Reinforcing cooperation with ENP countries on bridging the gap between energy research and energy innovation (ENER2i)

Project donor: EU Commission.

Project duration: October, 2013 - September, 2016.

At 1st of October 2013 “Energy Efficiency Center Georgia” in cooperation with 10 institutions from 7 ENP - EU (Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova) countries started new 36 month project (ENER2i - ENErgy Research to Innovation): Reinforcing cooperation with ENP countries on bridging the gap between energy research and energy innovation). The ENER2i project focuses on the need to find innovative and sustainable solutions to these challenges, directly addressing the gap between new energy research and European industry. Existing research results are not being sufficiently transferred into innovative processes and products, and in many countries cooperation among research institutes, universities, and the business sector are at an early stage of development. In order to bridge this gap and accelerate innovation performance, ENER2I will improve knowledge transfer and innovation support in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency through a comprehensive trans-national cooperation programme. We propose to stimulate the linkages between research and innovation with effective knowledge transfer methods in the ENP countries Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova, and establish sustainable cooperation between research and innovation actors across EU and ENP countries with support from EU partners from Austria, Germany, Hungary. With a strong consortium of research organizations in the energy and innovation fields, innovation funding agencies, service providers, and SME support agencies, and a mix of proposed activities, including brokerage events and training workshops in each of the ENP partner countries, twinning schemes, and an innovation voucher scheme, we will address the difficult challenge of strengthening cooperation between research and business actors in EE/RES, while at the same time facilitating cooperation between EU and ENP actors.

Family photo of project Kick-Off meeting participants. 14-15 October 2013, Vienna, Austria.

For more information please visit project website.

The following project activities have been implemented:

• WP 2: Analysis & Recommendations:

Within ener2i project was developed a document (1st edition of 2014) focused on the energy innovation system. The analysis was consisted of two parts: On the one hand, ener2i conducted an analysis on the local energy sectors of Armenia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova and their potentials in energy efficiency and RES. It was also provided an overview of available technologies and technology providers, opportunities and barriers and address relevant policies and energy strategies. In 2016 the document (2nd edition of 2016) of energy policy and innovation system was updated for each EaP countries and analysed by RCISD.

• WP 3: Networking & Technology-oriented Brokerage:

Within ener2i project for all relevant technology stakeholders (universities, public research organisations, enterprises, public authorities, etc.) was organized 4 local brokerages events in participating EaP countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova) and 4 brokerage events (Belgium, Austria) in EU countries as well as 8 training workshops on various aspects of innovation, which are relevant for EE/RES in participating EaP countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia & Moldova)

• WP 4: Training and Capacity building

Within the ener2i project was organized and conducted staffs exchanges/study visits for– 24 experts from participating EaP countries and EU countries (Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova) exchanged in the frame of a twinning scheme. More specific, the tailored trainings and workshops was organised on the basis of the identified needs of the scientific and economic stakeholders in the field of enterprise/industry energy efficiency. Joint trainings was organised to facilitate the commercialisation of research results. Potential topics were: innovation management systems, intellectual property and commercialization, licensing, knowledge transfer strategies, etc.

In order to strengthen the exchange of scientific knowledge based on the identified research and innovation priorities (WP1), ene2i enabled collaboration between partner institutions through a two-fold approach of staff exchanges and study visits in the Netherlands (University of Twente); Romania (Brasov University); Norway, IO (SINTEF Energy Research); Portugal (University of NOVA of Lisbon); Germany (BAV and University of Applied Science Cologne) and etc.

• WP5: Innovation Support:

The innovation support was provided in two ways: on the one hand the aim was to strengthen innovation thinking by introducing stakeholders to the latest innovation approaches and, thereby, strengthening their innovation capacities. On the other one hand, a pilot action, an innovation voucher scheme was developed and implemented supporting the EE/RES innovations in the ENP countries. In this regard in Georgia was selected and implemented six IVS projects .

• WP6: Dissemination

On the main objective of the communication & dissemination activity was promote the results of ENER2I as widely and as effectively as possible at the international as well as local level ; more specific the ener2i project’s Georgian team the results of the project and IVS presented during local events conducted in Georgia, in particular:

• At “Innovation Week 2016” organized by Georgian Innovation Technology Agency on April 24-26, 2014 ;

• During the “INFORMATION DAY” at the Georgian Medical University within European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020 focusing on areas: Energy, Climate change, Health on November 14, 2014;

• During the “INFORMATION DAY” at the Georgian Medical University within European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation HORIZON 2020 focusing on areas: Health, Climate, Energy on September 25, 2015;

• During the “Training on Innovation Financing” organized within INNOVER-EAST project on January 27, 2016.

• During “the Policy & Brokerage Events” organized within INNOVER-EAST project on 5-6 September of 2016 in Georgia.

Updated: December 2, 2016