Sector Group Environment
Support for Europe’s
Environmental Players
Lisbon, 26 November 2012
Peter Wolfmeyer
ZENIT GmbH
ZENIT GmbH
 Founded in 1984 as a Public Private Partnership to support
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the structural change in North Rhine-Westphalia
Shareholders: Netzwerk ZENIT e.V.; Federal State of NRW;
Consortium of banks
Mission: To promote innovation and technology, above all in
SMEs, in NRW
Employees: about 45
Turnover: about 4.8 million € (2011)
Services for the private and public sector
Core projects
• Enterprise Europe Network
• ZdI (Zukunft durch Innovation)
 National Contact Point (NCP): NCP-SME, ICT/PSP in CIP,
Eco-Innovation
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Enterprise Europe Network
 Key instrument of European SME policy till 2014
COSME perspective until 2021 (similar aims and
parameters)
 Mission: “One-stop shop”
 Over 600 partners in 54 countries (EU 27 plus Albania, Armenia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Egypt, fYRoM, Iceland, India,
Israel, Japan, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Russia, Serbia,
South Korea, Switzerland, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and USA)
 Activities: Provision of EU-related information, support in
internationalisation, partner search and mediation, assistance
in technology and know-how transfer, innovation
management, funding and financing advice, FP, etc.
 Key feature: Thematic Sector Groups
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Sector Groups
 Objective: To use the expertise of its members to
support European enterprises, above all SMEs, and other
organisations, such as universities and research
institutions, in their scientific and commercial development.
 Purpose: Generally to support a specific sector and specifically to
initiate all types of partnerships (commercial, technology transfer,
research) between enterprises/other organisations in different
countries
 Activities: Formal meetings, brokerage events, seminars, company
missions, symposia, conferences, workshops, policy feedback and
publications, provision of information, amongst others
 Status: 17 Sector Groups, including Intelligent Energy,
Biotechnology, Aeronautics & Space, and Environment…
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SG Environment (SGE)
 Founded in summer 2008 as successor project of the
successful Thematic Group Environment of the
predecessor IRC project (since 1997)
 Currently about 55-60 members
 22 countries represented
- From Norway and Sweden in the North,
to Turkey and Malta in the South
- From Portugal and Spain in the West,
to Hungary and Poland in the East
 Chaired by NRW.Europa/ZENIT GmbH
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SGE – Objectives
 To link players in the areas of environment and
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eco-innovation
To bring together enterprises, universities, research
institutes, clusters and stakeholders for cooperation and
exchange in the field of environmental topics
To unite supply and demand in the area of environmental
technology
To provide of information on European funding schemes
related to environment
To provide information on EU legislation and directives
related to environment
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SGE - Activities and events
 Brokerage events at environmental trade exhibitions (e.g. IFAT in
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Munich, Poleko in Poznan, Pollutec in Lyon/Paris)
Delegation visits (bilateral)
Compilation of catalogues with cooperation profiles related to
environmental topics, e.g. “Water”
Survey of environmental clusters and their international interests
Information seminars for enterprises and institutes
Exchange of experience with other networks, institutions, initiatives
and players (e.g. NCPs (“SGE-NCP Ambassador”), EcoAP)
Awareness raising for eco-innovation (e.g. on World Environment Day)
Bridge function between EU and enterprises
Active participation in workshops and other events organised by the
European Commission
PR work (e.g. EEA)
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SGE – Forthcoming events
 “Pollutec”, 28.-29.11.2012, Lyon
 “Novel integrated water systems”, 21.01.2013, Seville
 “Green Ventures” at TerraTec/enertec 2013, 29.01.2013,
Leipzig
 “Successful R&D in Europe”, 07.-08.03.2013, Düsseldorf
 “Energy Match”, 23.-25.05.2013, Copenhagen
 “AquaMatch”, 05.-06.11.2013, Amsterdam
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SGE – Benefits for SMEs
 Strong sectoral focus on all environment-related topics,
from A for air to Z for zero emission
 Support by experts experienced in SME and environment
issues
 Help in all areas (commerce, technology transfer, R&D,
legislation, funding…)
 Contacts to like-minded partners in other countries
 Tailored instruments to aid access to other markets (e.g.
partner mediation events at environmental trade exhibitions)
 Affordable (or even free) services
 SME input to Commission policies via feedback through SGE
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SGE – Lessons learned/recommendations
 Local, centralised support is the ideal solution (“one-stop
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shop”)
Dialogue and cooperation between all players are important
Ongoing information and promotion is necessary (due to the
dynamic nature of the target groups, above all SMEs)
SMEs need customised and continuous support from start to
finish and not academic approaches - Consultants with
expertise in environment who also understand SMEs are
needed
Target groups need convincing with success cases (in print
media and internet, at events)
It is important to facilitate, initiate and support cooperation at
all levels (regional, national, EU)
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SGE Brokerage Event
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Thank you for your attention!
ZENIT GmbH / NRW.Europa
Bismarckstrasse 28
D-45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr
Tel.: ++49-208-30004-31
Email: [email protected]
www.zenit.de