Clean Tech support policies : Piemonte activities and vision

Massimo DA VIA’Environment Park S.p.A.- Torino

Gödöllő (HU), September 20 2012

Environment Park was founded on 1996, by an initiative of Piedmont Region, Province of Torino and City of Torino, and it‘s built on a former industrial area.

Envipark is a private shared company with public shareholders

Park mission is to provide SMEs support to develop innovative solutions in the fields of environmental and energy technologies

The Science and technology park

Envipark is a coordinator of POLIGHT, regional R&D cluster on green building and hydrogen technologies

Regione PiemonteRegione Piemonte lays in the north western Italy, and Torino is the capital city.

The Region accounts 4.450.000 inhabitants (8% of national population), and accounts for 8,7% of national GDP (115 Bn Euros) and 10% of national export.

Piemonte is among most industrialized Italian regions, main sectors are automotive and fine mechanics, agro-food, aerospace and textile. Manufacturing account around 50,000 enterprises, mainly SMEs .

Top known enterprises are FIAT, Alenia, Ferrero, Zegna, Martini&Rossi and many others.

Regional Clean tech clusters

In the framework of ERDF plan, with an overall investment of 100 M euros about, Piemonte Region has launched and supports 12 clusters , 5 of which operating on Clean Tech sectors those are:

POLIGHT hydrogen and sustainable building, 135 enterprises,

IBIS – green chemistry, 45 enterprises

PROPLAST – plastic materials,185 enterprises

POLIBRE, bio fuels and PV, 110 enterprises

ENERMHY, hydroelectric and biomasses, 85 enterprises

Cluster’s Top companies

Some of the clusters enterprises have already developed market products:

NOVAMONT: world player in bio based plastic materials (mater bi tm )

CHEMTEX : innovative processes for II generation bio ethanol from lignocelluloses wastes

ELECTRO POWER SYSTEMS : fuel cells hydrogen back up power systems for ICT sector

Incubation and Diversification Clusters don not normally run incubation activities, the Regional Incubators (e.g I3P) and polytechnic of Turin are cluster members.

Considering Industry figures in the region, clusters are more focused on industry product diversification, that can lead to creation of industrial spin off.

Some examples:

ICT and mechanical companies Solbian (PV for marine and high altitude conditions)

SAVIO (metal casting) Thesan (PV modules)

OLICAR (ESCo) Eolicar (wind turbines)

And many others independent new companies

Clusters support also new company created out of the contexts of existing industry or academies (

The regional cluster support programmeClus

Phase tools cluster services support to cluster

Business idea carried by company meeting, surveys, expert finding, meeting wth potential partners/customers (cluster members)

regional support funds to cluster

management

business plan regional cluster funds support to fund application, project management

R&D and product test regional cluster funds, national EU programmes

support to fund application

early market regional cluster funds, innovation procurement

promotion, B2B, networking, application to PIP

company growth funds (Piemontech) and BA (Investors club )

support to idea application

market expositions, promotion indirect support, promotion company funds, chamber of commerce …

The regional cluster programme offer several funding measure playing all along the development of a new company, via the cluster . Cluster services are supported by the same programme.

An example of VASS TECH company, a POLIGHT cluster member

The Piemonte Clean tech cluster

In the framework of re-organization of support measures for next EU programme period , the region is launching the creation of a Clean tech cluster , coordinating under a single entity the existing clusters operating on green economy sectors.

Goals are to enforce the capacities of the regional systems to compete and cooperate at EU level, in the framework of Smart Specialization EU Strategy and Horizon 2020

At the same time, this cluster aims to be a player inside national cluster initiative (launched on Mai 2012) and EU networks.

Torino Energy Center

Regione Piemonte and the city of Torino, in partnership with the Politecnico of Torino, have launched the creation of a new R&D facility for renewable energies and energy saving.

Construction will end on 2015, and the center will host academies, clusters and industries researches for innovative technologies.

International collaboration will be a key

Innovation Procurement

Regione Piemonte and the city of Torino, , in the framework of EU initiatives (CIP and INTEREG) are testing the procedures for “Public procurement for innovation” with the aim to support the newcomers in the early market phase.

Clusters are supporting local authorities in design and fit the procurement rules to local conditions, interface with industries, technology scouting and benchmark

The two calls recently launched on energy saving in building and energy management. Procedures are expected to be officially adopted.

A Clean tech to market strategy

In the closing EU programme period the region and the City have created the condition to fully exploit the potential of local industry and academy systems.

Together with incubators and academies, Clusters have playing a role in support the deployment of regional and EU policies, both on R&D and support to creation of new enterprises, in particular industrial spin off.

Investments in infrastructure, procurement for innovation and reorganization of cluster policies towards the creation of a regional Clean tech cluster are the next steps.

Parco Scientifico Tecnologico per l’Ambiente

Via Livorno 60, 10144 TORINO (I)

www.envipark.comwww.polight.piemonte.it

massimo.davia@envipark.com

Grazie