INTERREG IVC Project RECOMMEND Thematic Programme Capitalisation Workshop on Eco-Innovation   Wednesday 31 October 2012, Brussels Binal Cadieu (Project manager, UK Peterborough, UK)

I. RECOMMEND General Project live time: 1st Jan 2012-31st Dec 2014 In total: 9 Partners /8 EU Member states LP: Lower Austrian Regional Government, Office Dept. of environmental and energy economics RECOMMEND is an INTERREG IVC project running from 1st January 2012 until 31st December 2014 and is co-financed by the European Union's Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Lead Partner is the Lower Austrian Regional Government, Office Department of environmental and energy economics (AT). www.recommendproject.eu 31st Oct 2012

II. RECOMMEND Overall target / vision RECOMMEND´s thesis: GREEN MANAGEMENT -> GREEN INNOVATION * ecological managed firms are more eco-innovative * RECOMMEND´s answer: -> providing enterprises & public authorities information on support instruments for businesses which foster their eco-management and eco-innovation capability 1 Green management Green Innovation Ecological managed firms are more eco-innovative This is the key theme of the INTERREG IVC project RECOMMEND. Businesses which care for their local environment are also more likely to develop eco-innovative products. Based on that vision RECOMMEND provides enterprises and public authorities information on support instruments for businesses which foster their eco-management and eco-innovation capability. We believe that companies which have an environmental management system are also more likely to produce eco-innovative products. 31st Oct 2012

III. RECOMMEND Good practices RECOMMEND´s strategy: screeing of good practices in regional eco- management and eco-innovation support schemes focusing on some main support activities: funding (e.g. eco-voucher) networking (e.g. eco-cluster) Sustainable procurement (e.g. eco-products) International screening of model regions and discussion with experts to identify specific targets for establishing "eco-management and eco-innovation frameworks" within regional policy. Support for eco-magment and eco-innovation must not be plain funding it could be consultancy, networking or even a part of the regional public procurement process. All these activities will be discussed and tested in RECOMMEND. 31st Oct 2012

IV. RECOMMEND EUROPE´s vision green management green innovation green jobs green regions The RECOMMEND project aims to foster eco-innovation in the partner regions. Therefore the project partners will conduct several pilot activities to support the development of eco-innovation. Furthermore all RECOMMEND partners will develop Regional Implementation Plans (RIP). Each RIP will describe a ready to implement policy instrument for the fostering of eco-management and/or eco-innovation in the respective regions. Each RIP will also include the political commitment of the relevant regional and national stakeholder for the implementation of the described policy instrument. The RECOMMEND partnership will formulate policy recommendations for the regional, national and transnational level in order to support eco-management and eco-innovation in European regions. RECOMMEND Project team 31st Oct 2012

Thank you for your attention 31st Oct 2012