The European Commission has launched a new Eco-innovation action plan (“Innovation for a sustainable Future – The Eco-innovation Action Plan”, EcoAP).
The proposal, published on December, 15 2011, includes important impulses for the promotion of research. The plan´s aim is to bridge the gap between research, testing and market introduction of innovative environmental technologies, products and services.
Therefore, the future promotion of research in the field of eco-innovation will be aimed more at demonstration projects and product development.
This already concerns the upcoming wave of calls for proposals within the 7th framework programme for research and innovation for the specific programme “Cooperation” in 2012 (Work programme 2013). Thereby those research and demonstration activities shall be promoted which support technological and societal eco-innovations in close cooperation between academia and industry.
The Commission will extend this focus in “Horizon 2020”, the future framework programme, which will run from 2014 to 2020.
Furthermore, the international cooperation between EU member states and between the EU and third countries, especially Brazil, India, China and Russian, shall be strengthened.
Beyond that, the “European Innovation Partnerships” (EIP) under the “Innovation Union” flagship initiative shall serve to establish eco-innovations. The EIP´s task is to create structures to pool national and European research initiatives.
As a part of “Horizon 2020” small and medium enterprises (SME) shall be support by new financial instruments in order to enable the introduction of eco-innovations into the market.