Belgian SMEs share their stories: Eco-innovators in Europe
Celebrating the 9th ETAP-Forum, organized by the European Commission, on the financing of eco-innovation, (Brussels, November 29-30, 2010), the Belgian Presidency of the European Union stressed the role of eco-innovators as crucial actors to put Europe on track for resource-efficiency. Even though the financing of eco-innovation is essential, it is mainly the people who dare to engage into risky eco-innovation projects that create the breakthrough towards a more sustainable society.
The Belgian Presidency organized a special event on November 29 dedicated to SMEs and to the individuals behind eco-innovation. At this occasion, a number of Belgian SMEs shared their experiences on eco-innovative projects. They talked about their successes or performances, but also about the difficulties they encountered, appealing to the EU to facilitate access to financial opportunities.
Eco-innovation is not just about new products and technologies that help to reduce the overconsumption of natural resources and protect the environment, it also addresses new management skills, new governance paradigms and business methods that promote a better use of our natural resources and reduce Europe's ecological footprint.
The question is no longer "why is eco-innovation important?" The question now is “how can the European industry become eco-innovative in order to survive?" We need "front-runners" to help their peers of industry to become eco-efficient and be convinced that a new age of resource efficiency is an opportunity, not a cost for the society.
ValBiom is an association that promotes non-food applications of biomass. This SME installed a research project supported by the EU. Julie Roïz, Project Manager of ValBiom is enthusiastic about the project and the support received from the EU. "We achieved very good results at the end of the project. New raw materials were developed and several SMEs have used these raw materials to make new bio-lubricants, which are very promising."
But not all SMEs are equally enthusiastic. Organic Waste Systems n.v. (OWS) is specialized in the biological treatment of solid organic substrates by means of anaerobic digestion. Andy Peene, Project Engineer of OWS, states: "For our core activity, we find it difficult to gain access to European funding."
Gauthier Chapelle, Executive Director of Biomim Greenloop explained that their mission is to provide the industry with innovative solutions to fight climate changes. Greenloop initiated R&D projects for climate mitigation, funded by the European Commission, in consortium with four leading European universities. "Today there is an important message to send to the European Commission, which is: “how can we make sure that investments from SMEs lead to financial and business perspectives?"
The SMEs’ appeal was completed by the testimonial of the International Polar Foundation’s Executive Director, Mr. Thierry Touchais, recalling that the success of the Belgian zero-emission Polar station, a real showcase for advanced eco-technologies, was the result of a common endeavor pursued hand in hand by industry and public Federal authorities.
Sharing the Belgian Presidency’s concern to secure a solid industrial base in Europe through the promotion of eco-innovation, the European Partners for the Environment’s Executive Director, Raymond Van Ermen, appealed to Member States to set up National Roundtables to mobilize eco-innovators. "In order to maintain the European leadership, we need more eco-Innovators and they have to learn from each other how eco-innovators in Europe can be supported and rewarded."
Timo Makela, Dir. International Relations, Life+ (ETAP) at the EU Commission mentioned that the flagship initiative from Commissioner Potocnik ‘A Resource Efficient Europe’, due mid 2011, implies a strong development of eco-innovation and stressed that the EU should remain a leader in a field where other players like China are becoming active.
Roland Moreau (Chair of the Belgian Coordination Committee for the International Environmental Policy) concluded by advocating for a better integration of the environment into other policies and highlighted the coherence between the Belgian Presidency priority on ‘Sustainable Materials Management’ and the initiative of the Commission.
