A match made in innovation heaven?

The EU hopes that by providing the right level of funding, Europe can transform research expertise into commercial success

Europe has long been a leader in research into green technologies. However, the European Union has fallen behind the United States in exploiting the commercial potential of this research. The European Commission is hoping that new funding opportunities can improve the EU’s performance.

It was once thought that regulation would be enough to drive development of green technology. If you set requirements for member states, the thinking went, then the market would respond by developing technologies to make it easier for governments and businesses to meet those targets. But that was too simplistic. As a result, Europe has struggled to turn ideas into commercial success stories. The Commission is now seeking to use the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme to kick-start investment that has been lacking.

A change in thinking came in 2004 when the European Union launched its first major drive to boost eco-innovation, the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP). It set a specific goal of tackling the financial, economic and institutional barriers hindering the growth of green technologies. Its successor, the Eco-Innovation Action Plan (EcoAP), which started in 2011, is supposed to continue this work.

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Climate goals

EcoAP has a broader remit than its predecessor, aiming to make green technology more flexible and covering any technology or process that can help Europe meet its environmental or climate goals. It aims to deal with both funding and regulatory problems. Part of the plan is a requirement for the Commission to screen EU laws regularly to make sure that eco-innovation is being encouraged, rather than held back by red tape.

The plan also identifies demonstration projects as a priority, and outlines a process for the Commission to identify the best projects in areas such as carbon capture and storage and renewable energy. Funding for these projects has been provided through the research framework programmes, and in the future will be channelled through the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

In 2012, the Commission launched the ‘EU Skills Panorama’, which encourages mobility in the green- technology labour market. It also sets common EU standards and performance targets, and outlines a funding programme for small and medium-sized firms working in the area.

Despite these initiatives, funding remains a major concern. In July, the Commission proposed that the EU should invest €4.7 billion in public-private partnerships in four areas: bio-based industries, green aviation, hydrogen, and electronics. The funding would come from the €70bn Horizon 2020 programme.

The projects include the BRIDGE initiative, which aims to speed up development of second-generation biofuel, and the Clean Sky 2 initiative, which aims to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides from aviation by 25%.