at the time. It was granted longer adjustment deadlines and temporary deviations only for three areas, which are as follows:

� Packaging and packaging waste management (Directive 94/62/EC) for five years from the day of scheduled accession to the EU (until 31/12/2007);

� Urban waste water (Directive 91/271/EEC) for ten years depending on individual demands in accordance with regulations of Directive 91/271/EEC (until 31/12/2015);

� Integrated Industrial Pollution Prevention and Control – IPPC (Directive 96/61/EC) for four years for existing facilities in accordance with regulations of Directive 96/61/EC (30/10/2011). The transitional period was only authorized for 15 companies of total 200.

Economic incentives: the establishment of the Environmental Fund of Slovenia was based on the Environmental Protection Act of 1993, and until 2000 the Fund remained a non-profit governmental finance body, offering financial support to environmental investments in the form of loans with favourable interest rate, and later it was transformed into a public financial fund. The Fund promotes the development of environmental protection by providing loans, guarantees and other types of financing and development support. Its activities are realized in compliance with the NEAP and the common EU environmental policy. The funds are specifically used for measurements in the water sector, waste management and to prevent air pollution.

Public agency for business and foreign investments (JAPTI): the key national development and implementation agency for implementing the development policy within entrepreneurship and competitiveness development in Slovenia. Acitivities of JAPTI comprises: promotion and vitalisation of developing the environment, providing support (counselling), and financial support for enterprises development.

Clustering and networking: the Slovenian water technology platform has developed the following document: Strategy of Slovenian water technology platform till 2010 (SWTP). The major goals include the preparation of strategic research agenda in compliance with and supportive of the European strategic research agenda for water, and the accession into the European Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform (WSSTP).

Association for natural and environmental protection (EKO KROG): the association aims at promoting activities and thus contributing to the development of natural and environmental protection as well as cultural and ethic awareness in the Republic of Slovenia.

Promotion and information exchange: in Slovenia there are several institutes that provide support and promote eco-companies:

� Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia act as an efficient economy lobby, representing the interests of companies, ensuring conditions for economic development;

� The Environmental Technologies Centre of Excellence (the Jozef Stefan institute) brings together the resources of research institutes and universities with the needs of industry so as to assure integral solutions to environmental problems;


Aspect guidelines

� Energy Restructuring Agency (APE) is dedicated to the issues of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. It was established in 1991 to examine the possibilities for the closure of the Krško nuclear plant.

� Agency for radioactive waste management (ARAO): main objective is to provide effective, safe and responsible management of all kinds of radioactive waste in Slovenia from the moment they arise till their final disposal.

Despite the fast growing developments and attention for the implementation of strategies and tools to support eco-companies in Slovenia, still some issues could be further improved:

� Active promotion of Slovenian environmental and energy technology in foreign countries, supported by politics and administration;

� Focus on supporting export activities into specific countries with the help of public bodies;

� Acceleration of innovative and high environmental standards for concluding public contracts;

� Transferring the specific know-how of environmental technologies to financial institutions for a better evaluation of credit risks related to projects;

� Installing internal financial instruments for financing promotional equipment in export regions;

� Introducing the "Green Electricity" Act, enabling a long-term planning for companies with renewable energy sources;

� Performance of coordinating institutions in ensuring a broad range of information material on environmental technologies and related markets.

5.1.6 Strategies and tools in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the municipalities, cantons and federal institutions develop strategies and tools for economic development. Environmental technologies and particularly environmental development companies are considered to be of priority at federal and cantonal levels [17].

At the federal level the following tools are applied to support eco-industries:

� Eco-net is a network of public-private partners which promote the transfer of environmental technologies. This network also explores export possibilities for local companies in this area;

� In the framework of this network, the Institute of Environmental Technologies of the University of Applied Sciences in Basel has developed tools for private enterprises and public institutions who want to favour environmental technologies in management and project implementation.

� Among these tools we refer particularly to the programme “cleaner production” and its tool for the analysis of production methods: “quick scan”. Over 100 enterprises have already asked for such an analysis and consequently have benefited from a reduction of production costs.


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These initiatives involve two main services of the federal government, providing competencies and funds to support public and private innovative projects in the area of environmental technologies :

� SECO: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, responsible for the implementation of regional development policies;

� OFEV: Federal Office for the Environment, responsible for the implementation of environmental policies.

Notable is also the “Climate Cent” foundation, a voluntary initiative of business circles, which has envisaged to reduce nine million tons of C02 output between 2008 and 2012. The foundation is financed by 1.5 cents on each litre of diesel fuel imported.

At the regional level of Canton Vaud, the following tools are applied to support eco-industries: economic development, sustainable development and an energy policy programme.

� Economic development: in 2007, the Canton Vaud has adopted a new law on economic development (LADE). In Article 2 on objectives, the law specifies that measures on economic support have to respect the principles of sustainable development. The benchmarks of the analysis conditioning whether or not public support will be attributed, have still to be identified. Nevertheless, the Canton disposes already of a certain number of tools for decision making which have been developed by its Unit for Sustainable Development. The law on economic development identifies priority clusters for cantonal development. Environmental technologies and alternative energies are among five priority clusters. In this context, the start-up projects on enterprise development, market development and on the establishment of foreign owned enterprises benefit from priority treatment. The support measures include the transfer of technologies, support to market studies or studies on industrialisation, the protection of innovations, export marketing, the collateral for bank loans, the search for investors and the offer of fiscal incentives.

� Sustainable development: the Unit for Sustainable Development (UDD) supervises the application of the principles of sustainable development and develops instruments of analysis for the use of the cantonal administration, the municipalities and other actors of economic development. The instruments include: indicators of sustainable development in the Canton Vaud, and the Compass of Vaud for Sustainable Development. The UDD develops a programme “Agenda 21” at the cantonal level and also supports AG21 initiatives at the municipal level.

Energy policy programme: the Service of Environment and Energy is in charge of applying the Law on Energy (LVLEne) of the Canton Vaud of 2006. This law provides construction standards which favour new environmental technologies, in particular in regard to insulation material and renewable energies. The law provides especially cantonal subsidies for solar energy installations, heating systems based on wood, replacement of electrical heating systems and construction based on the standards under the label Minergie. The Canton also participates in an inter-cantonal programme on information and counselling of the general population.


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In the North of Vaud, numerous initiatives have been developed in the support of environmental technologies as for example by economic regions and the local authorities. Here, 4 examples of the North of Vaud centred around the town of Yverdon-les-Bains, are illustrated:

� A charter for sustainable development: the Regional Association for Development (ADNV) covers an area of 83 municipalities and is responsible for economic development. In order to introduce the principles of sustainable development as the basis for regional development, a “Charter for Sustainable Development” has been established to which the 83 municipalities adhere;

� A strategy for regional development: the adherence to the Charter for Sustainable Development allows a programme concept which refers simultaneously to economic and to environmental concerns. This strategy has generated regional programmes to reduce energy consumption, to support alternative energies and the renovation of buildings;

� A strategy for promotion: the region has identified environmental technologies as an essential factor of its economic development and has developed a public-private partnership which includes environmental clusters, environmental “technopole”, the participation in international programmes such as ASPECT and IFGRA, and a focal point for economic promotion of environmental technologies;

� Local strategies: several municipalities of the region have initiated voluntary programmes to promote environmental technologies, such as the programme “Agenda 21”, Yverdon-les-Bains, the renovation of buildings and the integration of renewable energies into public construction projects.


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5.2 Common strategies and tools to foster eco-industries

One of the main objectives of the Aspect project is to foster economic growth of eco-companies in the Alpine Space through the identification and further development of common strategies and tools to support eco-industries.

In this section, the regional strategies and tools are qualitatively analysed (similarities, differences and improvement options) in order to be able to formulate common strategies and tools to foster eco-industries.

Strategies to foster eco-industries

Strategies to foster eco-industries in the Alpine Space can differ among the participating partners, but there are also many common elements. Austria’s strategy is formulated in 4 key policy programmes: Masterplan Environmental Technology (MUT), Strategic programme Innovative Upper Austria 2010, Upper Austria 2000+ Strategic Programme and the National Biomass Action Plan for Austria, identifying policy planning and implementation as an important strategic tool to foster eco-industries.

Also Italy (environmental policy, waste policy, urban planning, energy programme) and Slovenia (SDS, NEP, NEAP, OP-DETI, RDPs) indicate policy programmes as an important tool to foster eco-industries. In the regional inventories, France, Germany and Switzerland give less importance to policy planning, possibly due to the regional priority for other tools, such as regulation, clustering and networking (France, Germany and Switzerland).

Based on the structure of eco-companies in the Alpine Space, highly qualified SMEs, a common strategy is building upon the specific strengths (sector approach), which are reinforced by means of clustering and networking (cluster approach) and provided with any possible support (funding and financing, promotion, information exchange and communication) to guarantee success, especially in the international markets.

The similarities of the eco-companies within the Alpine Space region can be gained for joint strategies and measures to support the eco-companies as well as to bunch capacities and resources for large international projects by creating consortia.

The differences among the different alpine regions give an opportunity to complete each other’s strengths and therefore compensate the existing weaknesses. This could be done during temporary cooperation at the project acquisition as well as creating consortia to offer complex projects as “turn key projects” or “Build-Operate-Transfer” models.

A common strategy of all regions is to apply a mix of policy instruments (regulation, policy planning, economic incentives and voluntary tools), instead of focussing on one single tool. Suggestions to enhance strategies are country specific, but reflect the whole range of policy instruments.


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Regulation

Harmonisation of environmental regulation and standards will at the long term equalise legal environmental conditions in the EU, while in the short term first movers (e.g. Germany, Austria) will be able to more easily access international markets. Due to harmonisation, theoretically no big differences might be expected among member states, however due to the subsidiarity principle differences in implementation of EC directives are most probable.

Germany, with more than 800 environmental laws, 2700 ordinances and more than 4000 administrative regulations relating to the environment, is an example in promoting eco-industries by means of regulation (“the stick”). At the same time, the Environmental Pact of Bavaria increases industry’s own responsibility and simultaneously reduces bureaucracy with regard to the control of environmental requirements, shifting from regulation towards more voluntary self commitment (“the carrot”).

Although cross-border countries, differences can be noted between Austria, trying to enforce innovative and high environmental standards, while Slovenia upon joining the EU needed to adjust regulations and was allowed to postpone deadlines for some sectors (packaging 94/62/EC, urban waste water 91/271/EC and IPPC 96/61/EC).

Export opportunities of eco-companies are facilitated by means of extend EU-Twinning projects in the field of environmental regulations and their implementation. Furthermore specific regulations, are expected to be a breakthrough for some eco-companies (e.g. passive house standards, obliged energy manager, green electricity law).

In general, environmental regulation is an indispensable precondition for eco-companies, determined basically at the national and EU level. At the regional level, regulation can be less easily influenced, the reason why regulation did not have the highest priority in the regional inventories.

Policy planning and implementation

Regional policy planning and implementation is linked with the regional strategies to foster eco-companies, as described in “strategies to foster eco-industries”. Austria, Italy and Slovenia have indicated in their regional inventories a number of relevant policy programmes for eco-companies. France, Germany and Switzerland give slightly less importance to policy planning, possibly due to the regional priority of other tools, such as regulation and clustering and networking (France, Germany and Switzerland).

Economic incentives (funding and financing)

The Upper Austrian provincial government provides funding for innovative, joint projects within the framework of the cluster initiatives. In the Rhône–Alpes region in France market incentives and financing mechanisms are supported by means of the international ECREIN network. In Slovenia, the Environmental Fund offers financial support to environmental investments. The funds are specifically used for measurements in the water sector, waste management and to prevent air pollution. In Switzerland two services of the federal government (SECO and OFEV) provide competencies and funds to support public and private innovative projects in the area of environmental technologies.


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Despite the availability of funding programmes in the various regions of the Alpine Space, the Aspect-survey clearly identified the need for funding and financing. The funding problem relates only partly to the lack of sufficient funding schemes, but moreover to the knowledge of how to successfully apply for the different funding programmes.

Clustering and networking

Clustering and networking appeared to be a common strategy to foster eco-companies in all Alpine Space countries, for instance in France by means of the APPEL network and the ECREIN network, Italy (Tender project), Slovenia (water technology platform, EKO KROG) and Switzerland (SESEC conference). Highly specialised SMEs clearly benefit from clustering activities. Such activities could be hardly organised by the single companies due to their relatively small dimensions.

Especially, Austria frequently uses clustering to foster eco-industries. For the following thematic network clusters have been created: Cluster “Building, Energy, environment” in the region Lower Austria; Eco world Stryria; The interest group passive house Austria; Austrian Wind Energy Association; Austrian Compost and Biogas Association; Austrian Association for small hydro power; Austrian Program on Technologies for Sustainable Development.

Also in Bavaria, the key strategy for promoting technology is based on regions of excellence, where clusters are created through the geographical bundling of competences and targeted establishment of institutions (e.g the Augsburg/Swabia region). The cluster approach at a regional level creates a favourable climate and numerous synergies for the establishment and development of eco-companies.

Promotion and export activities

Next to funding and financing, also promotion and export activities have been identified as a fundamental need of eco-companies in the Alpine Space. A few examples of successful initiatives are the French ECREIN Network (European clusters and regions for eco–innovation and eco–investments networks), and promotion and export activities in Bavaria (Bayern International, Bayern Fit for Partnership, Technology Transfer Water).

Nevertheless, access to international markets is difficult for SMEs (e.g. high costs of market development). A systematic extension of the existing programmes (contact brokerage, politicians who can open doors etc.) would be desirable resulting in an active promotion of environment and energy technology in foreign countries and support for export activities (both by politics and administration).

Information exchange

Information exchange is available as a tool to support eco-companies throughout the entire Alpine Space. Its implementation, efficiency and effectiveness can differ substantially among the different countries. Information exchange can be supported by databanks, studies on export regions, internet-platform, eco-counselling of enterprises, etc. In Austria for instance, Vienna and Lower Austria have an info-point called “die


Aspect guidelines

umweltberatung”, an independent organisation with the aim to educate and advice private households, communities and enterprises concerning sustainable lifestyles.

In Bavaria, information exchange is provided by consulting agencies, guidelines and internet portals. A few examples: non-profit solar energy information and demonstration center in Fürth initiated by local energy providers (SOLID), Info Center Environment and Economy (IZU) and sector-specific guidelines provided by the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment.

Also in Slovenia there are several institutes that provide support and promote eco-companies: Chamber of Commerce, the Environmental Technologies Centre of Excellence (the Jozef Stefan institute), Energy Restructuring Agency (APE), and the Agency for radioactive waste management (ARAO).

However, the efficiency and effectiveness of these kind of information centres can vary substantially. The main risk is that the information sources remain relatively unknown, and if they are more known, the number of questions and consults remain relatively low, which would eventually influence the efficiency and effectiveness of the information centres. In general there is the need in the Alpine Space to better market existing information centres and information exchange structures, instead of creating new ones.

Awareness raising

Examples of awareness raising have been provided by the French, Italian and Swiss inventories [13, 15, 17], and are most probably also present in other Alpine Space countries. In France, the “Rhônalpénergie Environnement” (Regional agency for renewable energies and environmental conservation) and two official ecolabel programmes applied in France (NF Environnement, European ecolabel) aim at the guidance of consumers towards environmentally sound choices and to foster producers to improve the ecological quality of their products.

In the province of Mantua, two examples have been provided to stimulate environmental awareness raising: the performance of eco-theatres for schools and families and the promotion of the adoption of environmental instruments among eco-companies in the region.

The Canton of Vaud (Switzerland) is making two environmental tools available online: the “Sustainable Development Indicators” which contributes to give citizens a better understanding and awareness of challenges related to sustainable development; and the “Regional Sustainable Development Compass” (boussole vaudoise) which helps to evaluate the assets and weak points of projects in the 3 dimensions of sustainable development.

Qualitative assessment of common strategies and tools

Table 3 summarises the outcomes of the regional inventories on the policy instruments in a qualitative way. Although the outcomes are qualitative and solely based on the collected information supplied by the Aspects partners (Aspect-survey, SWOT-analysis, Aspect regional inventories), they give an idea of the policy instruments that need further implementation and that offer opportunities for further improvement in the various Alpine Space regions.


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From Table 3, it can be noted that the three basic needs of eco-companies (clustering and networking, export and market access, funding and financing) are only partially covered by the services provided in the various Alpine Space regions.

Clustering and networking seem to be well represented, while policy planning, promotion and export, information exchange and awareness raising might be further improved. Funding and financing need further attention throughout the whole Alpine Space. The funding problem appears to be only partly the lack of sufficient funding schemes, but moreover there is a lack of knowledge on how to apply successfully for the different funding programmes.

Qualitative assessment Austria France Germany Italy Slovenia CH Alpine Space

Regulation + + + + - + +

Policy planning + - ± + + - ±

Economic incentives - - ± - - - -

Clustering and networking + + + ± + + +

Promotion and export - + + - + + ±

Information exchange + + ± - - + ±

Awareness raising + - + + - ± ±

Tab. 3: qualitative assessment of the various policy instruments in the regions of the Aspect partners.


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6. Best practices of strategies and tools

6.1 Inventory of best practices in the Alpine Space

In order to illustrate the strategies and tools to foster eco-companies and to exchange information at the practical level, best practices have been identified. All Aspect partners were asked to describe a number of best practises, strategies and tools to foster eco-industries in their region.

In total, 29 best practices have been described, most of which on clustering and networking (11), policy planning (5) and information exchange (5). The remaining best practices concern regulation, economic incentives, promotion and export, and awareness raising (Table 3).

The best practices are shortly introduced in § 6.1 and discussed in § 6.2, while the full descriptions can be found in Annex 1 to 6.

Best practices Austria France Germany Italy Slovenia CH Total

Regulation 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Policy planning 2 0 0 2 0 1 5

Economic incentives 0 0 2 0 0 0 2

Clustering and networking 1 3 2 2 1 2 11

Promotion and export 0 1 1 0 1 0 3

Information exchange 1 0 2 0 1 1 5

Awareness raising 0 0 0 2 0 0 2

Tab. 4: overview of best practices, grouped per policy instrument.

6.1.1 Best practices on clustering and networking

Supplier and service catalogue COG (Austria)

The idea of the production of a service and supplier catalogue came after the establishment of the network on environmental technology in September 2005. This was done following the different models of the other cluster initiatives of the Clusterland Oberösterreich GmbH. The supplier and service catalogue proves the clenched authority of all Austrian environmental technology enterprises: clearly, informatively and indispensably. All products, services, partners and addresses of the enterprises are summarised in this comprehensive reference book. The catalogue should already appear for the second time with the support of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria in an edition of 3.500 pieces. In the near future it is planned to present this catalogue every year. This catalogue is a useful instrument to help find new suppliers, customers as well as project partners. The catalogue is distributed both in Austria and in the foreign trade offices of the chamber of commerce.


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APPEL network (France)

The Lyon Association for promotion of eco–companies (APPEL) was created in 1996 during the POLLUTEC trade fair under the initiative of local eco-companies and the Chamber of Commerce of Lyon. It acts for the promotion and economic development of all the different environmental experts. APPEL network, encourages professional exchange and also synergy between all the different eco-actors : research laboratory, training organisation, industrial and institution.

ECREIN network (France)

European clusters and regions for eco-innovation and eco-investments network (ECREIN network) is a cooperation project between 6 European regions to promote eco-innovation and eco-investment. This project is supported by the EC in the ETAP implementation preparation of competitiveness and innovation programme. It should improve the knowledge about existing instruments at the European, national and regional levels, and develop the regional offer concerning financial instruments for SMEs which want to invest in eco-innovative projects. Furthermore, the project should also create an interregional network allowing the sharing of experiences, good practices and the implementation of collective actions.

TERIA project (France)

The TERIA project (Territorial Insert of Airports) was created in the field of the INTERREG IIIB MEDOCC, in order to identify new technologies to enable activities performed within an airport to coexist harmoniously with those living in the neighbourhood. Experimenting these new technologies was really important in order to reduce the impact of noise especially since it can cause real biological damage. Technological solution project: noise problems have been dealt by placing an obstacle in such a way as to block the sound from reaching the recipient, mainly through the use of sound barriers.

Energy saving initiative in the Ebersberg Region (Germany)

The initiative “Energiesparen und Sanieren” (“Energy Saving and Refurbishment”) is a cooperation of craftsmen, energy consultants, architects and engineers, regional banks, the Agenda 21 working group “energy and resources”, the “BUND Naturschutz” (a German nature conservation association, the German branch of “Friends Of The Earth”), the regional marketing initiative “Ebersberger Land” and representatives of the district administrator’s office in Ebersberg. The objectives of the cooperation are to show ways for an effective use of energy, as a scarce resource, and connected financial savings to homeowners, and to support market opportunities for craft enterprises, consulting firms and appropriated planners in the “Ebersberg District”.


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Center of Competence in Environmental Affairs – KUMAS (Germany)

KUMAS stands for “Kompetenzzentrum Umwelt,” which means Centre of Competence for Environmental Technologies and Affairs. Based on the belief that environmental technologies will be among the key technologies of the 21st century, KUMAS – supported by the Bavarian State Government – was established in Bavaria with the aim of developing one of Europe’s leading environmental centres. The KUMAS network effectively links and promotes the specific environmental know-how of companies, universities, universities for applied sciences and other educational institutions as well as chambers of commerce and governmental authorities, thereby permanently improving the competitiveness of all partners. KUMAS’ objective is to develop one of the leading environmental centres in Europe through the close cooperation of companies, agencies and institutions in Bavaria. KUMAS members greatly benefit from research, educational and further training measures, and assistance to support programs such as the Start-up Capital Fund or the Environment Fund. Furthermore, the marketing strategies of the network partners are strengthened by a joint participation in trade fairs. KUMAS also supports the award of environmental prizes. Thus, particularly innovative products, processes or achievements are honoured and awarded once a year as "KUMAS-Leitprojekte". Besides clustering and networking KUMAS is as well a tool for policy planning.

Tender (Italy)

The Chamber of commerce of Torino has conceived the “Tender” project, which aims at helping eco-industries in our region to take part in international tenders. The Piedmontese industrial structure is made up mainly of SMEs, who normally face difficulties to access international programmes or projects all alone because of their reduced dimension. For this reason they need to participate in tenders or projects in groups. On this basis the Chamber of commerce of Torino – together with CEIP - has decided to strongly promote the excellences existing in Piemonte in some leading sectors (Environment, IT, etc.) and has conceived the “Tender” project. The need to participate in groups in international tenders is particularly felt in the environmental sector and on this basis, the Chamber of commerce of Torino has decided to start with a specific action, more than in the other fields. The “Tender” project allows all environmental companies to register in a database and to access a selection process that is aimed at identifying the enterprises that are particularly “ready” to go abroad, passing to the “advanced level”. All registered companies will receive an assistance on certificates, documents, international partner search, advisory services on customs, finance, international contracts and other information on topics related to international trade and tenders. The enterprises accessing the advanced level will additionally benefit from a customized market analysis, as well as assistance focused particularly on international tenders: research and identification of calls, editing of proposals, specific training, grouping for the joint participation in international tenders.


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Consortium management for energy and heat recovery (Italy)

With this example we want to propose a participated path for the evaluation of the possibility to realise an Energetic Centre, or rather a production and exploitation system of electric energy and heating, a network among several interconnected factories, all placed in the same area within the Municipality of Mantova. The aim of the project has been mainly to explore the possibility to set a production system with a low environmental impact in an area extremely critic for the quality of the air. All the factories involved in the project have programmed, or have already actuated, interventions regarding the energy production, both thermal and electric. The local authorities, Municipality and Province of Mantova, have promoted the initiative which has involved the firms to create a technical table with the aim of defining, from the plant engineering point of view, the possibilities to realise a consortium management of the energy in the Municipality of Mantova. For each proposal has been evaluated the “emission scenario”, in order to define a classification of “environmental quality”. The idea of the Energetic Centre come from the need to integrate different energetic development programmes of the involved firms, in order to harmonise each plan in a common integrated plan. In this scenario the energy productions have to face the needs, trying also to diminish the total emissions through the mutual supplying system, without modifying the industrial risk scenario, or rather ensuring the supplying also during maintenance.

Environmental e-catalogues (Slovenia)

Alongside the environmental protection development, demand for environmental products, technologies and services, is also on the increase in Slovenia. The environmental activities sector is growing, showing prospects for creating the added value as well as new jobs. The present catalogue includes those subjects that responded to the Institute for Economic Research questionnaire in spring 2004, formed within the wider project by the Chamber, with the addition of other companies dedicated to waste management and thus registered by ARSO. Preparation of the catalogue was based on OECD/Eurostat systematisation. The first web edition appeared in 2004. Before it was made, it was impossible to identify companies exercising environmental activities either for those searching for goods and products or for those supplying them. Environmental activities previously appeared in various branches i.e. within various NACE classifications.


Aspect guidelines

SESEC (Switzerland)

As it is demonstrated in the richest regions of the planet, the quality of the environment influences the quality of life and the health of each individual. The regions which enjoy the best quality of life at the environmental level also enjoy the best growth of the local economy and the best level of employment. Therefore, the solutions to environmental issues represent a growing global market. The participants to SESEC share their experience in solving environmental problems and in creating added value, quality of life and jobs out of it. They try to match demands, technological and methodological solutions, and financial tools in order to establish new “consortiums” of players. The results of the already existing consortiums issued from SESEC I to V are a model of best practices to follow. SESEC 2007 is a transition program capitalizing on 5 years experience through the SESEC symposiums I to V. The challenges of fighting greenhouse effects led us to extend the range of such seminar and make it an event of global scale. The technological aspects have been widely covered during the first five SESEC events. SESEC VI focused on the economic, political, legal and financial aspects of sustainable development and on the tools facilitating the cooperation among concerned regions and the exchange of fruitful experiences.

Granit Green Centres Network (Switzerland)

The Granit Green Centres try to implement at local level sustainable projects taking leverage locally of the local resources. To be efficient, the project development starts with a listing of local resources (sun, wind, farm products, forest waste, plastic waste, industrial waste) and a listing of energy needs (heat, cooling, biodiesel, ecofuel, green electricity). These two listings are followed by a suitable matching of these needs and resources. Then, the adequate technologies are chosen, the projects engineered, the operators instructed. The Green Centres combine locally two lines of development: centres of development, access to significant information, training and promotion of sustainable technologies; pilot demonstration sites at industrial scale, creating added value, profits and jobs.

6.1.2 Best practices on policy planning

Masterplan Environmental Technology (Austria)

The Masterplan Environmental Technology – The Austrian Environmental Technology on the way to the future has been commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water and by the county Lower Austria. In the first step a vision has been developed, which sees Austria in a worldwide leading position in the field of environmental technology and as technology leader in specific sectors. The goals of the Masterplan are to improve the environmental situation (e.g. reduce the energy demand by 20% and increase the share of renewable energies up to 25% in 2010) and to create jobs in the field of environmental technology (e.g. increase the share of GDP from 4% to 8% and to increase the number of employees in this sector up to 40.000).


Aspect guidelines

Programme on technologies for sustainable development (Austria)

This five-year research and technology program has been developed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). It initiates and supports trendsetting research and development projects and the implementation of exemplary pilot projects.

The program pursues clearly defined emphases, selects projects by means of tendering procedures and is characterized by networking between individual research projects and by accompanying project management. The Ministry invites tenders in three subprograms: building of tomorrow, factory of tomorrow, energy of tomorrow.

Door-to-door waste collection (Italy)

The project was born with the aim of contextualising at local level the elaboration of coefficients of rubbish production, necessary for the application of the economic instrument called “tariffa rifiuti-rubbish tariff” instead of the “tassa rifiuti-rubbish tax”. The project consisted mainly in an experimental campaign of rubbish collection with the system “door to door”, for evaluating in quality and quantity terms the production of urban rubbish by the domestic and non domestic consumers of the territory of the Province of Mantova. The iniziative allowed the experimentation of modalities of collaboration among local entities and enterprises and modalities of innovative management of the urban rubbish. After the experimentation, 11 Municipalities in the Province has organised in a stable way, trough the Society for the Management of the rubbish, the domiciliary collection. After the consolidation of this practice, emerges clearly a strict relation between the collection system and the performances: the best results, in the province, are obtained by domestic collections, with percentages higher than 70%.

Freight transport in the logistic centre of Valdaro (Italy)

The Valdaro project of settlement involves both a public and private field, for a total of 3,5 million of square metres. The basis of the idea is that in the territory of Mantova there are navigable rivers (classified by EU) which can be used for freight movement. One of the main objectives of the project is to diminish the road traffic and so to diminish the negative impacts of the traffic in terms of pollution of air, soil, water. Also considering the EU directives about the freight transport, the Valdaro spa and the firms has preferred the fluvial and railway transport, reaching the objective to move important volume of freight from road to railway. Since march 2007 there is a train which weekly transport chemical products, before transported by tank lorries. The train will double his frequence starting from October 2007. The activities of Valdaro had the important consequence to valorise the other railway lines, starting a positive process in the sector of infrastructures as alternative solutions to road, where more investment has been done, for example to restore old railways abandoned. The forecasts see the platform of Valdaro as a logistic centre fro the East-Lombardy, involving also the industrial districts that has not developed their knowledge in logistic solutions, and involving also the public authorities in the effort to make the costs of transports acceptable.


Aspect guidelines

Charter for the Sustainable Development of North of Vaud (Switzerland)

A regional commitment to anticipate, evaluate, coordinate, and put in action the projects and activities of the North of Vaud related to the field of regional development, in view of the principles of the sustainable development. For all those concerned, this charter makes it possible to meet the conditions for the evolution of the region, gradually by topics and sectors according to regional and local problems. The synthesis of their work, forms the intercommunality of the regional strategy for development from which the actions to be implemented will result.

6.1.3 Best practices on information exchange

WIFO-study on the environmental technology sector (Austria)

Since the analyses of the environmental technology offer from the years 1995 and 2000 the basic conditions for the producers of environmental technologies have changed. This presses itself in the fact out that priorities in the national environmental policy shifted and become environmental political basic conditions on national and set on European level. Thus the climatic protection represents an urgent topic, in the political discussion over the instruments of the environmental policy incentive-compatible instruments become, contrary to the pure order-legal adjustment politics and moved into the foreground. Accompanying with this shift in the focusing of the environmental policy is one increasing meaning of integrated technologies and in particular also of clean Energy technologies within the Austrian offer of environmental technologies to observe. Also the competitive conditions for the suppliers of environmental technologies have changed by the stronger integration of the national and the European environmental policy.

eza!: energy and environmental centre in the Allgäu Region (Germany)

The “eza! energie- und umweltzentrum allgäu” (the Energy and Environmental Centre in the Allgäu Region) is a non-profit corporation located in Kempten, Allgäu. The centre was founded within the “Hightech-Offensive Bayern” (a campaign of the Bavarian government aimed for the renewal of the economic and technologic basis) to bring forward both - energy efficiency and renewable energy. The centre is broadly supported by municipalities, businesses and action groups of the Allgäu. To promote energy saving and renewable energy, eza! operates in the fields of public relations, energy consulting, education, training and qualification of energy consulters and specialists and energy management. Besides information exchange eza! is as well a tool for clustering and networking.


Aspect guidelines

Info Center Environment and Economy (Germany)

The IZU is a project of the Environmental Pact of Bavaria and is financed from the Bavarian High-Tech Funds. IZU is a service for the Bavarian business community – first and foremost for small and medium-sized companies from all sectors - and also for the Bavarian authorities. The major task of the service is to provide information via the internet which is supplemented by events, publications, a newsletter and individual contacts. The Bavarian State Government, the Association of Bavarian Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Bavarian State Congress of Crafts Representatives inform companies on the IZU offers and are jointly expanding this information service on the basis of regular experience exchange. This public service center at the Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU) was created in 2004 to help quickly and effectively with environmental questions. Besides information exchange IZU is as well a tool for awareness raising.

First photovoltaic plant in Slovenia (Slovenia)

Solar energy has been quite a neglected renewable source of energy in Slovenia so far, thus showing a great future potential. The Energy Restructuring Agency ApE has decided to install the first solar PV plant featuring the power of 50 kW. It is a large system of solar modules that will be connected to the power grid to which it will transfer the electricity produced. The first solar PV plant in Slovenia is a pilot project that will serve for promotional purposes with special attention paid to increased use of renewable energy sources and especially the possibility of increased use of solar energy. On top of that the plant will be used for demonstrative, research and educational purposes. Financial reasons were the basis for gradual project implementation. The first phase included the installation of solar modules system with the installed power of 1.1 kW. Before the installation, a feasibility study was made by ApE for a solar PV plant, predicting the installation of a solar plant featuring the power of 50 kW on the roof of the building, housing the headquarters of ApE, and covering the total southern half of the roof in the area of 500 m2. Economic indicators for plant investments were developed, showing that operation economy of such plant could not be justified at the time without grants.

Compass of Vaud (Switzerland)

The project is a presentation of analysis and a semi-quantitative evaluation of other projects in view of their strengths and weaknesses. It’s also a questionnaire evaluating 16 topics trough 117 indicators (on a scale of « very favourable », « favourable », « without effect », « unfavourable » or « very unfavourable » , including « veto » and « without information »), with the possibility of inserting comments. The results are displayed in the shape of positive or negative bars (strengths and weaknesses) for each of the 16 topics, and a graph in the form of a rosette for the synthesis. A classification of the effects as very favourable , very unfavourable, or favourable and unfavourable is provided. The criteria and the topics are balanced by the tool. The objective of the compass is to improve sustainability projects and to compare variants assisting the decision making process.


Aspect guidelines

6.1.4 Best practices of other instruments

Regulation of the county Vorarlberg to passive house standard (Austria - regulation)

Since January 2007, by a decision of the regional parliament Vorarlberg all public utility housing enterprises in the county Vorarlberg are obliged to realise their new buildings in passive house standard. Following this, the largest public utility housing enterprise, the “Vorarlberger gemeinnützige Wohnungsbau- und Siedlungsgesellschaft mbH” (VOGEWOSI), adapted their maximum building costs for new buildings from 1600 Euro/m² to 1.700 Euro/m², but due the improved financial support by the public building funds for lower energy demand the costs for the clients did not raise. The new passive houses will show heating costs of 1 Euro per m², while “normal” new buildings will show 4 Euro per m². Buildings in passive house standards do have less than 15 kWh/m².a heating demand, compared to the existing housing stock holding at 150 kWh/m².a this is a reduction of 90% of the heating energy. The residual heating energy demand can be covered without problem by renewable energies as thermal solar energy, wood pellets or heat pumps. The decision of the county Vorarlberg was the first regulation for this sector in Europe and stimulated the passive house sector in the region. As a result the VOGEWOSI decided also to improve the energetic standard of their existing buildings. At 4 buildings they are carrying out a ambitious energetic retrofitting and reducing the heating energy demand from 300 to 30 kWh/m².a by using passive house technologies. Even the passive house standard can not be reach in these projects, the energy savings are exemplary for Austria and Europe.

UTG (Germany – economic incentive / network)

Located in Augsburg, the third biggest town in Bavaria, the UTG (Environmental Technology Business Incubation Center Augsburg - in German called “Umwelt-Technologisches Gründerzentrum Augsburg") - provides attractive facilities for motivated entrepreneurs working on environmental and other technologies. Established in 1998, the UTG Center currently has about 40 companies with 180 employees. Some of these businesses had moved to Augsburg from other countries, such as Austria, Canada, Ghana, Switzerland and the USA. Their business focuses are: agro-biosciences, eco-industries, e-commerce, food safety, health, informatics, laboratory software, life sciences, water management, wind, solar energy and many more. Occupying an area of some 6.000 m², the centre offers an outstanding location in a modern class-A ecological building. By renting premises at affordable rates, young companies can receive a comprehensive support package on good terms: business consulting, financial management, excellent infrastructure, leading-edge connectivity, concierge services, meeting rooms and much more. The location offers many key advantages, such as cost and flexibility (fair rents plus a wide range of additional services in the UTG), image (a high level of awareness, exceptional expertise and network integration at the UTG), and network (networking and partnerships in related sectors speed up business success).


Aspect guidelines

Renewable Energy Sources Act (Germany – economic incentive / regulation)

Germany’s Renewable Energy Resources Act (EEG) is successfully applied in practice for many years already and has been adopted by numerous other countries. The purpose of the Act is: to facilitate sustainable development of energy supply in the interest of managing global warming, conserving nature and protecting environment; to give priority to renewable electricity for fixed feed-in tariffs in order to avoid conflicts involving conventional energy sources (fossil fuels); and to foster technological progress.

BAIKUM (Germany - promotion and export activities / clustering and networking)

Supporting the launch of national and international projects and reporting the latest information about markets, technologies and developments – these are the key tasks of the BAIKUM network. BAIKUM is managed by Bayern Innovativ, the Nuremberg-based company for innovation and knowledge transfer. The main focus is on water and sewage technologies as well as waste treatment and recycling. Target regions are first and foremost the EU accession countries in Eastern Europe as well as countries in Asia. Over 1,300 companies and institutes actively participate in the network, these being above all small and medium-sized businesses operating in the environmental sector. Most of the companies are based in Bavaria but there are also firms from other regions in Germany and from neighboring countries. Core activities of the network are: planning and organization of internationally oriented cooperation forums, and maintaining and expanding the internet platform www.baikum.de.

AXELERA (France - promotion and export activities)

The industrial association AXELERA was created in order to promote the competitiveness of the « chemistry and environment Lyon in Rhône-Alpes ». It was born from the willingness of local actors (industrial, trainer, researcher) operating in the field of environmental industry to create a modern chemistry which considers its environmental impact. The industrial association was created by the charter members of the French label “Pôle de compétitivité” (cluster R&D) “chemistry environment Lyon – Rhône-Alpes”: Arkema, CNRS, IFP, Rhodia and Suez. Today, the cluster accounts for more than 100 members and has developed 12 technological cooperation projects and 5 interdepartmental or transverse projects (R&D, chemistry, petroleum, environment).

Slovenian Environmental Cluster (Slovenia - promotion and export activities)

Slovenian Environmental Cluster specifically focuses its projects into water and air protection as well as waste management. The Cluster is currently developing an urban waste water treatment plant for small settlements, which will make for an interesting area in future. One of their large projects is the continued development of thermal use of waste, where many possibilities have been opening up. Developed countries do not simply destroy waste but use it for heat production. The Cluster specifically aims at the remote Chinese market, which has recently seen increased investing into treatment plants. The main activities of the Economic Interest Association in penetrating foreign markets are an appropriate marketing strategy and positioning the Slovenian Environmental Cluster trademark. Marketing support was exactly where Slovene companies have so far had a major drawback in contract with multinationals.


Aspect guidelines

Eco-theatre for schools and families (Italy - awareness raising)

The project “Ecotheatre” was born within the framework of local Agenda 21 of the Province of Mantova. The idea to utilise the theatre and its laboratories in order to propose the theme of the respect of the environment was born from the suggestion of the teachers participating to the thematic round tables “Environmental Education” of the local Agenda 21 forum. The teachers wanted to try an “emotional” approach to the environmental themes with their pupils of the first classes. A private stakeholder, a local artist founder of a theatrical company recognised at national level from the Ministry of Culture, became the artistic responsible of the reviews, and his commitment was fundamental for the success of the project. The review involves in a stable manner several schools and 14 Municipalities in the Province, Theatres and the Provincial Library system, and is composed by three shows, thought for children from 3 to 10 years old. The repeated performances, for a total number of 30, are realised in several theatres, in order to make the shows accessible in the whole province. The subjects discussed so far are: garbage, water, respect for the environment, well-being of the animals and the recycling. A cd-rom entitled “The isle of experiments” has been produced thanks to the material collected by two primary schools.

Promotion of the adoption of environmental instruments (Italy, awareness raising)

The province of Mantua has initiated in 2003 a sustainability project with the objective to enhance environmental awareness in the local industrial sector through the introduction of innovative concepts like Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Thinking. The methodology of the project has followed a step-wise approach to incorporate environment into business decisions. In particular two policy instruments have been experimented: the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) in order to identify environmental hot spots and to advocate ecolabeling, and waste exchange aiming at regional industrial symbiosis. The response rate has been good, with a voluntary participation of 25% of the more than hundred companies invited. In order to enhance environmental awareness, basic activities have been executed, like workshops and short courses. Specifically, various case studies have been executed: waste exchange by means of the local chamber of commerce and LCA studies on plastic garbage bags, compost, butter, pallets and unbaked clay bricks, all resulting in a list of ecodesign improvement options.

Fig.15: Example of a best practice promoted by the Province of Mantua (eco-theatre, industrial ecology).


Aspect guidelines

6.2 Learning experiences from the best practices

The best practices of the Aspect project, as describes in the previous paragraph and the annexes of this guideline document, have been one of the crucial elements, besides the strategies and tools, for the formulation of recommendations for public policy makers.

As a first step to formulate policy advise, all best practices have been evaluated by the Aspect partners and resulted in “lessons learned” from each local experience, which can be found in the list below as well as in the annexes describing the best practices.

As a following step, the lessons learned have been grouped by policy instrument (clustering, policy planning, information exchange and other instrument), in order to translate the lessons into recommendations for public policy makers. These grouped recommendations allowed the identification of 10 golden rules on how regional public policy makers can foster eco-companies (paragraph 7.2).

Below, the lessons learned from the best practices are randomly listed, underlining the most important elements:

� Pilot projects of first solar power station enable us to gain many pieces of information and experiences in the field of photovoltaic use. New investment decisions have been largely based on the gained experience of the pilot project on photovoltaic systems.

� The on-line environmental catalogue is of special use to companies, searching for environmental goods and services providers to acquire data instantly. The user can search for environmental goods and technologies, i.e. environmental services within one of ten environmental sectors. Considering the difficulties in defining environmental goods, services and areas, the catalogue uses the systemisation recommended by OECD/Eurostat.

� The environmental cluster has been essential for the transfer of fundamental knowledge to the day-to-day practice, the marketing of environmental technologies and the development and implementation of environment protection technologies in different sectors.

� Sharing best practices between green regions and Green Centres will help promoting the sustainable society of the 21st century.

� As an important majority of participants shared their satisfaction towards SESEC, the decision has been made to create a permanent organisation to continue sharing the best practices at local level.

� The cluster approach of the Tender project stimulated local authorities (Municipality of Torino, Piemonte Regional Government) to launch new projects for the promotion and fostering of renewable energies.

� The centrality of the logistic centre of Valdaro allows the promotion of fluvial and railway transport, reaching the objective to reduce the volume of road freight at the regional and interregional level.

� The public-private initiative has permitted the activation of an informal collaboration between public and private actors, based on mutual trust. Until now, single interests and the difficulty to integrate the consortium solution in current scenarios did not allow the execution of the proposal.


Aspect guidelines

� A structured and overall knowledge of the impact of products, by means of LCA, is the first step towards ecodesign and environmental product improvements. The role of the public sector is to promote Integrated Product Policy (IPP) among the industrial sectors in their territory.

� After running the IZU for one year we commissioned a webdesign agency to evaluate our webpage. We received several ideas on how to improve the technical part and the content of the website. The suggestions have now been implemented.

� The project connects ecology, economy and social engagement in an excellent way. As a result of the calculation of the potential for the ten administrative districts around Munich, the estimated contract volume in the Ebersberg district is up to around 600 Mio Euros in the next 30 years.

� "If you want it done right, do it yourself!" said Arno Zengerle, mayor of Wildpoldsried, to explain why his town was the first which engaged eza! with an extensive survey on the improvement of energy management in municipal buildings. One year later, the mayor looked upon eza!´s work very favourably: "eza! identified shortcomings in both - equipment and behaviour. Improvements were made at minimal cost. This enabled us to reduce energy consumption considerably in certain cases."

� The Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) can look back on more than 16 years of experience. The electricity feed-in of renewable energies into the grid was legally regulated first in Germany with the adoption of legislation by the German Bundestag on the basis of consensus in 1990. The Electricity Feed Act (StrEG) was enacted on January 1st in 1991, replaced by the Renewable Energy Sources Act in April 2000, which was amended on July 21st in 2004. The Renewable Energy Sources Act is the most important and successful instrument to promote the expansion of renewable energies in the electricity sector.

� Based on a win-win-situation, KUMAS developes and implements sustainable concepts in cooperation with its network-partners. A personal and trustful atmosphere enhances the connection between the partners and the exchange of experience, the transfer of know-how as well as the support of marketing activities. KUMAS offers a wide range of services to help the network-partners strengthen their position of innovation leadership on national and international markets.

� With a mix of tools, for example information exchange, training and consulting and networking activities KUMAS constitutes a platform for Bavarian environmental technology companies, institutions and local networks enhancing their international competitiveness and innovative capacity.

� It is the combination of wide-ranging offers and advantages like costs, flexibility, degree of awareness and networking that makes the UTG a first address.

� For small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, a successful engagement in international projects is often only possible in cooperation with the right business partners. Activities of BAIKUM have therefore focused on establishing contacts and suitable cooperation partners. In this respect, the two tools “cooperation forum” and “online catalog of companies” have proved most successful.


Aspect guidelines

� To create a complete supplier and service catalogue it is important that all organizations and bodies on the field of environmental technology and renewable energies are committed to such a standard work. The benefit for the industry has to be clearly visible; the process should need just little effort and has to be uncomplicated for the companies.

� As in all studies the return of questionnaires should be as high as possible and the answers should be detailed to get significant results. To meet these two demands incentives could be created, e.g. giving those who gave detailed information a deeper insight in the data of the study so they can benchmark their position in the branch. Another important factor is to contact as much enterprises as possible which will be much easier if the different associations pass on the addresses of their partners or refer the questionnaire to them.

� It is important to involve as many stakeholders as possible in the process of creating it. It is important, that the plan is accepted on a broad level and is implemented on the political level. A crucial point is, that the lobbying organisation of the eco-industry participates in order for them to deliver inputs about “what is feasible and what isn’t?” and that after the publication of the Masterplan the lobbying organisation supports the plan and doesn’t counteract it.

� A crucial point is to achieve concrete statements (goals including a strategy on how to achieve the goals - who, until when, which budget). An important asset of the national “Masterplan Environmental Technology” is that existing activities, instruments and measures can be better coordinated and synergies of activities in the different regions can be gained.

� The introduction of the “Passive house regulation” in the county Vorarlberg showed that the public sector is well suited to establish new eco-technologies. The regulation represented an important reason why many companies in the building sector started to educate their staff in passive house technology, as it became clear that the market would grow continually. The regulation was an outstanding measure and its effect went far beyond the area of the county Vorarlberg. The fact that a “public authority” applies a new eco-technology in their own sphere of influence increases the confidence in and the publicity of the technology.

� At the beginning of a program to support eco-companies, a clear long-term strategy should be defined for each thematic topic. The dedication of the financial support should be targeted according to the strategy. In the first step there is a focus on baseline surveys, followed by R&D project, then by pilot projects and demonstration projects, and finally by market introduction activities and market penetration activities.

� A success factor especially at the level of SME is the distribution of the results of the supported projects. For market introduction and penetration official opening ceremonies (e.g. opening of plant with a new recycling technology) with politicians are important to bring the technology into the public aware. An important topic is the involvement of companies in the program. If the new technologies show positive effects, the market penetration takes place very fast by means of the companies’ own marketing activities.


Aspect guidelines

Best practice clustering Learning experience Advise to policy makers

Supplier and service catalogue If you have the commitment of all actors, you can do a lot with a little effort

Match supply and demand and organise clustering

APPEL network encourage professional exchange and synergy between eco-companies

Organise clustering and networking

ECREIN network create an interregional network allowing the sharing of good practices and the implementation of collective actions


TERIA project Encourage the exchange of know-how and best practices related to the environmental insertion of airports


Energy saving initiative Trigger: potential contract volume of 600 Mio€ for eco-companies

Rely on the internal market

KUMAS centre Offer a wide range of services to strengthen innovation and market leadership

Apply a mix of instruments, award the best performers

Tender The cluster approach stimulated local authorities to launch new projects


Energy-heat recovery consortium Mutual trust was essential for the public-private initiative

Create public private consortiums and partnerships

Environmental e-catalogues Provide an on-line environmental catalogue for eco-companies

Match supply and demand

SESEC Create a permanent organization to continue sharing the best practices at local level

Do not underestimate lobbying and networking

Granit Green Centres Network Sustainable development at the local level by means of sharing best practices

Do not reinvent the wheel, but transfer cross-border experiences

Tab. 5: Best practices on clustering, and translation of lessons learned into policy advice.

The Alpine Space is characterised mainly by highly qualified SMEs. Consequently, clustering and networking applying a participatory approach is a crucial instrument to support eco-companies in the Alpine Space. To facilitate the matching of supply and demand various tools can be applied, whose effectiveness and efficiency depend on the local context.

The following guidance rules have been extrapolated from the lessons learned from the clustering best practices: match supply and demand, organise clustering and networking, rely on the internal market, apply a mix of policy instruments, create public-private consortia and partnerships, do not underestimate lobbying and networking, do not reinvent the wheel but transfer cross-border experiences, and award the best performers.


Aspect guidelines

Best practice policy planning Learning experience Advise to policy makers

Masterplan Environmental Technology

Involve as many stakeholders as possible and use a participatory approach to create synergies of activities in the different regions

Clustering by means of a participatory approach

Programme on technologies for sustainable development

Fix long-term goals and apply a step-wise procedure, involvement of eco-companies is crucial

Use a participatory approach and rely on the internal market

Door-to-door waste collection Local initiatives can result in high environmental performance

Be pro-active, apply a mix of policy instruments

Freight transport in the logistic centre of Valdaro

Tangible results at the regional and interregional level

Be pro-active, focus on the bottlenecks and provide practical solutions

Charter for the Sustainable Development of North of Vaud

Work on awareness raising and coordination at the local level, define a procedure for the evaluation of eco-companies

Apply a participatory approach, monitor the performance of eco-companies

Tab. 6: Best practices on policy planning, and translation of lessons learned into policy advice.

Pro-active policy-makers can support eco-companies in their region through the implementation of dedicated policy programmes addressing critical environmental issues (e.g. regional waste programme, regional energy plan) and resolving them with the help of local suppliers (eco-companies in the Alpine Space). In other words, regional policy-makers can make a difference, especially when they succeed to involve the internal market, being the most important market for Alpine Space eco-companies (70% of their market share).

The following guidance rules have been extrapolated from the lessons learned from the policy planning best practices: be pro-active, focus on the bottlenecks and provide practical solutions, organise clustering and networking using a participatory approach, rely on the internal market, and monitor the performance of eco-companies.

Best practice info exchange Learning experience Advise to policy makers

WIFO-study on the environmental technology sector

Associations and clusters should be mobilised to contact the eco-companies

Offer eco-companies an incentive to return questionnaires

eza!: energy and environmental centre in the Allgäu Region

If you want it done right, do it yourself

Be pro-active and organise clustering

Info Centre Environment and Economy

We invested in web-design in order to increase the visibility and effectiveness of the info centre

Focus on the bottlenecks and provide practical solutions

First photovoltaic plant in Slovenia

Execute pilot projects, learning by doing

Be pro-active and relay on the internal market

Compass of Vaud Define a procedure for the evaluation and a panel approach to obtain the most objective possible result.

Organise clustering, monitor the performance of eco-companies and award best performers

Tab. 7: Best practices on information exchange, and translation of lessons learned into policy advice.


Aspect guidelines

Information exchange is an important aspect of the Aspect project. By means of the transfer of cross-border experiences, regional policy makers do not need to reinvent the wheel, but can profit from experiences gained through large number of cross-border case studies (28 Alpine Space best practices), providing a database of ideas, tangible projects and learning experiences that could be used to support eco-companies in other regional contexts of the Alpine Space.

The following guidance rules have been extrapolated from the lessons learned from the information exchange best practices: be pro-active, focus on the bottlenecks and provide practical solutions, organise clustering and networking using a participatory approach, rely on the internal market, monitor the performance of eco-companies, and award the best performers.

Best practice other instruments Learning experience Advise to policy makers

Regulation of the Vorarlberg passive house standard

the public sector is well suited to establish new eco-technologies: work also on the demand side as a trigger to support eco-companies

Implement more ambitious regulations

Renewable Energy Sources Act The Renewable Energy Sources Act is the most important and successful instrument to promote renewable energies

Provide incentives and implement less but better regulations

BAIKUM Focused on establishing contacts and suitable cooperation partners


UTG centre One-stop-shop: the centre offers the combination of wide-ranging services and advantages

Apply a mix of policy instruments

AXELERA Create a modern chemistry which integrates an environmental component

Support innovation

Slovenian Environmental Cluster The environmental cluster has been essential for…


Eco-theatre for schools and families

Educate the new generation in a positive and creative way

Invest in awareness raising

Promotion of the adoption of environmental instruments

Promote Integrated Product Policy (IPP) among eco-companies

Support the adoption of eco-tools, award the best performers

Tab. 8: Best practices of other instruments, and translation of lessons learned into policy advice.

There is no single solution: regional public policy makers should apply a mix of policy instruments to foster eco-companies (stick-carrot). Regional values and identities (“couleur locale”), would definitely reject a policy setting in which “one size fits all”. The Aspect guidelines should therefore been interpreted as a guidance document full of hints that can be used in different contexts, where local policy-makers decide on what to do to foster eco-companies in their specific situation, following the subsidiarity principle of EU policy.

The following guidance rules have been extrapolated from the lessons learned from the best practices on other instruments: implement less but better regulations, support innovation, organise clustering and networking, invest in awareness raising, support the adoption of environmental instruments and award the best performers.


Aspect guidelines

7. Conclusions, recommendations and future outlook

7.1 Conclusions: state of the art in the Alpine Space

The Aspect project aims to bridge the gap between economic development and environmental protection by promoting eco-companies, most of which are SMEs with high growth rates. Eco-companies play a major role in protecting the environment by dealing with air, soil, waste, noise, water and energy. In line with the initial objectives of the Aspect project, common strategies to foster economic growth of eco-companies in the Alpine Space have been identified in the following: best practices of support and promotion activities; identification of tools for promotion towards public authorities; support of business development, clustering and networking.

Strategies to foster eco-industries in the Alpine Space can differ among the participating partners, but there are also many common elements. Based on the structure of eco-companies in the Alpine Space, highly qualified SMEs, a common strategy is building upon the specific strengths (sector approach), which are reinforced by means of clustering and networking (cluster approach) and provided with customised support (funding and financing, promotion, information exchange and communication) to guarantee success, especially on international markets.

The similarities of the eco-companies within the Alpine Space region can represent a synergy for joint strategies and measures to support the eco-companies as well as to bunch capacities and resources for large international projects by creating consortia. The differences among the alpine regions give an opportunity to complete each others strengths and therefore compensate the existing weaknesses. This could be during temporary cooperation at the project acquisition as well as creating consortia to offer complex projects as “turn key projects” or “Build-Operate-Transfer” models.

A common strategy of all regions is to apply a mix of policy instruments (regulation, policy planning, economic incentives and voluntary tools), instead of focussing on one single tool. Suggestions to enhance strategies are country specific, but reflect the whole range of policy instruments.

The Aspect guidelines, the main result of work package seven of the Aspect project, provides support to organisations and public policy makers to foster eco-industry development and/or attract external eco-industry investments. Furthermore, the guidelines describe common tools and strategies for promoting and attracting eco-companies, especially since these SMEs are very dependant on public policy.

Specific recommendations have been made for public policy makers which can be summarised in 10 golden rules, as illustrated in the next paragraph. A possible next step would be the application of the Aspect guidelines in the various regions of the Alpine Space with concrete case studies and in order to obtain tangible results on how eco-companies can be supported and promoted. The Aspect guidelines are meant to facilitate this implementation process and are a reference for the exchange of best practices.


Aspect guidelines

7.2 Recommendations: 10 golden rules to foster eco-companies

1. Be pro-active on environmental matters and rely on the internal market

Pro-active policy-makers can support eco-companies in their region through the implementation of dedicated policy programmes addressing critical environmental issues (e.g. regional waste programme, regional energy plan) and resolving them with the help of local suppliers (eco-companies in the Alpine Space). The internal market is the most important market for Alpine Space eco-companies (70% of their market share).

2. Focus on the bottlenecks and provide practical solutions

The Aspect-survey among 266 eco-companies in the Alpine Space, clearly identified the need for funding and financing and access to foreign markets. As a first initiative, the Aspect project has provided a training on funding and financing and facilitated a number of successful business contacts during the Aspect session of the SESEC symposium in Lausanne, 30-10-2007.

3. Organise clustering and networking in an effective and efficient way

The Alpine Space is characterised mainly by highly qualified SMEs with a dimension of less than 20 employees. Consequently, clustering and networking represent a crucial element to support business development, economic growth and internalisation. The organisation and management of clustering and networking should follow a participatory approach to maximise its effectiveness and efficiency.

4. Apply a mix of policy instruments

There is no single solution: regional public policy makers should apply a mix of policy instruments to foster eco-companies (stick-carrot). Regional values and identities (“couleur locale”), would definitely reject a policy setting in which “one size fits all”.

5. Implement less but better regulations

In line with the New Approach, the trend is moving towards less (and better) regulation, and more voluntary self-commitment. Specific regulations could mean a breakthrough for specific eco-company sectors (e.g. passive house standards).

6. Support the adoption of eco-tools in order to guarantee competitiveness

Highly qualified eco-companies could further strengthen their environmental competitiveness through the adoption of environmental instruments, like pollution prevention, environmental management systems and eco-label programmes.


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7. Create public private consortiums and partnerships

The similarities among eco-companies within the Alpine Space region can provide the critical mass for joint strategies by creating consortia for large international projects, while the differences of the specific alpine regions offer an opportunity to complete each others strengths and therefore compensate the existing weaknesses. Furthermore, public-private partnerships are often required to deal with complex environmental problems that cannot be resolved by one single actor.

8. Do not reinvent the wheel, but transfer cross-border experiences

The Aspect project collected and evaluated a large number of cross-border case studies (28 Alpine Space best practices), providing a database of ideas, tangible projects and learning experiences that could be used to support eco-companies in other regional contexts of the Alpine Space.

9. Do not underestimate lobbying and networking

There is a need to enhance political contact (official visits, delegations) to inform potential markets about the Alpine Space technologies and to strengthen bilateral economical and technological cooperation, as an important instrument to “open borders” to foreign markets.

10. Award the best performers

Monitor the performance of eco-companies against environmental criteria and award the best performers that will act as a benchmark in order to assure their leading position in the market of eco-services (for instance by means of audits, eco-labels and awards).


Aspect guidelines

References

[1] Aspect 2007. Alpine Space Promotion of Eco-Companies Transboundary. Leaflet of the Aspect project (www.aspect-project.eu/leaflet.pdf).

[2] Bled, 2007. Presentation of Workpackage 7: methodology to support organisations and public authorities. Province of Mantua, Aspect project meeting, 8-9 March 2007, Bled.

[3] Munchen, 2007. Presentation of Workpackage 7: guidelines for the development and promotion of eco-companies. Province of Mantua, Aspect project meeting, 4-5 October, Munchen.

[4] Aspect 2007. Aspect Newsletter, Issue 2, March 2007 (www.aspect-project.eu).

[5] OECD, 1999. The environmental goods and services industry: manual for data collection and analysis, OECD.

[6] Lowe, Ernest A. 2001. Eco-Industrial Handbook for Asian Developing Countries. Prepared for the Environment Department, Asian Development Bank (www.indigodev.com).

[7] Ecolink, 2005. Ecolink: Ecocentres as a tool for local sustainable development and for environmental research implementation. Final project report, supported by the EU 5th framework programme (www.ecosites.net).

[8] EC, 2006. Eco-industry, its size, employment, perspectives and barriers in growth in an enlarged EU. September 2006, Ernst & Young commissioned by DG Environment.

[9] Aspect, 2007. Results of the Eco-industries Survey in the Alpine Space. ADNV, Switzerland & BAUM Consult, Germany, Aspect document (www.aspect-project.eu).

[10] Aspect, 2007. SWOT analysis for the Alpine Space. OGUT/COG, Austria, Aspect document (www.aspect-project.eu).

[11] Aspect, 2007. Guidance document regional inventories. Province of Mantua, Italy, Aspect document, 2007.

[12] OGUT/COG, 2007. Austrian inventory for the development of guidelines to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space.

[13] Chamber of Commerce of Lyon, 2007. Notes on French activities to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space.

[14] Bayern Innovativ/BAUM, 2007. German inventory for the development of guidelines to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space.

[15] Province of Mantua, 2007. Notes on Italian activities to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space.

[16] Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska, 2007. Slovenian inventory for the development of guidelines to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space.

[17] ADNV, 2007. Swiss inventory for the development of guidelines to support and promote eco-companies in the Alpine Space.


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Annexes: best practices in the Alpine Space

Annex 1: best practices in Austria

Masterplan Environmental Technology

The Masterplan Environmental Technology – The Austrian Environmental Technology on the way to the future has been commissioned by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water and by the county Lower Austria.

In the first step a vision has been developed, which sees Austria in a worldwide leading position in the field of environmental technology and as technology leader in specific sectors.

The goals of the Masterplan have been defined as:

� Create jobs in the field of environmental technology: Increase the share of GDP from 4% to 8% and to increase the number of employees in this sector up to 40.000; Increase the share of the EI at the world trade up to 2,5%; Increase the export rate of the Eco-Industry up to 80%; Extend or achieve international leadership in specific technologies; Extend the share of EI at the production sector up to 5%.

� Improve the environmental situation: Reduction of the energy demand in Austria by 20%; Achieve the Austrian climate protection goals by meeting the further environmental goals, e. g. reduction of particulate matter emission; Increase the share of renewable energies up to 25% (2010) and 45% (2020) as well as up to 80% at the electricity sector (2010) and 85% (2020); Reduction of the air pollution by NOx according NEC-RL 103kt until 2010 and by VOC; Achieve a good condition of all waterbodies until 2015 and prevent any degradation of the condition of waterbodies.

� Following strategies have been fixed: Enforcing the export activities; Intensify the research and development activities in the EI; Supplement the technological products by offering client specific financial instruments; Secure an innovative domestic market for products and services on a high technological level.

Following the goals and strategies 30 measures to enforce the Austrian environmental industry have been recommended:

� Cross sectoral areas: Export campaign for environmental and energy technologies; Developing a marketing strategy for the brand “Environmental technology made in Austria”; Environmental technology fairs and state award for environmental technology; Detailed analyses of the demand on environmental technologies; Intensifying “Twinning projects”; Establish a climate and energy fund; Enforce the research and development activities (establish financing funds, establish an environment and energy cluster compared to silicon valley); Innovative mains of


Aspect guidelines

public procurement to support innovative environmental technologies; Qualification campaign (education, training, ..); Developing adjusted financing instruments for environmental projects; Information tool (manual) for existing supporting instruments; Fund for market development activities; Financial support of demonstration plants in Austria and in export regions; Establish a Federal agency for environmental technology; Evaluation of the Masterplan at regular intervals.

� Area waste management: Developing new processes to utilise waste with low caloric value; Developing concepts for waste incineration plants with CHP and year around use of the off-heat.

� Area energy: Establish the passive-house standard in the housing subsidy criteria; Increase the number of high quality energetic retrofitting of buildings; Establish an obliged energy manager for companies larger than 50 employees; Ecological tax reform; Strengthen the renewable technologies by technology diffusion measures; Strengthen the technology leadership at the sector hydro power.

� Area air protection: Further development of biomass utilisation by research and decrease the emissions of CO, particulate matter and NOx at the biomass utilisation; Enhanced reduction of air pollutants by new technologies in the transport sector and by reduction of the transport of goods and the car transport; Research activities in carbon capture technologies.

� Area water: Establish an Austrian water technology network; Bundle and coordinate the data exchange concerning the sector water resources and waste water management; Developing demonstration projects in the water sector with innovative financing and operation models as Public Private Partnership, Build and Operate, Build and Transfer; Development of integrates solutions for small scale water preparation plants.


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WIFO-study

Since the analyses of the environmental technology offer from the years 1995 and 2000 the basic conditions for the producers of environmental technologies have changed. This presses itself in the fact out that priorities in the national environmental policy shifted and become environmental political basic conditions on national and set on European level. Thus the climatic protection represents an urgent topic, in the political discussion over the instruments of the environmental policy incentive-compatible instruments become, contrary to the pure order-legal adjustment politics and moved into the foreground. Accompanying with this shift in the focusing of the environmental policy is one increasing meaning of integrated technologies and in particular also of clean Energy technologies within the Austrian offer of environmental technologies to observe. Also the competitive conditions for the suppliers of environmental technologies have changed by the stronger integration of the national and the European environmental policy.

For the detailed analysis of the Austrian Environmental Technology became, like already done in preliminary studies, a data basis on basis of a written enterprise questioning provides. As sources of information for the address data bank those served beside other sources Austrian Environmental Technology data base in the Internet (www.umwelttechnik.at), measurement and Exhibition catalogue as well as a firm list of the Umbrella Organization energy–climate protection. For the analysis of the Austrian Environmental Technology questionnaires stand from 183 enterprises to the order (The Questionnaire was sent out to about 490 companies in Austria). For the estimation of the size of the Austrian additionally data from a shortened stand for environmental technology industry by further 30 enterprises Questionnaire for the order, which seizes the most important business indicators.

Partners involved: Austrian Institute for economic research; Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management; Chamber of commerce Austria, Umbrella Organization energy – climate protection; GRAZ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY; Extend the share of EI at the production sector up to 5%.

The objectives are to get an overview about: the structure of the environmental technology industry in Austria; the market changes; the economic meaning of the Austrian environmental technology industry; the characterisation of the environmental technology supplier; the export markets and the status of innovation.

Results: A detailed report of the Austrian environmental technology industry. This report is the basic for lots of publications, presentations regarding the environmental sector in Austria.


Aspect guidelines

Supplier and Service Catalogue

Project description

The idea of the production of a service and supplier catalogue became after the establishment of the network environmental technology in September 2005. This was done following the different models of the other cluster initiatives of the Clusterland Oberösterreich GmbH.

The supplier and service catalogue proves the clenched authority of all Austrian environmental technology enterprises: clearly, informatively and indispensably. All products, services, partner and addresses of the enterprises are summarized in this comprehensive reference book. The catalogue should already appear for the second time with support of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria in an edition of 3.500 pieces. In the near future it is planed to present this catalogue every year.

To find a singular reference book and a useful instrument around new suppliers and customers as well as a project partner! The catalogue is distributed both Austria far and abroad over the foreign trade offices of the chamber of commerce.

Partners involved:

� Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

� Chamber of commerce Austria

� Clusterland Oberösterreich GmbH (COG)

Objectives:

� Entry of your enterprise with detailed profile

� Presentation of the enterprise logo

� Presentation of reference projects

� Categorization of the achievements

� automatic entry of the data into on-line data base

Results:

� online data base at the HP of the network environmental technology www.netzwerk-umwelttechnik.at/db

� supplier and service catalogue of the network environmental technology Edition 2006, edition 2008 is in planning


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Reglementation of the county Vorarlberg to passive house standard

Project description

Since January 2007, by a decision of the regional parliament Vorarlberg all public utility housing enterprises in the county Vorarlberg are obliged to realise their new buildings in passive house standard.

Following this, the largest public utility housing enterprise, the “Vorarlberger gemeinnützige Wohnungsbau- und Siedlungsgesellschaft mbH” (VOGEWOSI), adapted their maximum building costs for new buildings from 1600 Euro/m² to 1.700 Euro/m², but due the improved financial support by the public building funds for lower energy demand the costs for the clients did not raise. The new passive houses will show heating costs of 1 Euro per m², while “normal” new buildings will show 4 Euro per m².

Buildings in passive house standards do have less than 15 kWh/m².a heating demand, compared to the existing housing stock holding at 150 kWh/m².a this is a reduction of 90% of the heating energy. The residual heating energy demand can be covered without problem by renewable energies as thermal solar energy, wood pellets or heat pumps. The decision of the county Vorarlberg was the first regulation for this sector in Europe and stimulated the passive house sector in the region.

As a result the VOGEWOSI decided also to improve the energetic standard of their existing buildings. At 4 buildings they are carrying out a ambitious energetic retrofitting and reducing the heating energy demand from 300 to 30 kWh/m².a by using passive house technologies. Even the passive house standard can not be reach in these projects, the energy savings are exemplary for Austria and Europe.

Partners involved:

� Regional government of the county Vorarlberg

� The public utility housing enterprise “Vorarlberger gemeinnützige Wohnungsbau- und Siedlungsgesellschaft mbH“ (VOGEWOSI)

Objectives:

� distinct reduction of the energy demand of households

� reduction of the energy costs for households

Results:

� strong positive impulse for the passive house market in Vorarlberg and the surrounding regions

� securing the market for passive house components is predictable for the next years


Aspect guidelines

The Austrian Program on Technologies for Sustainable Development

Project description

This five-year research and technology program has been developed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT). It initiates and supports rendsetting research and development projects and the implementation of exemplary pilot projects.

The program pursues clearly defined emphases, selects projects by means of tendering procedures and is characterized by networking between individual research projects and by accompanying project management. The Ministry invites tenders in two subprograms.

� Subprogram „Building of Tomorrow“

� Subprogram „Factory of Tomorrow“

� Subprogram „Energy systems of Tomorrow“ (phased out, a new own program “Energy of Tomorrow” has been established)

Partners involved:

� Responsible for the program Sustainable Development: Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie, http://www.bmvit.gv.at, Department for Energy and Environmental Technologies, Abteilung für Energie- und Umwelttechnologien, Renngasse 5, A-1010 Wien.

� Program organisation: Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft http://www.ffg.at/content.php, Sensengasse 1, 1090 Wien, Tel.: +43 (1) 4038177-0.

� Sub Program Building of Tomorrow: Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (ÖGUT) www.oegut.at, Hollandstraße 10/46, A-1020 Vienna, Austria, phone: ++43 - 1 - 315 63 93-00.

� Sub Program Factory of Tomorrow: Austrian Society for Environment and Technology (ÖGUT) www.oegut.at, Hollandstraße 10/46, A-1020 Vienna, Austria, phone: ++43 - 1 - 315 63 93-00.

� Sub Program Energy of Tomorrow: Österreichische Forschungsförderungs-gesellschaft, Sensengasse 1, 1090 Wien, phone.: +43 (1) 4038177-0 (http://www.ffg.at/content.php).

Sub program Factory of Tomorrow

The subprogram „Factory of Tomorrow“ addresses the trade and industry as well as service enterprises that produce and provide products of tomorrow using materials of tomorrow to meet tomorrow’s needs. The following aspects have to be taken into consideration:

� Aiming at zero-waste and zero-emission technologies and methods of production

� Increased use of renewable raw materials for materials and products


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� Increased use of renewable sources of energy in the production process and in the enterprise as a whole

� Development of new partnerships and cooperations as well as in-house models for further training and participation of employees in order to achieve these objectives

Sub program Building of Tomorrow

Building of Tomorrow“ refers to residential and office buildings that feature the following improvements as compared to the present practice in Austria:

� Improved energy efficiency over the whole life cycle

� Pronounced use of renewable sources of energy, in particular solar energy

� Increased use of renewable raw materials and efficient use thereof

� Increased consideration of service and use aspects for the benefit of users of residential and office buildings

� Costs comparable to those of conventional building designs

Sub program Energy systems of Tomorrow

"Energy Systems of Tomorrow" is focuses on the development of new technologies and concepts for a flexible and efficient energy system based on renewable energy sources. Furthermore, it is the intention of the subprogram to show their feasibility by realising demonstration projects. These aims are conform to the economical, strategical and political objectives of the R&D Program concerning sustainability and research.

"Energy Systems of Tomorrow" fosters research and development of new concepts and technologies as well as systems innovations and strategies. Whereas, project chains that lead from basic studies or concepts to concrete technology developments to demonstration projects are particularly valuable. In this respect, demonstration projects (e.g. model systems, model regions) shall be seen as "beacons of innovation" that are able to show how strategies concerning sustainability can lead to an increase in the quality of life and economic prosperity.

The subprogram focuses on:

� energy efficiency,

� the use of renewable energy sources and

� systems innovations and strategies

The sub program “Energy systems of Tomorrow has phase out in August 2007 and has become a own program “Energy of Tomorrow” (more information available on: http://www.ffg.at/content.php?cid=670).


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Annex 2: best practices in France

APPEL

Project description

APPEL (Lyon Association for promotion of Eco – companies) was created in 1996 during the POLLUTEC trade fair under the initiative of local eco-companies and the Chamber of commerce of Lyon. It act for the promotion and economic development of all the different environmental expert.

APPEL network, encourage professional exchange and also synergy between all the different eco-actors : research laboratory, training organisation, industrial and institution.

Partners

Chamber of Commerce of Lyon, Grand Lyon, Rhône-Alpes region, ADEME

Objectives

� Develop a technical skills network in order to federate regional eco-industrial.

� Promote members know-how at an International, national and local level.

� Become the official spokesman of this sector in Lyon region

Results

� Assist all the eco-actors on trade fair : POLLUTEC

� Organize symposiums

� Creation of a Lyon eco-companies internet web site

� Organize “l’Université d’été” with his partners (Grand Lyon, CCIL, Rhône-Alpes region) : this trade fair is an opportunity to favour professional exchange and to emphasis all the technological innovation.


Aspect guidelines

AXELERA

Project description

This industrial association was created in order to promote the competitiveness of the « chemistry and environment Lyon in Rhône-Alpes ». It was born from the willingness of local actors (industrial, trainer, researcher…) operating in the field of environmental industry to create a modern chemistry which considers its environmental impact.

This Industrial association was created by the charter members of the French label “Pôle de compétitivité” (cluster R&D) “chemistry environment Lyon – Rhône-Alpes”: Arkema, CNRS, IFP, Rhodia and Suez.

Today, the cluster accounts for more than 100 members and has developed 12 technological cooperation projects and 5 interdepartmental projects or transverse projects (R&D, chemistry, petroleum, environment).

Partners

The Charter members, Association and professional union: APPEL (Association pour la promotion des éco-entreprises Lyonnaise) FFC (Fédération Française de Chimie) UIC (Union des Industriels de la Chimie), R&d Clusters : Industrie Agro-Ressources ; Plastipolis, Local Authorities : Le Grand Lyon, DRIRE Rhône-Alpes, Conseil régional Rhône-Alpes, Conseil général de l’Isère, Agence National de la Recherche.

Objectives

� To create a modern chemistry which integrates an environmental component.

� Develop new eco – friendly means of production

� Develop technological cooperation projects

� Offer an individualized technical support for innovation

� To become the international leader in environmental chemistry in 2012.

Results

� First chemical production site in France

� Second chemical region in France for its workforce

� Second industrial sector regarding the turnover

� First research center in France for the environmental catalysis

� Development of 12 technological cooperation projects (water treatment, bio resources, soils treatment, eco-conception…)

� Development of 5 transverse projects (financing engineering, economic intelligence, societal commitments…)


Aspect guidelines

ECREINetwork

Project description

ECREIN network (European clusters and regions for eco-innovation and eco-investments network) is a cooperation project between 6 European regions to promote eco-innovation and eco-investment, supported by the European Commission.

This project is supported by the European Commission in the ETAP implementation preparation of competitiveness and innovation programme. It should improve the knowledge about existing instruments at the European, national and regional levels, and develop the regional offer concerning financial instruments for SME’S which want to invest in eco-innovative projects.

This project should also create an Interregional network allowing the sharing of experiences, good practices and the implementation of collective actions.

Partners

6 European regions: Rhône-Alpes, Lombardy, Bade-Wurtemberg, Andalucía, Ile de- France and Malopolska, Project supported by the European Commission

Objectives

� Federate a network of European regions dedicated to eco-innovation and eco-investments.

� To promote and develop new specific financial instruments to support eco-innovation in SME’S at the regional level

� Become the reference network for regional support in the field of eco-innovation

� To take part in European and Regional politics and actions for eco-innovation

Results

� In each partner regions: creation of regional platforms for information exchange, structural and proposals for eco-innovation financial instrument.

� Organisation of 2 interregional workshops : 1st of June 2007 in Stuttgart and 16th of October in Sevilla

� Organisation of a final conference in order to present the project results : 14th of December in Milan


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TERIA

Project description

TERIA project (Territorial Insert of Airports) was created in the field of the INTERREG IIIB MEDOCC, in order to identify new technologies to enable activities performed within an airport to coexist harmoniously with those living in the neighbourhood of the airport.

Experimenting these new technologies was really important in order to reduce the impact of noise especially since noise can cause real biological damage.

Technological solution project : noise problems have been dealt by placing an obstacle in such a way as to block the sound from reaching the recipient, mainly through the use of sound barriers.

Partners

Institutional partners: Lombardy region, Varese province, Novara province, Baleares Island government and Chamber of Commerce of Lyon,

Scientist partners : ITC (Institut pour les technologies de la construction du Centre National de la Recherche en Italie), CNRS (laboratoire de mécanique et d’acoustique du CNRS de Marseille), Politecnico di Milano (Institut Polytechnique de Milan), Laboratori d’Enginyeria Acustica i Mecanica, CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment de Grenoble), EPA (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne).

Objectives

� Encourage the exchange of know-how and of the different experiences related to the environmental insertion of airports. It includes all of the measures aimed at reducing the effects of noise and air pollution.

� Experiment some related technologies being studied by research institutes and universities.

� Identify modern technologies that may contribute to the improvement of environmental insertion of airports.

� Disseminate the result of these projects through seminars and publications for a general public and the European Commission.

Results

� Finalization of 3 technical solutions against airport noise activities.

� All partners have organised different seminars in order to disseminate the result and evolution of these projects.


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Annex 3: best practices in Germany

Environmental Technology Network BAIKUM

Introduction

Supporting the launch of national and international projects and reporting the latest information about markets, technologies and developments – these are the key tasks of the BAIKUM network. BAIKUM is managed by Bayern Innovativ, the Nuremberg-based company for innovation and knowledge transfer.

The main focus is on water and sewage technologies as well as waste treatment and recycling. Target regions are first and foremost the EU accession countries in Eastern Europe as well as countries in Asia.

Over 1,300 companies and institutes actively participate in the network, these being above all small and medium-sized businesses operating in the environmental sector. Most of the companies are based in Bavaria but there are also firms from other regions in Germany and from neighboring countries.

Core activities of the network are: planning and organization of internationally oriented cooperation forums and maintaining and expanding the internet platform www.baikum.de.

Cooperation forums with international focus

The BAIKUM network cooperation forums provide a platform for the presentation of new environmental projects from different target regions, where companies and institutes participating in the network give an insight into innovative technologies and solution concepts and exchange experiences gained from projects in Germany and abroad. Topical issues are addressed at an early stage, such as, for example, the implementation of new EU environment directives.

Contacts and cooperations have been established in this way with many countries including, among others, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, China, Thailand, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Here are some examples of cooperation forums and topics of the past few years: Waste Management Beijing, Environmental Projects Middle East, Environmental Technology Romania – Hungary – Bavaria, Water Supply Technologies for Indonesia and Sri Lanka, EU Recycling of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Water/Sewage – Access to International Markets.


Aspect guidelines

Website www.baikum.de

The Internet portal www.baikum.de delivers extensive information on environmental technology in Bavaria. Evidence of the website’s success is the continuous rise in hit rates, now approx.10,000 visitors per month. Information is provided in the following sections:

� Latest news and an event calendar with announcements and reports on the network’s activities, current developments in the environmental technology sector, news from industry and science as well as project information.

� Guide on activities and support programs, assistance relating to the following questions: How do I establish important contacts? Where can I get reliable information? What assistance is available for developing new markets abroad?

� Research landscape for environmental technology with an overview of the major research locations, details on key research topics and services offered by individual institutes and faculty chairs, as well as on competent contact partners.

� A centerpiece of the website is the catalog of companies and institutes which features a steadily growing number of competence profiles (currently over 200). The profiles deliver a compact account of companies and their specific competences, revealing both the technological know how as well as the company’s experience abroad and specific language skills. An intricate search function enables selective matchmaking with potential business partners. The company catalog is available in German and in English.

Partners

The Bavarian Innovation and Cooperation Initiative for Environmental Technology (BAIKUM) was launched by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology and funded on a pro rata basis as a network project between 2002 and 2006. Partners in this cooperation were Bayern Innovativ GmbH (project coordination), Bayern International GmbH and the Association of Bavarian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

When the scheme finished in December 2006, Bayern Innovativ GmbH continued the activities in the environmental technology sector under the established name of BAIKUM.

Lessons learned

For small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, a successful engagement in international projects is often only possible in cooperation with the right business partners. Activities of BAIKUM have therefore focused on establishing contacts and suitable cooperation partners. In this respect, the two tools “cooperation forum” and “online catalog of companies” have proved most successful.


Aspect guidelines

Center of Competence in Environmental Affairs - KUMAS

KUMAS stands for “Kompetenzzentrum Umwelt,” which means Centre of Competence for Environmental Technologies and Affairs. Based on the belief that environmental technologies will be among the key technologies of the 21st century, KUMAS – supported by the Bavarian State Government – was established in Bavaria with the aim of developing one of Europe’s leading environmental centres.

The KUMAS network effectively links and promotes the specific environmental know-how of companies, universities, universities for applied sciences and other educational institutions as well as chambers of commerce and governmental authorities, thereby permanently improving the competitiveness of all partners.

Partners

The efficiency of the KUMAS network is greatly influenced by a Support Association. Its members stem from the most diverse sectors and fields, all pursuing the same objective, i.e. promote and intensify the exchange of knowledge among the economy, science, administration and politics. KUMAS has currently about 190 network members.

Objectives

KUMAS’ objective is to develop one of the leading environmental centres in Europe through the close cooperation of companies, agencies and institutions in Bavaria. The direct transfer of knowledge by means of the research and educational institutions in the KUMAS network opens up new possibilities for cooperation in development and research, thus reducing the innovative cycle of new materials, processes, products and services. In this environment, enterprises can recruit a large number of especially qualified young professionals, qualified employees and executive officers.

KUMAS members greatly benefit from educational and further training measures. In numerous events and congresses as well as through extensive information the members gain an indispensable lead in knowledge which sometimes becomes a decisive factor for reaching the competitive edge in this complex and highly dynamic environmental sector.

The companies belonging to the KUMAS network also gain financial advantages, since they can use consulting services and are assisted in procuring subsidies. Company founders and small and medium-sized companies are assisted by support programs such as the Start-up Capital Fund or the Environment Fund. Furthermore, the marketing strategies of the network partners are strengthened by a joint participation in trade fairs.

A bundling of existing competent professionals provides an ideal platform for exchanging experience among the companies which belong to the KUMAS network and for promoting a more intensive cooperation. These synergies will save time and money. They further enhance flexibility, quality and swiftness. KUMAS also supports awarding of environmental prizes. Thus, particularly innovative products, processes or achievements are honoured and awarded once a year as "KUMAS-Leitprojekte".


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Lessons learned:

The Bavarian Centre of environmental Competence - KUMAS - deeply involves its members from the fields of economy, research, education, administration and politics in the KUMAS environmental network.

Based on a win-win-situation, KUMAS developes and implements sustainable concepts in cooperation with its network-partners. A personal and trustful atmosphere enhances the connection between the partners and the exchange of experience, the transfer of know-how as well as the support of marketing activities.

KUMAS offers a wide range of services to help the network-partners strengthen their position of innovation leadership on national and international markets.

Further information:

www.kumas.de


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UTG Environmental Technology Business Incubation Centre Augsburg

Introduction

Located in Augsburg, the third biggest town in Bavaria, the UTG (Environmental Technology Business Incubation Center Augsburg - in German called “Umwelt-Technologisches Gründerzentrum Augsburg") - provides attractive facilities for motivated entrepreneurs working on environmental and other technologies. Established in 1998, the UTG Center currently has about 40 companies with 180 employees. Some of these businesses had moved to Augsburg from other countries, such as Austria, Canada, Ghana, Switzerland and the USA. Their business focuses are: agro-biosciences, eco-industries, e-commerce, food safety, health, informatics, laboratory software, life sciences, water management, wind, solar energy etc.

Description / Advantages

Occupying an area of some 6.000 m², the center offers an outstanding location in a modern class-A ecological building. By renting premises at affordable rates, young companies can receive a comprehensive support package on good terms: business consulting, financial management, excellent infrastructure, leading-edge connectivity, concierge services, meeting rooms and much more. The location offers many key advantages, such as for example:

� Cost and flexibility: Fair rents plus a wide range of additional services in the UTG ensure optimal cost-effectiveness. What is more, the rental periods and space utilization laid down in the UTG leases are kept flexible so that they can be adjusted to take account of developments in the relevant companies.

� Image: A high level of awareness, exceptional expertise and network integration at the UTG bring the companies based in the Center decisive competitive advantages in opening up markets and important arguments for the procurement of funding. As a prime address, the UTG generates confidence among financiers, customers, staff and suppliers alike.

� Network: Networking and partnerships in related sectors speed up business success. The presence of close on 40 companies offers interesting opportunities for cooperation – from sharing the use of the laboratories and workshops right through to joint development of patents and implementation of pilot projects.

Partners

The Center is operated and funded by the State of Bavaria, the City of Augsburg, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Swabia, and the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Augsburg. The UTG is an important element in the Bavarian Government’s strategic master plan to create a leading European Cluster of Environmental Business Activity. UTG is directly connected with 2 Green-Tech-Network-Organisations (Umweltcluster Bayern and KUMAS) and other network organisations.

Conclusions / Lessons learned

It is the combination of wide-ranging offers and advantages like costs, flexibility, degree of awareness and networking that makes the UTG a first address.


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Energiesparen und Sanieren

Partners

The initiative “Energiesparen und Sanieren” (“Energy Saving and Refurbishment”) is a cooperation of craftsmen, energy consultants, architects and engineers, regional banks, the Agenda 21 working group “energy and resources”, the “BUND Naturschutz” (a German nature conservation association, the German branch of “Friends Of The Earth”), the regional marketing initiative “Ebersberger Land” and representatives of the district administrator’s office in Ebersberg.

Objectives

The aims and objectives of the cooperation are:

� Show ways for an effectove use of energy, as a scarce resource, and connected financial savings to homeowners.

� Support marker opportunities for craft enterprises, consulting firms and appropriated planners in the “Ebersberg District

Activities / Methodology:

For this purposes the following activities were developed and conducted in cooperation of the partners:

� An information campaign about energy-saving refurbishment,

� compilation of an information package about energy-saving refurbishment in the “Ebersberg District” (“Ebersberger Sanierungswegweiser”) for homeowners, including lists of about 70 registered regional companies,

� subsidisation of an economical one-hour energy consulting

� and technical exchange and networking on the basis of a so-called technology forum which meets regularly.

Technical Exchange and Networking: A discussion forum which gets together regularly (about every six weeks) to inform each other about actual technical questions was created. Therefore talks on specialised topics with following discussions are given. The intention is to develop a collective idea about quality standards and to optimise the interface between the participating partners. For the participants of the programme technical information is also available on the website in a password protected area.

A common comprehension of quality criterions is the base on which the launching of a regional brand is worth considering. The preconditions in the district are good: the regional brand “Ebersberger Land” and the “Ebersberger Sonnenweg” (a consultancy service of the Ebersberg District Office for homeowners concerning the use of photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies) already exist. Those initiatives can be regarded as basics and, if applicable, be extended for a division of energy-saving refurbishment.


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The practical realization of that idea effort extensive consultations of the participants concerning the quality criterions, in some case it is necessary to raise the awareness of those criterions first.

As an intermediate stage Cross-Marketing arrangements, for example information about the initiative “Energiesparen und Wärmedämmung” at the labels of “Ebersberger Land”-products, which are offered in many supermarkets in the district, are planned.

Contribution to the local sustainability

The project connects ecology, economy and social engagement in an excellent way. The objective of a great proportion of renewable energy of the total energy consumption has a broad fundament in the district. This became particularly apparent during the development of the districts´ overall concept in the first half of 2006.

Beyond several other aims and objectives it says in this document, adopted by the district parliament representative for all groups of society in the district, amongst others: “By the year 2030 our district shall be independent of fossils and other finite fuels. Therefore we will take actions to save energy and to use a broad range of renewable energies.” and “We will support private households, agriculture and forestry and the small and medium-sized business in the use and further development of innovative technologies.”

To maximise the proportion of renewable energies in overall energy consumption it is not only necessary to change the techniques of energy production: a precondition for a 100% supply with renewable energies is an intense saving of energy.

As the National Strategy for Sustainability states, this crucially depends on progresses concerning the existing buildings. On the one hand this leads to savings of heat energy, hence to a reduction of CO2-emissions. On the other hand the industrial sector of energy-saving refurbishment salvages a considerable economic potential.

As a result of the calculation of the potential for the ten administrative districts around Munich the estimated contract volume in the Ebersberg district is up to around 600 Mio Euros in the next 30 years (the base of the calculation is that most of the buildings constructed between 1949 and 1978 will be renovated during that time). Out of these results the workplaces maintained or created can, under certain assumptions about wages and labour time, be estimated. Furthermore incomes and workstations in the fields of modernisation of heating installations, planning, consulting and financing increase.

Contact:

Franz Neudecker und Anton Blank, Landratsamt Ebersberg, Eichthalstr. 5, 85560 Ebersberg, Telefon: +49 (0)8092 823 183, Telefax: +49 (0)8092 823 9183, [email protected], www.ebersberger-sanierungswegweiser.de


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eza! energie- und umweltzentrum allgäu

Project Description

The “eza! energie- und umweltzentrum allgäu” (the Energy and Environmental Centre in the Allgäu Region) is a non-profit corporation located in Kempten, Allgäu. The centre was founded within the “Hightech-Offensive Bayern” (a campaign of the Bavarian government aimed for the renewal of the economic and technologic basis) to bring forward both - energy efficiency and renewable energy. The centre is broadly supported by municipalities, businesses and action groups of the Allgäu. To promote energy saving and renewable energy, eza! operates in the fields of public relations, energy consulting, education, training and qualification if energy consulters and specialits and energy management.

Partner network

More than 120 companies (architects, engineers, building enterprises, craftsmen, producers and dealers) belong to the eza! partner network. These companies have agreed to respect various guidelines, quality assurances and further trainings. They are allowed to use the “eza! partner” brand mark. The network provides information and tips, especially the “eza! partner days” support the exchange between its members. Furthermore the partners are promoted through the eza! consulting agencies in the whole Allgäu Region.

Objectives

Energy advice and consulting service: eza!'s major task is energy consulting: More than 40 local offices provide unbiased, free of charge, expert information and on-site consulting. The range of services is addressed to homeowners as well as municipalities.

Modern techniques of energy-saving modernization are visualised impressively in the “eza! House“: An energy-optimised and refurbished old house which today consumes only ten per cent of its former heat energy consumption. The house is used for energy consulting, training courses and exhibitions concerning the latest techniques of energy-saving refurbishment and the use of renewable energies. The service is not only directed towards specialists, such as consultants, but also towards homeowners.

Activities / Methodology:

Training Courses

eza! offers an up to date education program for energy and building professionals and has more than 300 participants each year in the following courses and seminars:

1. Energy-saving refurbishment: A course for architects and engineers including (amongst others) valuable information on building physics and new regulations.

2. Professional training for energy consultants: A comprehensive training course with focus on the building sector for craftsmen, technicians, engineers, architects and construction experts.


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3. Training in passive house design: A course for architects and engineers in the design of passive houses. All important principles of passive houses and many practical aspects of the design, including training in computer tools for the calculation are part of this course

4. Expert seminars: seminars on current issues like the Energy Pass, the German Energy Savings Regulation 2006 (EnEV) and revisions of statutes.

Energy program for municipalities

The main focus of the eza! energy program is to accompany and to advice municipalities. The program provides local authorities with comprehensive support in all fields of energy policy in order to improve energy efficiency and to promote renewable energy sources. Successful municipalities will be honoured with the European Energy Award®.

Municipal energy management

"If you want it done right, do it yourself!" said Arno Zengerle, mayor of Wildpoldsried, to explain why his town was the first which engaged eza! with an extensive survey on the improvement of energy management in municipal buildings.

One year later, the mayor looked upon eza!´s work very favourably: "eza! identified shortcomings in both - equipment and behaviour. Improvements were made at minimal cost. This enabled us to reduce energy consumption considerably in certain cases."

The Municipal Energy Management concept of eza! is based on monthly collection and evaluation of all energy consumption data, on training of staff and on optimization of consumer behaviour. Simple measures and methods like these are sufficient to reduce energy consumption and costs by up to ten percent.

Considerable savings in all 140 public buildings of the eza!-coached municipalities and rural districts argue for the success of the eza!-concept.

For more information see: www.eza.eu

eza! Energie- & Umweltzentrum Allgäu GmbH, Burgstr. 26, D-87435 Kempten, Germany, Tel: + 49 831 960286-0, Fax: + 49 831 960286-90, E-mail: [email protected].


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Info Center Environment and Economy - IZU

Project Description

What do the new provisions of the environmental law mean for my business? Can I apply for support if I develop an improved production process? And where can I turn to get more information concerning this? What do I have to consider when applying for a licence for my new production plant and who can help me with this? When businessmen look for answers to these or similar questions, the Info Center Environment and Economy (IZU) is the right place to go.

The IZU is a project of the Environmental Pact of Bavaria and is financed from the Bavarian High-Tech Funds. IZU is a service for the Bavarian business community – first and foremost for small and medium-sized companies from all sectors - and also for the Bavarian authorities. The major task of the service is to provide information via the internet which is supplemented by events, publications, a newsletter and individual contacts. The Bavarian State Government, the Association of Bavarian Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Bavarian State Congress of Crafts Representatives inform companies on the IZU offers and are jointly expanding this information service on the basis of regular experience exchange. This public service center at the Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU) was created in 2004 to help quickly and effectively with environmental questions.

The main focus of the IZU’s work is the operation of an internet platform accessible through our webpage at www.izu.bayern.de. The webpage of the Info Center offers the following, organized by topic:

� advice on the practical implementation of environmental measures

� a good practice portfolio

� an overview of publicly funded programs

� information about environmental law and its practical implementation

� a guide that helps you to find the right personal contacts

� numerous links

� much more

Methodology

The offers of the Info Center were developed and realized according to the wishes and needs of the enterprises which we found out by means of interviews, surveys, discussions and workshops. Businessmen can submit specific questions based on their individual business needs by using the category “Frequently Asked Questions” in our internet service, or directly by calling the IZU-hotline. Suggestions, special requests or critical comments about our service are also welcome at any time. We evaluate the hit rates, the number of subscribers to the newsletter and keyword searches that misfired to get an impression of our clients’ requests. The users’ feedback will be used to extend the Info Center still further, so that over time a tool develops which is closely attuned to the day-to-day needs of companies.


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Evaluation

After running the IZU for one year we commissioned a webdesign agency to evaluate our webpage. We received several ideas how to improve the technical part and the content of the website. The suggestions have now been implemented.

Effectiveness

� Over 4,100 subscriptions for the newsletter, nearly 90% of them are enterprises

� Hit rate increases continuously

� More and more enterprises are interested in joining the good practice portfolio

Costs

The setting-up of the website was financed by the High-Tech-Offensive.

Contact:

Bavarian Environment Agency, Info Center Environment and Economy (IZU)

Internet: www.izu.bayern.de, online subscription to our newsletter

Contact: Ms Barbara Thome (phone +49 (0)821 - 9071 - 5007)

E-Mail: [email protected]


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Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG)

Germany’s Renewable Energy Resources Act (EEG) is successfully applied in practice for many years already and has been adopted by numerous other countries.

Purpose of the Act

� To facilitate sustainable development of energy supply in the interest of managing global warming, conserving nature and protecting environment

� To give priority to renewable electricity for fixed feed-in tariffs in order to avoid conflicts involving conventional energy sources (fossil fuels)

� To foster technological progress

Definitions:

Renewable energy sources for electricity generation include:

� hydropower, comprising wave, tidal, salt gradient and flow energy

� wind power

� solar radiation

� geothermal

� biomass; including biogas, landfill gas, gas from sewage treatment plants and mine gas as well as biodegradable components of household and industrial waste

Targets:

The share of renewable energy sources in total power supply:

� At least 12.5 percent by the year 2010

� At least 20 percent by the year 2020

Renewable energies as an economic factor in Bavarian Alpine space:

Renewable energies are increasingly becoming an important economic factor in Germany and especially in the Bavarian Alpine space region. The domestic turnover in Germany totalled in 2006 around 22.9 billion Euro. The sector with the largest turnover was biomass followed by solar power and wind power.

In Southern Bavaria already over 250 state-supported biomass-fired thermal power plants, 300 sewage and landfill gas-fired plants and 750 agriculturally utilized biogas plants were brought on line. Furthermore over the past three years far more photovoltaic systems have been installed in Southern Bavaria than in any other region worldwide. In 2006 there were more solar energy systems installed than in the U.S. and Japan together.


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Based on their cutting-edge technology in almost all sectors of the renewable energies, Bavarian companies benefit in large scale from the global trend of the utilization of renewable energies.

Linked to this is also a significant growth in employment. According to an ongoing BMU research project, the number of people working in the renewable energy sector in Germany increased from about 157,000 in 2004 to around 231,000 in 2006.

Lessons learned:

The Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) can look back on more than 16 years of experience. The electricity feed-in of renewable energies into the grid was legally regulated first in Germany with the adoption of legislation by the German Bundestag on the basis of consensus in 1990. The Electricity Feed Act (StrEG) was enacted on January 1st in 1991, replaced by the Renewable Energy Sources Act in April 2000, which was amended on July 21st in 2004. The Renewable Energy Sources Act is the most important and successful instrument to promote the expansion of renewable energies in the electricity sector.

Further information:

Publication of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU): EEG – The Renewable Energy Sources Act. The success story of sustainable policies for Germany. Berlin. Juli 2007 http://www.erneuerbare-energien.de/files/pdfs/allgemein/application/pdf/eeg_brochure_engl.pdf


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Annex 4: best practices in Italy

TENDER

Project description

The Piemontese industrial structure is made up mainly of SMEs, who normally face difficulties to access international programmes or projects all alone because of their reduced dimension. For this reason they need to participate in tenders or projects in groups. On this basis the Chamber of commerce of Torino – together with CEIP - has decided to strongly promote the excellences existing in Piemonte in some leading sectors (Environment, IT, etc.) and has conceived the “Tender” project.

The need to participate in groups in international tenders is particularly felt in the environmental sector and on this basis, the Chamber of commerce of Torino has decided to start with a specific action, more than in the other fields.

The “Tender” project allows all environmental companies to register in a database and to access a selection process that is aimed at identifying the enterprises that are particularly “ready” to go abroad, passing to the “advanced level”.

All registered companies will receive an assistance on certificates, documents, international partner search, advisory services on customs, finance, international contracts and other information on topics related to international trade and tenders.

The enterprises accessing the advanced level will additionally benefit from a customized market analysis, as well as assistance focused particularly on international tenders: research and identification of calls, editing of proposals, specific training, grouping for the joint participation in international tenders.

Partners

� Chamber of commerce of Torino

� Centro Estero per l’Internazionalizzazione

� CSI Piemonte

Objectives

� To enhance the presence of Piedmontese ecoindustries abroad

� To raise the quality of Piedmontese ecoindustries

� To facilitate the participation of Piedmontese ecoindustries in international tenders

Further actions with local policy makers

Municipality of Torino. A new project has been launched by the Municipality of Turin to massively introduce renewable energies in our region and Centro Estero per


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l’Internazionalizzazione has been involved in this project. This will lead to the creation of the brand new energy plan of the region.

Piemonte Regional Government. The local Government has introduced incentives for the utilisation of renewable energies. Centro Estero per l’Internazionalizzazione, as operative agency of the regional government, has been asked to help with the promotion of renewable energies and of the new policies that will put in place in the near future.

The cluster approach of the Tender project stimulated local authorities (Municipality of Torino, Piemonte Regional Government) to launch new project for the promotion and fostering of renewable energies.


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Energy-heat recovery consortium

Project description

With this example we want to propose a participated path for the evaluation of the possibility to realise an Energetic Centre, or rather a production and exploitation system of electric energy and heating, a network among several interconnected factories, all placed in the same area within the Municipality of Mantova. The aim of the project has been mainly to explore the possibility to set a production system with a low environmental impact in an area extremely critic for the quality of the air. All the factories involved in the project have programmed, or have already actuated, interventions regarding the energy production, both thermal and electric.

The local authorities, Municipality and Province of Mantova, have promoted the initiative which has involved the firms to create a technical table with the aim of defining, from the plant engineering point of view, the possibilities to realise a consortium management of the energy in the Municipality of Mantova.

For each proposal has been evaluated the “emission scenario”, in order to define a classification of “environmental quality”. The idea of the Energetic Centre come from the need to integrate different energetic development programmes of the involved firms, in order to harmonise each plan in a common integrated plan. In this scenario the energy productions have to face the needs, trying also to diminish the total emissions through the mutual supplying system, without modifying the industrial risk scenario, or rather ensuring the supplying also during maintenance.

Partners

� TEA, society managing the heating network in Mantova, supplied by various energetic fonts which has the need to be further diversified and increased to follow the development plan;

� Chemical Centre, constituted by several enterprises which utilise steam and electric energy for their industrial chemical productions;

� EniPower, which produces electric energy and heating through the use of natural gas;

� Refinery IES, involved in the field of petrol refinering; it produces in autonomy part of the electric energy and all the heating necessary for the daily activities; it sells a part of the energetic production to TEA

� Department of engineering of the University of Ferrara

Objectives

� To make the estimate of the energy production of the single energetic plant;

� To make the estimate of the needs of electric energy and heating supply for the firms;

� To evaluate the emissions and the possibility to diminish them trough the consortium solution;


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� To assume an order, judged more favourable from the environmental impact point of view, which can guarantee to the firms more reliable supplies, also considering the scenario of an incident in the chemical centre.

Results

� Creation of a work table where the firms and local authorities have voluntarily participated

� Setting together information and industrial sensitive data, usually secret, with the common aim to explore a common solution for all

Conclusions

This initiative has permitted the activation of an informal collaboration between public and private actors, based on mutual trust. Some motivation based on single interests and the difficulty to define how and whether the consortium solution could modify the scenarios did not permit to execute the proposals.

Nevertheless it is important the attempt of the public local entities to give a chance to realise a shared planning for the sustainable management of the energy.

The contribution of the citizens regarding the communication about the environmental impact of various project alternatives has been significant.


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Observation of urban waste in the Province of Mantua

Project description

The aim of the project was the elaboration of coefficients of urban waste production at the local level, necessary for the application of the economic instrument called “waste tariff” instead of “waste tax”.

The project consisted mainly in an experimental campaign of waste collection with the “door to door” system, for evaluating in quality and quantity terms the production of urban waste by the domestic and non-domestic consumers within the territory of the province of Mantua.

Project structure:

� Press campaign on mass media (TV; newspapers), use of posters along the streets, playbills and bags for food (bags for bread);

� Letter sent to all the consumers involved (domestic and non domestic), containing the project presentation, a description of the objectives, practical information on separate waste collection and a calendar indicating the dates for waste collection;

� Organisation of meetings with associations representing the various producers in the province of Mantua;

� Organisation of meetings for the population within the selected municipalities, in order to respond to questions of citizens and to get their feedback;

� Door to door distribution waste collection bags sufficient for the period of execution of the weighting operations, supplied by the waste managers of the different types of waste;

� Collection and analysis of urban waste flows in the province of Mantua and experimental calculation of the coefficients for the calculation of the variable part of the waste tariff.

Partners

Province of Mantua, Tea, SIEM, INDECAST, CONAI (National packaging consortium), municipalities: Roncoferraro, Sermide, Viadana, Castiglione delle Stiviere, Virgilio; 2.947 families and 608 non-domestic consumers with waste similar to urban consumers.

Objectives

� Definition of the variable part of the waste tariff, based on statistics;

� Involvement waste management companies in the province and dissemination of good practices (door to door separate collection);

� Realisation of information campaigns and awareness raising among citizens.


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Results

� Positive involvement of consumers in the campaign, domestic and non-domestic;

� Evaluation of the volume of the urban waste produced by consumers;

� Definition of coefficients for the application of the “waste tariff” on an experimental basis, potentially usable also in other municalities.

Households (2/4)

Median daily waste conferring (grams)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

n° of inhabitants per household

gra

ms/

day

median 726 1116 1278 1491 1513

IC 95% upper limit 807 1170 1319 1548 1658

IC 95% lower limit 662 1057 1220 1438 1442

1 2 3 4 5+

Increase of separate waste collection in the province of Mantua (> 70%).

Conclusions

The initiative allowed the experimentation of modalities of collaboration among local entities and enterprises in the field of innovative urban waste management.

After the experimentation, 11 municipalities in the province have organised in a stable way, through the Society of waste management, the domiciliary waste collection.

After the consolidation of this practice, a clear relation emerges between the type of collection system and the performances. The best results are obtained by the domiciliary collections, with percentages higher than 70%.

Lessons learned

A mix of policy instruments, in this case information exchange with citizens, the experimentation of waste tariffs and the set up of a door to door waste collection system, resulted in a high percentage of separate waste collection (>70%).

Further information: www.provincia.mantova.it/ambiente/rifiuti.


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The Vast Area Of Valdaro: Logistic Centre

Project description

The Valdaro project of settlement involves both a public and private field, for a total of 3,5 million of square metres. The basis of the idea is that in the territory of Mantua there are navigable rivers (classified by EU) which can be used for freight movement.

The public are has got the objective to promote productive settlements where the enterprises can optimise the integrated logistic organisation. Some infrastructures has been realised to reach this aim, and a result is a trimodal platform unique in the Lombardy region. The infrastructures of the Port of Valdaro are:

� Sidetrack to the port, lenght Km. 4,3;

� Realization of harbour areas with quays for the handling of the goods, sheds, docks and lifting apparatus;

� Enlargement of water areas, works of dredging and mooring for commercial ships till calls V of CEMT.

The development of industrial district closet o the ports has obliged to move the freight from road to railway, in order to avoid more traffic congestions and pollution. This is an overall objective of the Province of Mantua, and it is pursued also by the construction of structural works such as several sidetracks.

The society Valdaro Spa worked on the urbanisation of areas logistically integrated with other infrastructures, optimising the logistic services. This work permitted and favoured the settlement of important private companies working in the logistic sectors, which has invested in the construction of sheds served by railways and pipelines for the movement of freights.

Other strategic settlements with logistic facilities has attracted firms operating in the renewable energies sector.

One of the main objectives of the project is to diminish the road traffic and so to diminish the negative impacts of the traffic in terms of pollution of air, soil, water. Also considering the EU directives about the freight transport, the Valdaro spa and the firms has preferred the fluvial and railway transport, reaching the objective to move important volume of freight from road to railway.


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Partners

� Province of Mantova: harbour authority

� Valdaro S.p.A., enterprise for the industrial and intermodal development of the Mantua area, is a joint –stock company with public share capital. Constituted in 2000, has a share capital of € 1.342.640,00 divided in:

� Municipality of Mantova 63%, Province of Mantova 24%, Municipality of Roncoferraro 7%, Municipality of Bigarello 2%, Municipality of San Giorgio 2%, Chamber of Commerce of Mantova 2%.

Objectives

� acquisition, costruction, selling and assignment, in use or tenancy, exchange, management and administration, of areas, immovables and plants for the territorial development including the planning and realisation of public infrastructural and urbanisation works;

� promotion, realization of technical and commercial assistance services to the enterprises;

� promotion, realization and management of services in the field of intermodal transport and logistic;

� possible take over, profit–sharing, capital share or participations in companies, enterprises, consortia and entities with aims similar, analogous, complementary, or instrumental to proper ones;

� management (authorised) of the Plans for Production Settlements- Piani per gli Insediamenti Produttivi (P.I.P.) of the Municipalities of Mantova, San Giorgio e Roncoferraro.

Results

Since march 2007 there is a train which weekly transport chemical products, before transported by tank lorries. The train will double his frequence starting from october 2007

Other examples: Another train is passing in the line Mantova-Nuremberg, thanks to another European project (Alpfrail); another train goes weekly from Mantova and La Spezia to Saudi Arabia, transporting plastic material and substituting tracks. Per quanto riguarda le idrovie si è consolidato un traffico di cereali e prodotti per la zootecnia dal 2004 ad oggi chiuderemo con il risultato di 400.000 ton entro dicembre 2007 ed in via di aumento. Gasoline, solvents and special transports are sectors which has increased their numbers in 2007, and are moving from road to railway.

The activities of Valdaro had the important consequence to valorise the other railway lines, starting a positive process in the sector of infrastructures as alternative solutions to road, where more investment has been done, for example to restore old railways abandoned.


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The forecasts see the platform of Valdaro as a logistic centre fro the East-Lombardy, involving also the industrial districts that has not developed their knowledge in logistic solutions, and involving also the public authorities in the effort to make the costs of transports acceptable.

Conclusions

The centrality of the logistic centre of Valdaro, with respect to other ways of transport in this part of the region, is giving to the centre an important role, firstly at regional and interregional level. With the effort in improving the infrastructures of Valdaro is it possible to think about the optimisation of the productive spinneret, which will bring savings in natural resources. This theme is particularly important in the area of Valdaro where in the last decades there have been many problems linked to public health.

Further information

� www.provincia.mantova.it

� www.valdarospa.it


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Eco-theatre

Project description

The project “Ecotheatre” was born within the framework of local Agenda 21 of the Province of Mantova.

The idea to utilise the theatre and its laboratories in order to propose the theme of the respect of the environment was born from the suggestion of the teachers participating to the thematic round tables “Environmental Education” of the local Agenda 21 forum. The teachers wanted to try an “emotional” approach to the environmental themes with their pupils of the first classes.

A private stakeholder, a local artist founder of a theatrical company recognised at national level from the Ministry of Culture, became the artistic responsible of the reviews, and his commitment was fundamental for the success of the project.

The review involves in a stable manner several schools and 14 Municipalities in the Province, Theatres and the Provincial Library system, and is composed by three shows, thought for children from 3 to 10 years old.

The repeated performances, for a total number of 30, are realised in several theatres, in order to make the shows accessible in the whole province.

The subjects discussed so far are: garbage, water, respect for the environment, well-being of the animals and the recycling.

A cd-rom entitled “The isle of experiments” has been produced thanks to the material collected by two primary schools, one situated in city centre and one in the countryside.

Partners

Province of Mantova (Environment and Culture), Theatrical Centre “Corniani”, 14 Municipalities in the Province, Schools, LABTER-CREA

Objectives

� To propose the subject of Sustainable Development to teachers and pupils of the primary schools;

� To transmit through the theatre positive lifestyles and respectful behaviours of the environment and its resources;

� To consolidate the use of non-usual educational tools in the environmental education (students and parents);

� To improve the visibility of the local Agenda 21;

� To realize favourable situations for the information and the comparison of the citizens on the sustainable development subjects.


Aspect guidelines

Results

� Three years with a theatrical review, with 30 shows per review;

� Laboratories in 6 primary schools classrooms for two academic years;

� Production of a cd-rom for the schools

Conclusions, Opinions, Developments

The Province will propose the review for the scholastic year 2007/2008, probably on the subject “energy”

Teachers point of view: “the leading hypothesis follows the methodology called “ludomatetica”, which means a field of didactic and formative possibilities available for a multiplicity of realizations.

Two adults were attending the activities:

� The promoter who has activated and coordinated the ludic dimension;

� A teacher which, during the laboratory, has been observer and later on has created the links with the cognitive side of the disciplines.

The children have developed during the playtime, the consciousness of the discoveries done and the consciousness of the need to deepen and to fix what they have learned at the intellectual level.

In fact the activity done has been inserted in the scholastic programme, never being isolated; becoming a significant part of the curriculum. Moreover, it is worth to underline how the subjects firstly knew during the playtime, don’t bore the students when they become a normal subject of study, or even when they are discussed after long time.

This dynamic capacity is included in the General Programme of the year 1985 “.. to stimulate and develop in the pupils the passage from the culture lived and absorbed directly from the environment, to the culture as intellectual reconstruction”; and the same recommendation we can find within the general programme in the more recent scholastic reform: “from the world of empiric categories to the world of formal categories” (Maestra A.Bassi, scuola Elementare R.Ardigò – Mantova).


Aspect guidelines

Promotion of the adoption of environmental instruments

Industrial ecology in the province of Mantua

Project description

The province of Mantua has initiated in 2003 a sustainability project with the objective to enhance environmental awareness in the local industrial sector through the introduction of innovative concepts like Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Thinking. The methodology of the project has followed a step-wise approach to incorporate environment into business decisions. In particular two policy instruments have been experimented: the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) in order to identify environmental hot spots and to advocate ecolabeling, and waste exchange aiming at regional industrial symbiosis. The response rate has been good, with a voluntary participation of 25% of the more than hundred companies invited. In order to enhance environmental awareness, basic activities have been executed, like workshops and short courses. Specifically, various case studies have been executed: waste exchange by means of the local chamber of commerce and LCA studies on plastic garbage bags, compost, butter, pallets and unbaked clay bricks, all resulting in a list of ecodesign improvement options.

Partners involved:

� Circa 30 companies of the chemical sector in the Province of Mantua;

� Implementation of case studies with Virgilio, SISMA and BIOCICLO;

� The Province of Mantua, Osservatorio della Chimica;

� Chamber of commerce of Mantua;

� Industrial association of Mantua.

Objectives:

In 2004-2005, the province of Mantua has performed a sustainability project in close cooperation with industry. The objective of the project was to enhance environmental awareness in companies through the introduction of innovative concepts like Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Thinking in the industrial sector of Mantua.

Methodology

The methodology of the project involves a stepwise approach for companies to integrate environment into business (figure 1). In the first step, companies can check whether they follow current and future environmental regulation (IPPC). In the following step, the application of environmental management systems is stimulated (ISO/EMAS), while the third step introduces the application of life cycle assessment at the company level in order to identify environmental hot spots and to advocate environmental labelling schemes (EPD, European ecolabel). In the last step, mutual benefits among companies are promoted through the reuse of waste, aiming at regional industrial symbiosis (eco-districts).


Aspect guidelines

Figure 1: Stepwise approach to promote sustainable development in companies.

Results

� Workshop on waste exchange in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Mantua;

� LCA study of butter (Virgilio), compost (BIOCICLO) and plastic bags (SISMA);

� Further studies on pallets (Palm) and unbaked bricks (Brioni).

Conclusions

In order to enhance environmental awareness, basic activities have been executed, like workshops and short courses. Specifically, various case studies have been executed: waste exchange by means of the local chamber of commerce and LCA studies on plastic garbage bags, compost, butter, pallets and unbaked clay bricks, all resulting in a list of ecodesign improvement options.

Lessons learned

A structured and overall knowledge of the impact of products, by means of LCA, is the first step towards ecodesign and environmental product improvements. The role of the public sector is to promote Integrated Product Policy (IPP) among the industrial sectors in their territory.

LCA & Ecolabel

ISO & EMAS


Time & awareness

Complexity & experience

Command & Control

Industrial Ecology

Sustainability eco-districts

Pollution control


Aspect guidelines

Annex 5: best practices in Slovenia

Installation of the first photovoltaic plant in Slovenia

Project description

Solar energy has been quite a neglected renewable source of energy in Slovenia so far, thus showing a great future potential. There is no transparent data on the number of objects, using the solar source of energy and on installed powers. It is estimated that the installed solar PV systems in Slovenia amount to approximately 50 kW for direct production of electricity, for independent supply of mountain huts and specific appliances, especially signalization and lighting. Up till now, there was no operating solar plant producing and supplying electricity to the power grid.

The Energy Restructuring Agency ApE has decided to install the first solar PV plant featuring the power of 50 kW. It is a large system of solar modules that will be connected to the power grid to which it will transfer the electricity produced. The first solar PV plant in Slovenia is a pilot project that will serve for promotional purposes with special attention paid to increased use of renewable energy sources and especially the possibility of increased use of solar energy. On top of that the plant will be used for demonstrative, research and educational purposes.

Financial reasons were the basis for gradual project implementation. The first phase included the installation of solar modules system with the installed power of 1.1 kW. Before the installation, a feasibility study was made by ApE for a solar PV plant, predicting the installation of a solar plant featuring the power of 50 kW on the roof of the building, housing the headquarters of ApE, and covering the total southern half of the roof in the area of 500 m2. Economic indicators for plant investments were developed, showing that operation economy of such plant could not be justified at the time without grants in large amounts.

The table shows the basic technical data of chosen solar modules and of solar plant currently in operation.

Solar module types Siemens SM110-24

Solar module number 10

Solar module nominal power 110 W

Configuration 12/24 V

Length/width/thickness of the module 1,321/660/40 mm

Weight 11.5

Nominal power of the plant 1.1 kW

Efficiency of photovoltaic cells used Approximately. 15%

Predicted annual electricity output 1.000 kWh


Aspect guidelines

Figure: Photomontage of solar PV plant installation, power 50 kW, actual solar PV plant installation, power 1,1 kW.

Partners

� A public electricity distribution company, Elektro Ljubljana, Kon Tiki Solar company (representative of Siemens modules producer in Slovenia), Energy Restructuring Agency.

Objectives

� Environmental aspect (clean, environmentally friendly energy production)

� Macroeconomic aspect (decreased dependence on fossil fuels import, new jobs)

Expected results:

� The pilot project of the first solar OV plant enables obtaining much informational experience on the use of photovoltaics,

� Being the first solar system connected to Slovene power grid, the project will enable the implementation of promotional activities with large response,

� Interest expressed by other institutions and companies for cooperation in project development,

� Interest expressed by providers to promote their technology and the company as such.

Lessons learned:

Pilot projects of first solar power station enable us to gain many pieces of information and experiences on field of photovoltaics use. Investors will based on formed project get necessary tehnological experiences on field of photovoltaics sistems: technical informations, connected to the work of photovoltaics sistem, analysis of production, eventual interruptions for network, effect of protection and possibility for on-line view of solar power station work on computer.


Aspect guidelines

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia E-catalogues

Project description

The Chamber provides three environmental e-catalogues with the catalogue of companies with environmental activities being the most important in relation to environmental activities: www.gzs.si/katalogi/zacetna_stran_kataloga.asp?kat=036.

Alongside the environmental protection development, demand for environmental products, technologies and services, is also on the increase in Slovenia. The environmental activities sector is growing, showing prospects for creating the added value as well as new jobs. The present catalogue includes those subjects that responded to the Institute for Economic Research questionnaire in spring 2004, formed within the wider project by the Chamber, with the addition of other companies dedicated to waste management and thus registered by ARSO.

Preparation of the catalogue was based on OECD/Eurostat systematisation. The first web edition appeared in 2004. Before it was made, it was impossible to identify companies exercising environmental activities either for those searching for goods and products or for those supplying them. Environmental activities previously appeared in various branches i.e. within various NACE classifications.

Partners: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

Objectives

� Entering enterprises with similar profiles,

� Presenting enterprises by activity,

� Presenting enterprises by environmental activities from environmental area,

� The Chamber has expressed hopes for the providers of environmental goods and/or services not included in the catalogue to present themselves.

Results:

� The catalogue already includes 500 enterprises and the number of visitors has exceeded 16.000.

Lessons learned:

The catalogue is of special use to companies, searching for environmental goods and services providers to acquire data instantly. The user can search for environmental goods and technology i.e. environmental services within one of the ten environmental sectors. Considering the difficulties in defining environmental goods, services and areas, the catalogue uses the systemisation recommended by OECD/Eurostat. As individual environmental areas include only the main examples of environmental goods and services, the user might have to search for goods or services similar to the requires ones, or by searching for "other" within environmental area.


Aspect guidelines

Slovenian Environmental Cluster www.giz-eg.si

Project description

Slovenian Environmental Cluster specifically focuses its projects into water and air protection as well as waste management. The Cluster is currently developing an urban waste water treatment plant for small settlements, which will make for an interesting area in future. One of their large projects is the continued development of thermal use of waste, where many possibilities have been opening up. Developed countries do not simply destroy waste but use it for heat production.

The Cluster specifically aims at the remote Chinese market, which has recently seen increased investing into treatment plants. The main activities of the Economic Interest Association in penetrating foreign markets are an appropriate marketing strategy and positioning the Slovenian Environmental Cluster trademark. Marketing support was exactly where Slovene companies have so far had a major drawback in contract with multinationals.

Partners

� Research and development organizations, Institut Jožef Stefan, Ljubljana, Kemijski inštitut, Ljubljana, ERICo Velenje, Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo, Ljubljana, Elektroinštitut Milan Vidmar, Ljubljana, IREET, d.o.o., Manufacturing services, Esotech d.d., Velenje, CEE d.o.o., Ljubljana, IRGO Consulting d.o.o., Ljubljana, Klemetal d.o.o., Lenart v Slovenskih Goricah, Karbon Čiste tehnologije d.o.o., Velenje, PLAMA G.E.O. d.o.o., Podgrad, Savaprojekt d.d., Krško, INOKS d.o.o., Probanka d.d., Maribor.

Objectives

� Internationalisation of technologies and transfer of knowledge from research institutes into practice

Results:

� Joint research projects and joint appearance on the market.

Lessons learned:

� Transfer of fundamental knowledge to the practice and Marketing;

� Development and implementation of environment protection technologies in the fields of: Air protection (power generation and industrial flue gas treatment plants); Waste water treatment (municipal and industrial waste water treatment plants, chemical treatment of water); Waste management (thermal use of waste).

� Comprehensive environment monitoring

� Renewable energy and energy efficiency


Aspect guidelines

Annex 6: best practices in Switzerland

Charter for the Sustainable Development of North of Vaud

Project description

A regional commitment to anticipate, evaluate, coordinate, and put in action the projects and activities of the North of Vaud related to the field of regional development, in view of the principles of the sustainable development.

Partners

� The 82 Communes of the North of Vaud and their local associations and groupings represented by their municipalities and their executive bodies.

� The area of North of Vaud represented by its institution for development and promotion; i.e. the Association for the Development of the North of Vaud.

� Organizations and associations involved in the management and development of the North of Vaud represented by their executive bodies.

� The Canton of Vaud represented by its Service of Land Management(SAT) and its Service for Economic Development and Tourism (SET).

Objectives

General objectives:

� to favour the harmonious distribution of economic activities and development.

� to maintain the diversity of the landscape.

� Strategic orientations:

� to promote development poles and the conditions for the development of economic activities.

� to optimize the network of transport and public services.

� to promote the quality of life.

� to maintain the multifonctionality of the rural areas.

� to ensure a good accessibility and a good maintenance of public services.

� to promote an integrated tourism infrastructure.

Results:

� To integrate the main dimensions of sustainable development (economy, society and environment) in all aspects relating to regional development, at the strategic and operational levels.


Aspect guidelines

� To take into account the diversity of actors, with different logics (to integrate “the logic of the other one”), in view of regional development and to develop modes of relations which facilitate the exchange and the involvement of others.

� To coordinate on several territorial levels(principle of variable geometry) themes and problems dependent on local development (urbanization, transport, business activities, nature reserves and landscape).

� To place at the disposal of all those involved the means necessary to realize coordinated activities and projects.

Conclusions, opinions

For all those concerned, this charter makes it possible to meet the conditions for the evolution of the region, gradually by topics and sectors according to regional and local problems. The synthesis of their work, forms the intercommunality of the regional strategy for development from which the actions to be implemented will result.

Association pour le Développement du Nord Vaudois

Place de la Tannerie

CH-1400 Yverdon-les-Bains

Tél. : + 41 24 425 55 21

Fax : + 41 24 425 55 20

[email protected] / www.adnv.ch


Aspect guidelines

Compass of Vaud

Project description

The project is a presentation of analysis and a semi-quantitative evaluation of other projects in view of their strengths and weaknesses. It’s also a questionaire evaluating 16 topics trough 117 indicators (on a scale of « very favourable », « favourable », « without effect », « unfavourable » or « very unfavourable » , including « veto » and « without information »), with the possibility of inserting comments. The results are displayed in the shape of positive or negative bars (strengths and weaknesses) for each of the 16 topics, and a graph in the form of a rosette for the synthesis. A classification of the effects as very favourable , very unfavourable, or favourable and unfavourable is provided. The criteria and the topics are balanced by the tool (non modifiable).

Partners

� State of Vaud (Switzerland) : Project leaders, collaborators of a qualified service involved in sustainable development.

Objectives

� Improvement of projects, and comparison of variants assisting decision making.

Results:

� Contents: taking into account the whole range of topics of sustainable development. The total aspects are not approached explicitly. There’s no distinction between short and long term. A transparent balance of criteria is made. The significant criteria (extreme values) are highlighted in a specific list.

� Procedure: good description of the conflicts between objectives, illustrated by one bar chart.

Conclusions, opinions

Define a procedure for the evaluation (i.e. an institutional assembly). Then to achieve the act of evaluation in a group to obtain the most objective possible result. To interpret the results by considering the balance which is integrated into the tool (in particular during comparisons of variants). Do not communicate the interpretation of the results without comments; do not forget global and long term aspects.

Further inquiries (web site, contacts, …)

� The Unit for Sustainable Development, Department of Infrastructure, Canton of Vaud: [email protected] . Also : www.vd.ch, “developpement durable”.


Aspect guidelines

Granit Green Centres Network

Project description

The Granit Green Centres try to implant at local level sustainable projects taking leverage locally of the local resources.

To be efficient, the project development starts with a listing of local resources (sun, wind, farm products, forest waste, plastic waste, industrial waste, etc…) and a listing of energy needs (heat, cooling, bio diesel, eco fuel, green electricity, etc…).

These two listings are followed by a suitable matching of these needs and resources.

Then, the adequate technologies are chosen, the projects engineered, the operators instructed.

The Green Centres combine locally two lines of development:

� Centres of development, access to significant information, training and promotion of sustainable technologies.

� Pilot demonstration sites at industrial scale, creating added value, profits and jobs.

Partners

� Ten Green Centres already exist or are in the process of creation.

� The partners are the local public communities, members of the International Federation of Green Regions Association (IFGRA).

Objectives

To protect our health and quality of life today while preserving the environment for tomorrow’s generations and creating sustainable jobs.

Results

Each of the Green Centres has already achieved a project or has the potential realization of one project in the pipeline.

Conclusions

Sharing best practices between green regions and Green Centres will help promoting the sustainable society of the XXIst century.

Further investigations

Web site: www.ifgra.com


Aspect guidelines

SESEC: Sustainable Economic Solutions for Emerging Countries

Project description

SESEc advocates international networking for promoting sustainable development at the local level. As it is demonstrated in the richest regions of the planet, the quality of the environment influences the quality of life and the health of each individual. The regions which enjoy the best quality of life at the environmental level also enjoy the best growth of the local economy and the best level of employment.

Therefore, the solutions to environmental issues represent a growing global market. The participants to SESEC VI will share their experience in solving environmental problems and in creating added value, quality of life and jobs out of it. They will try to match demands, technological and methodological solutions, and financial tools in order to establish new “consortiums” of players.

The results of the already existing consortiums issued from SESEC I to V will be presented as a model of best practices to follow. SESEC 2007 will be a transition program capitalizing on 5 years experience through the SESEC symposiums I to V. The challenges of fighting greenhouse effects led us to extend the range of such seminar and make it an event of global scale.

The technological aspects have been widely covered during the five previous events. This year, SESEC VI will focus on the economic, political, legal and financial aspects of sustainable development and on the tools facilitating the cooperation among concerned regions and the exchange of fruitful experiences.

Partners

SESEC was supported by a consortium of public and private entities including the Chinese holding company “Beijing Capital Group”, the local, cantonal and federal Authorities of Switzerland, high level Swiss educational institutions (IMD Business School and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology of Lausanne) and the private group of environmental companies GRANIT.

Objectives

The objectives of SESEC are to gather all actors needed to:

� Match demand, supply and financing needs in order to promote and to build environmental projects.

� Lead the transfer of advanced technologies, Swiss and European, to foreign markets.

� Gather partners and competencies to develop local sustainable development projects. Like the five former SESEC I to V symposiums that took place from 2001 to 2006, the objective of SESEC VI is to promote environmental technologies, projects and best practices by providing opportunities for participants to make contacts, to update their knowledge and to generate consortiums for projects creation.


Aspect guidelines

Results

In five years, about eight projects have been conceived, consortiums (groups) of projects have been established, studies have been conducted and projects have been started or entirely achieved.

Conclusions

As an important majority of participants shared their satisfaction towards SESEC, the decision has been made to create a permanent organization to continue sharing the best practices at local level.

Therefore, the IFGRA (International Federation of Green Regions Association) has been created in Lausanne on June 25th, 2007.

The objectives of IFGRA are to influence and promote internationally the sustainable development of communities - state, regional and local organizations -. To that effect, IFGRA provides incentive, advice and assistance to such communities through actual projects. IFGRA supports the development of their activity and economy to focus more on sustainability. IFGRA encourages the implementation of systems and actions promoting energy savings, limiting and reducing pollution and fighting in particular greenhouse effects. IFGRA supports actions aiming at a limited usage of natural resources and the recourse to renewable resources. IFGRA supports research, studies and actions implementing its objectives as well as economic activities in conformity with such objectives. IFGRA also promotes the perception of these concerns by the public.

Further investigations

Web site: www.sesec.org


Aspect guidelines

Annex 7: questionnaire for the inventory of the Aspect guidelines

Guidance regional inventories Aspect

Guidance to carry out regional inventories for the development of guidelines to support and promote eco-companies in the

Alpine Space

26-06-2007

Province of Mantua


Aspect guidelines

Introduction

The Alps are a very sensitive area in terms of environment due to their geographical and demographic configuration, but also in terms of economic challenges as a results of their topography.


The Aspect project aims to bridge the gap between economic development and environmental protection by promoting eco-companies, most of which are SMEs with high growth rates. Eco-companies play a major role in protecting the environment by dealing with air, soil, waste, noise, water and energy.

The objectives of the ASPECT project are to foster economic growth of eco-companies in the Alpine Space through support and promotion activities, such as:

� Development of common strategies;

� Creation of tools for promotion towards public authorities, general public etc.;

� Support of business development, clustering and networking.

The goal of this document of work package 7 of the ASPECT project, a guidance document to carry out regional inventories, is to collect common strategies, tools and best practices for the development of guidelines for public administration and organisations.

More specifically, the task of work package 7 is to provide support to organisations and public policy makers in order to foster eco-industry development and/or attracting external eco-industry investments. Furthermore, the task comprises the development of common tools and strategies for promoting and attracting eco-companies, especially since these SMEs are very dependent on public policy.

The guidance document is send to all ASPECT partners, which are kindly asked to respond before 15 September 2007. The results, the inventories of strategies, tools and best practices, will be elaborated in two phases:

1. The first phase consists of the inventory of strategies, tools and best practices in the province of Mantua. Here, Mantua will serve as a pilot case and provide some guidance to the other partners in the completion of their inventories;

2. In the second phase, the inventories of strategies, tools and best practices of all partners will be elaborated and transformed into the draft guidelines of work package 7. The final guidelines will be completed by the end of December 2007, in order to present them in local seminars and workshops and the concluding ASPECT conference in Mantua, 16-17 January 2008.

In the next sections, the method of the inventories and the principle elements (strategies, tools and best practices) will be explained. Note that this document is only a guidance document, partners are free to choose any other comprehensive way to indicate how they foster eco-companies in their situation. Finally, the more comprehensive (compact, transparent and to the point) the inventories are, the higher their value will be as a input for the common guidelines.


Aspect guidelines

Working method

The working method of work package 7 will be based on earlier results of the ASPECT project, especially the database of eco-companies, the results of the questionnaire and the outcome of the SWOT analysis of each partner. The SWOT analysis will be the starting point for the development of strategies to foster eco-companies, while the database represents an essential tool to support their development.

The working method of work package 7 is in line with the information provided during the last ASPECT meeting in Bled (Fig. 1) and contains the following principle elements:

3. Strategies to foster eco-companies;

4. Tools to support and promote eco-companies;

5. Best practices to illustrate the before mentioned elements.

The elements are interconnected and crucial points for the development of the guidelines. Each element will be explained in the next sections.

During the execution of work package 7, Mantua will serve as a pilot case and provide to the other partners a pilot inventory of strategies, tools and best practices to foster eco-companies in the specific situation of Mantua.

The pilot case can give some guidance to the other partners in the completion of their inventories, which can be elaborated, if needed, in other directions due to geographical, economical and social differences. Key point of the inventory, is that each partner, regardless the proposed working method, explains how they foster eco-companies in their situation.

Finally, the inventories of strategies, tools and best practices of all partners will be elaborated and transformed into the guidelines of work package 7.

Guidelines: working methodGuidelines: working method

SWOT analysis QuestionnaireDatabase

Tools

Guidelines

Pilot case Inventories

Strategies

WP7

Fig.1: Working method for the inventory of strategies, tools and best practices.


Aspect guidelines

Strategies to foster eco-companies

The basic questions in this section are:

� What kind of strategies are currently applied in your region to foster eco-companies?

� Based on the outcomes of the SWOT analysis, is there a need to redefine the current strategies to foster eco-companies? If yes, please indicate what kind of changes in strategy and/or tools are needed?

The SWOT analysis can be used as a evaluation tool of the current situation (strengths and weaknesses), and on the other hand propose improvement strategies (opportunities and treats) in order to enhance the support of eco-companies.

The main target group of the guidelines are public administrations and organisations which, among other tasks, are involved in the strengthening of the competitiveness of the eco-companies in their region. The direct target group are public administrations and organisations, while the eco-companies form the indirect target group. The guidelines, although written in the first place for the public sector, will be beneficial for both.

Key point of the strategy of policy makers to foster eco-companies is the optimal mix of policy instruments: voluntary instruments versus compulsory instruments, or in other words, the carrot and the stick (Fig. 2). What mix of policy instruments is applied in your region to foster eco-companies?

Common strategies (I)Common strategies (I)

Mix of policy instruments: the carrot and the stick

� Regulation

� Standards

� Policy making

� Market incentives and financial mechanisms

� Awareness raising and promotion

Fig. 2: Illustration of the mix of policy instruments: the carrot and the stick.

Another key strategy is the way eco-companies are stimulated at the micro level to adopt environmental instruments and guided in their roadmap towards a more sustainable situation (Fig. 3). What is the role of the public administrations and organisations and what is their strategy to strengthen the competitiveness of eco-companies in the region?


Aspect guidelines

Common strategies (II)Common strategies (II)

Micro level: strengthening of the environmental competitiveness of eco-companies

through the adoption of environmental instruments

LCA & ecolabel

ISO & EMAS


Time &

awareness

LeadershipComplexity & experience

Command &

Control

Industrial

Ecology

Sustainabilityeco-districts

Pollution control

Fig. 3: Example of a roadmap how to strengthen the environmental competitiveness of eco-companies.

Tools to support and promote eco-companies

The basic questions in this section are:

� What kind of tools are applied in your region to support and promote eco-companies?

� What kind of tools are currently under development and/or still missing in your region?

Where strategies indicate a general policy to foster eco-companies, the tools are the actual instruments to implement this policy and achieve improvements. Examples of tools can be roughly divided in three categories:

� Supporting tools for business development: capacity building for SMEs, expanding efforts to help eco-companies access export markets, support to the development of financial solutions, enhance innovation, adoption of environmental instruments, etc. (Fig. 4). What kind of supporting tools for business development are applied in your region to foster eco-industries?

� Supporting tools for policy planning at the regional level: the policy cycle (policy preparation, policy making, policy implementation, policy evaluation) in order to support the specific environmental policy fields (waste, energy, water, IPPC, drainage, Integrated Product Policy, EuP). What kind of supporting tools for policy planning are applied in your region to foster eco-industries?

� Policy instruments: from regulation to incentives. This model has been extended with clustering and networking tools as recommended during the ASPECT workshop in Bled (Fig. 5). What kind of policy instruments (e.g. environmental regulation) and clustering and networking tools are applied in your region to foster eco-industries?


Aspect guidelines

Support of business developmentSupport of business development

� Strengthening the performance of eco-industry sectors: capacity

building in SMEs and support to adapt to emerging market needs: two other levels, province + micro

� Export potential: expanding efforts to help eco-industries access

export markets

� Access to finance: supporting the development of financial solutions adapted to ecoindustry needs

� Innovation: improving the development and access to markets of

innovative environmental technologies

� Strengthening of the environmental competitiveness of eco-companies through the adoption of environmental instruments

Fig. 4: Example of a tools to support business development at the company level.

Inventory of toolsInventory of tools

ReportingInformation centre


Awareness raising

Ecomondo,

Terrafutura

Events, trade-

fairs and conferences

Match supply

and demand

Public-private

cooperation

Public-private

cooperation

Bilateral

meetings

Information centre


Info: sites, database etc.

Application

for open calls

DOCUP IIMIURFP7, LIFE,

INTERREG

Economic

instruments

SGA

(ISO/EMAS)

Waste policyWaste policy

plan

Waste policy

Water policy

National

policy

EU policy for

ecoindustries

Policy making

CertificationMunicipal standards

Provincial standards

Regional standards

National standards

CEN / ISOStandards

PermitLocal

regulation

Authorisation

Procedure

Authorisation

Procedure

National laws

“Testo Unico”

IPPC directiveRegulation

CompanyMunicipalityProvincialRegionalNationalEUBoundaries (target)

MicroMesoMacroLevel

Fig. 5: Example of a policy tools and clustering tools to support eco-companies at various levels.

The matrix of Figure 5 can be used by each partner to summarise the tools applied in their situation at different levels (macro, meso, micro). Note that there is no need to fill in all blocks of the matrix. Furthermore, it is also possible to add categories of tools and/or instruments. The intention of the matrix is to facilitate the elaboration and description of common tools and instruments in the final guidelines of work package 7.


Aspect guidelines

Best practices to illustrate strategies and tools

The basic question in this section is:

� Please describe in separate annexes a number of best practises of strategies and tools to foster eco-industries in your region?

The descriptions, if possible, should contain the following elements: introduction, description of the tool, objective, methodology, implementation, results, effectiveness, costs and evaluation. Also descriptions of “worse” practices are welcome and/or point for improvement of the best practices. Improvement options will enhance to learn common lessons from the provided case studies.

The intention of this section is (Fig. 6):

� to insert a database of best practices of eco-industry support in the guidelines of work package 7;

� to assess the provided best practices according to eco-company functions;

� and to formulate common practices and common lessons to foster eco-companies.

Exchange of best practice:

� Development of database of best practices

� Assessment of best practices according to

eco-company functions

� Formulations of common practices

Best practices (I)Best practices (I)

Fig. 6: Exchange of best practices and foreseen elaboration in relation to the guidelines.

During the ASPECT meeting in Bled a number of examples of best practices were presented by the Province of Mantua:

� Heat recovery by means of cogeneration for the heating of households: public-private cooperation in the municipality of Mantua;

� Waste collection in the province of Mantua: experiences with the “door to door” collection method;

� Organisation of an eco-theatre for schools and families in order to increase environmental awareness (Fig. 7);


Aspect guidelines

� Development and promotion of the adoption of environmental instruments in the province of Mantua (Fig. 7).

Fig. 7: Example of a best practices promoted by the Province of Mantua (eco-theatre, industrial ecology).

Final remarks

We hope that this guidance document will be helpful in your task to describe the strategies, tools and best practices to foster eco-companies in your region. This document is meant as a guidance document and as a support of the elaboration and interpretation of the major outcomes in common guidelines.

Please pay attention to the following final remarks:

� Partners are free to choose any other comprehensive way to indicate how they foster eco-companies in their situation;

� Try to be comprehensive (compact, transparent and to the point) as this will increase the effectiveness of your input towards the common guidelines;

� Provide at least 5 descriptions of best practices;

� Mention always references (literature, projects, interviews etc.). Any supporting documents (environmental laws, policy documents, technical documents) are welcome;

� Please respect the deadline of 15 September 2007, otherwise it will be very difficult to finish the guidelines before the end of November 2007;

� In case of any questions, please feel free to contact us (+39 0376 401856; e-mail: [email protected]). Good luck with the preparation of your regional inventory of strategies, tools and best practices!

Mantova, 26-06-2007

Arianna Acerbi, Angelo Bellomi, Leo Breedveld, Marisa Calvano, Emanuela Medeghini, Roberto Grassi.


Aspect guidelines

Overview of the key questions

1. Strategies to foster eco-companies

� What kind of strategies are currently applied in your region to foster eco-companies?

� Based on the outcomes of the SWOT analysis, is there a need to redefine the current strategies to foster eco-companies? If yes, please indicate what kind of changes in strategy and/or tools are needed?

� What mix of policy instruments is applied in your region to foster eco-companies?

� What is the role of the public administrations and organisations and what is their strategy to strengthen the competitiveness of eco-companies in the region?

2. Tools to support and promote eco-companies

� What kind of tools are applied in your region to support and promote eco-companies?

� What kind of tools are currently under development and/or still missing in your region?

� What kind of supporting tools for business development are applied in your region to foster eco-industries?

� What kind of supporting tools for policy planning are applied in your region to foster eco-industries?

� What kind of policy instruments (e.g. environmental regulation) and clustering and networking tools are applied in your region to foster eco-industries?

3. Best practices to illustrate strategies and tools

� Please describe in separate annexes a number of best practises (> 5) of strategies and tools to foster eco-industries in your region?

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