DANUBE-INCO.NET is a  coordination and support action and addresses the official EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) in the field of research and innovation (R&I). Whereas the EUSDR concerns a wide variety of priority areas, the project focuses mainly on two of them: PA 7 „Knowledge Society“ and PA 8 „Competitiveness“ while also supporting the policy dialogue, the creation of networks, and  providing analyses and support to R&I activities.

By joining forces from 19 project partners, Danube-INCO.NET seeks to overcome obstacles hindering the social and economic development of the Danube region.

Main responsibilities of SDZ in the project are concentrated on addressing societal challenges in the energy efficiency and bio based economy field by implementing following actions:

  • identifying funding opportunities on national and international levels for projects in renewable energies and the bioeconomy, e.g. providing an online directory and database
  • supporting the official working group on “Environment and Energy” of PA8;
  • bring together organisations to exchange information in networking meetings, cluster formation
  • exploring possibilities towards concrete pilot projects; bring together stakeholders from governmental, industrial and academic sectors.

Identifying funding opportunities

In project Danube-INCO.NET our transfer center is, beside other tasks, responsible for identifying and publishing funding opportunities. Thematic focuses are energy Efficiency, renewable energies and bio-economy.  Our report, issued whithin the scope of the project, shows in detail how projects in R&D and innovation can be financed. Updates were published on the project website frequently. Jürgen Raizner presented the funding opportunities on several conferences and work-shops.

Tackling Societal Challenges: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in a Bio-based Economy

Facilitating transnational cooperation among research infrastructures

In order to foster transnational cooperation on research and innovation (R&I) in Danube Region, a number of events is scheduled. Thematic basis are the societal challenges Energy and Bioeconomy. Objectives in detail:

  • to inform participants on legal framework to develop or to link research infrastructures
  • to inform participants on best practices, success stories and case studies
  • to inform participants on the procedure for the evaluation and selection of two pilot actions that will be funded with 50.000 EUR each from the Danube-INCO.NET budget
  • to trigger participants’ interest in participating in the call that will be launched later in 2015 for the selection of pilot actions

Networking

  • 1st Clustering Workshop, with thematic focus on the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) – Trieste, 03.02.2015
  • 2nd Clustering Workshop, with thematic focus on the European Technology Platforms (ETP) – Stuttgart, 28.04.2015
  • 3rd Clustering Workshop, with thematic focus on the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KIC) – Berlin, 02.07.2015
  • 4th Clustering Workshop, back to back with a Triple-Helix-Conference – Budapest, 19./20.07.2016
  • 5th Clustering Workshop, back to back with Brokerage Event “Networking4Innovation” – Bratislava, 30.11.2016)

Within Danube-INCO.NET our Steinbeis Danube Center is supporting the implementation of EUSDR Priority Area 8 Working Group on Environmental Technologies and Energy Efficiency by both contributing to the organisation of its meetings and providing advice in developing the flagship project “Environmental Technologies Network Danube Region”.

WG ET&EE was officially established by the Coordinators and the Steering Group of Priority Area 8 (“to strengthen competitiveness of enterprises and cluster development”) in 2013.

More projects of strategic dimension are needed in the Danube Region. A stronger involvement of the business sector, particularly of SMEs, must be supported. Through the implemented and planned events in WP3, Danube-INCO.NET can make a significant contribution to achieve such needed results.