Reinforcing cooperation with ENP countries on bridging the gap between energy research and energy innovation

Energy supply and usage and the stimulation of innovation activities are some of the most important challenges for the EU and for the Eastern European countries within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Increased resource efficiency and innovation in renewable and sustainable energy offers the best potential to solve the urgent, interrelated societal challenges of insecurity over energy supplies, growing energy demand, and looming climate change.

The ener2i project focused on the need to find innovative and sustainable solutions to these challenges, directly addressing the gap between new energy research and European industry. Existing research results were not sufficiently transferred into innovative processes and products, and in many countries cooperation among research institutes, universities, and the business sector were at an early stage of development. In order to bridge this gap and accelerate innovation performance, ener2i improved knowledge transfer and innovation support in the field of renewable energies (RES) and energy efficiency (EE) through a comprehensive trans-national cooperation programme.
The linkages between research and innovation have been stimulated with effective knowledge transfer methods in the ENP countries Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova. Sustainable cooperation between research and innovation actors across EU and ENP countries have been established with support from EU partners from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands and others. With a strong consortium of research organisations in the energy and innovation fields, innovation funding agencies, service providers, and SME support agencies, and a mix of proposed activities, including brokerage events and training workshops in each of the ENP partner countries, twinning schemes, and an innovation voucher scheme, the project addressed the difficult challenge of strengthening cooperation between research and business actors in EE/RES, while at the same time facilitating cooperation between EU and ENP actors.

Ener2i was coordinated by ZSI.

Testimonials and success stories are accessible on the ener2i-website here.

Team:

• Mag. Manfred Spiesberger (project leader)
• M.A. Gorazd A. Weiss (project leader)
• Ing. Bernhard Bauch
• Mag. Philipp Brugner, BA, cPM
• Ingmar Karner
• MMagª. Katharina Riedmann
• Dipl-Übers. Carmen Siller

Section: Research Policy & Development

Partners:

• Agency for Innovation and Technology Transfer
• Armenian Technology Transfer Association
• Belarusian Innovation Fund
• Belarusian Institute of System Analysis and Information Support of Science and Technical Sphere
• ee energy engineers GmbH
• European Sustainable Energy Innovation Alliance
• National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia
• Organization for Small and Medium Enterprise Sector Development
• Regional Centre for Information and Scientific Development Ltd
• Registered Union Energy Efficiency Centre Georgia

Related Articles:

• Event: ener2i Brokerage Event in Chisinau, Moldau
• News: CEI-ener2i-MD Innovation Voucher Wettbewerb für die Republik Moldau
• News: High interest in ener2i Innovation Voucher Competition Georgia
• News: Newsletter on International Cooperation Activities published
• News: ener2i project successfully completed in September 2016
• News: ener2i EU Brokerage Event - Hosted by the Committee of the Regions
• Event: ener2i and SECURE R2I events in Georgia
• Publication: Innovation Vouchers for the Transition of Energy and Innovation Systems

Tags: Eastern Europe, Eastern Partnership countries, energy, innovation, research and innovation