Partners from nine countries join efforts to support young innovators in transforming their sustainable energy ideas into viable ventures

Project Danube Energy+ is financed under Intterreg Danube Transnational Programme. Its main goal is to create enabling environment, which will support Young Innovators to pioneer change in sustainable energy by setting up highly innovative start-ups inside Danube macro-region.

The project started on 01.08.2018 and will be implemented for the period of 36 months. Its overall budget is 1 864 354 EUR.

Who are the project partners?

In the project take part 9 partners from 9 countries and 7 associated partners from 7 countries. Lead partner is InnoEnergy – Germany. ERDF partners are Cleantech Bulgaria – Bulgaria, Civitta (Neulogy) – Slovakia, ABC Accelerator – Slovenia, Optimizacija – Croatia, E-KLASTR Czech Republic – Czech Republic, Startup Transilvania Center – Romania. The IPA project partner is SEE ICT – Serbia and the ENI project partner is European Initiatives Center – Ukraine.

The project is supported by the associated partners, who do not have their own budget but take part in the activities. They are Sofia Tech Park – Bulgaria, Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency – Slovakia, Slovene Enterprise Fund – Slovenia, Zagreb Innovation Centre – Croatia, Regional Development Agency of Pardubice Region – Czech    Republic, iTech Transylvania Cluster part of Romanian Association for Electronic Industry and Software – Transilvania Branch – Romania and Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications – Serbia.  

Who does the project address?

• Regional ecosystem actors
• Regional public authorities
• SMEs
• Universities and business supporting actors
• Young Innovators

What are the planned activities?

• Development of Danube Energy+ Tool - a pre-acceleration learning system for Young Innovators with highly innovative ideas in the energy efficiency field
• Development of Danube Energy+ ecosystem Package - an innovative learning system for key actors of regional ecosystems (public administration, universities, business, SMEs) advancing their knowledge in industry challenges, as well as application of the created Danube Energy+ Tool
• Piloting of Danube Energy+ tool and package in all regions
• Establishment of Danube Energy+ Hubs
• Communication and publicity

What is achieved until now?

Regional Alliances

All partners established their Regional Alliances. The role of the Regional Alliances is to actively participate in the development of the project outputs by providing professional feedback for the Danube Energy+ Tool and Package, as well as supporting the process of identifying Young innovators, organizing motivation workshops and establishing Danube Energy+ Hubs.

The members of the Regional Alliances are representatives of regional public authorities, Associated partners, SMEs, Universities and Research Institutions.

The Regional Alliances in each country already had their first two meetings – for discussion of the prepared regional maps for young innovators status quo in energy efficiency and for presentation of the Danube Energy+ tool.  Till the end of the project they will have four more official meetings for discussion of key project outputs.

Regional maps for young innovators status quo in energy efficiency ​

All partners prepared Regional maps for their country, showing regional frameworks, supporting policy tools, young innovators´ current successful ventures in energy efficiency and regional sources for support of young innovators. The documents were consulted with the Regional Alliances of each partnering country. On the basis of the regional maps, the Croatian partner Optimizacija prepared Transregional situation analysis, showing the status quo and success cases from different countries. The prepared analysis serves as a basis for the development of Danube Energy+ Tool and Danube Energy+ Package

Danube Energy+ Tool is a pre-acceleration learning system for Young Innovators with highly innovative ideas in the energy efficiency field. The responsible partner for development of the tool is the Croatian partner Optimizacija. In a series of virtual meetings, the partners settled the framework and the main concept of the tool. It will be a 40-hour (4-week) educational programme targeted at young innovators up to 35 years of age towards starting successful ventures. The tool will consist of learning blocks, covering topics for idea generation, business model development, scales and pitching. In the next months, the responsible partner Optimizacija in active cooperation with all partners, will create the learning materials for the tool.

Project popularization

Regional Networking Thursdays  

All partners organized their first Regional Networking Thursdays and press conferences. These are promotional events, aiming to popularize the project and its benefits among participants of the target groups and media. The event also serves as networking meeting between all participants. Each partner will organize three more Regional Networking Thursdays for presentation of Danube Energy+ tool and package, the results from the pilots and the established Danube Energy+ hubs.

Project Communication Kick-off event

Project Communication Kick-off event

Project Communication Kick-off event with participation of all project partners and associated partners was organized on 24.10.2018, in Karlsruhe, Germany, hosted by the lead partner InnoEnergy.

… and more

Regular team meetings

The partners organized their first and second team meetings in Karlsruhe, Germany and in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Karlsruhe meeting was a kick-off event for planning and organization of the activities. In the Ljubljana meeting was reviewed the project progress and was organized an idea generation workshop for development of the Danube Energy+ tool.  In view of the strict management of the project the project partners organize monthly virtual meetings for planning and organization of the forthcoming activities.

What follows

Materials for Danube Energy+ tool

In the next project period the Coatian partner Optimizacija, in active cooperation with all partners, will create the learning materials for the tool, consisting of dynamic presentations (animation videos) learning materials with models and good practices for identification, motivation and connection of young innovators and training workshop materials. The project partners will translate the materials into their languages.

Next project meeting

The partners will organize the next project meeting in Croatia, in June, 2019.

International Danube Energy+ Days

The partners plan to organize the first International Danube Energy+ Days in the end of the year.

Project site:

http://dtp.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/danube-energy