Overview


The third ECOLINK+ Annual Partnering Forum in Berlin on 6 December 2012 will bring together the ECOLINK+ Club of emerging eco-innovative companies with specialised corporations and investors from across Europe, as well the cleantech clusters and business sector initiatives.

The Forum aims at showcasing some of the best-performing eco-innovative companies at EU level, stimulating the discussion about trends in selected eco-innovation business sectors and promoting   successful business and support practices.

 

ECOLINK+ is the horizontal support action of the European Eco-Innovation Platform (Eco-IP) established under the Europe INNOVA initiative.

For  more information  on ECOLINK+, please visit the Europe INNOVA website (Eco-Innovation area), www.ecolinkbusinessclub.com

 and the "ECOLINK+" group on the LinkedIn social network.

 

The Forum will take place alongside the European Venture Summit - Europe’s largest VC investment matching event in high-tech sectors.

Eco Innovation in Water Sector

The year 2012 has been declared the European Year for Water. By the end of 2012, the European Commission will complete a mid-term review of the EU’s Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), within which the evaluation of the effects of climate change and water management will be top priorities for both the European Commission and the member states. This review will lead to the publication of a ‘blueprint’ outlining a long-term vision (until 2050) and make recommendations for the period between now and 2020.  This  Blueprint will be complemented by a European  Innovation Partnership (EIP) on water with stakeholders and the private sector, via which new financial,  technical, technological and organisational solutions can be identified, tested and disseminated.  The EIP has appointed a Steering Group and Task Force which has identified priority areas for innovative actions. These priority areas, which are still to be agreed by the end of 2012, are water reuse and recycling, water and waste water treatment, water-energy nexus, risk management of extreme events, ecosystem services along with cross-cutting priorities such as water governance, management models and financing for innovation.

This workshop will therefore be of utmost importance for all actors involved in the water industry  as it will indicate policy directions and future funding opportunities and growth areas. The workshop will also illustrate how the eco-innovation agenda is developed and driven by European policy initiatives and will be of interest to a wide range of participants.