DANUBE ENERGY+ THIRD NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 2019

The Interreg-financed Danube Energy+ project aims to create an enabling environment which will support Young Innovators to pioneer change in sustainable energy by setting up highly innovative start-ups within the Danube macro-region. 9 partners from 9 countries and 7 associated partners from 7 countries are actively working together in the creation of an ecosystem which motivates, accelerates and connects young innovators to other key actors in the region.

So, what have we accomplished in the recent months?

dtp.interreg-danube.eu/danube-energy

DANUBE ENERGY+ AT INNOENERGY TCD

In the past months at different events, the project partners presented Danube Energy+ and discussed potential synergies between the project and other innovation-support consortia, organizations and projects. One of the events where DE+ was presented are The CommUnity Days, organized by InnoEnergy on the 25th – 27th October 2019. The event is targeted at fostering creative discussions between stakeholders about energy sustainability, energy policy and energy innovation. The speakers and attendees of the event included representatives of innovative energy start-ups, energy finance experts, students and professors, sustainability managers and consultants, policy analysists etc. By attending the event, DE+ grew its outreach and connected to key actors in the field.

Find out more about the annual TCD event here. 

DANUBE ENERGY+ ECOSYSTEM PACKAGE

The first version of the Danube Energy+ Ecosystem Package is complete! The Ecosystem Package is an innovative learning system for key actors of regional ecosystems (public administration, universities, business, SMEs) advancing their knowledge in industry challenges, as well as applying the Danube Energy+ Tool.

The Ecosystem Package has two main elements:

(1) best practices, models and experience in identification and motivation of individual Young Innovators in regional ecosystems and their connection to ecosystem actors, and

(2) The Danube Energy+ Tool - a pre-acceleration learning scheme for Young Innovators boosting their competences to start successful ventures.

The Ecosystem Package also includes different materials for the realization of the two main elements:

• Dynamic presentations of the industry challenges, success cases and the benefits of pre-acceleration -  – find them here!
• Learning materials and training workshop materials for the implementation of the Danube Energy + Tool pre-acceleration programme

THIRD REGIONAL ALLIANCE MEETINGS

Each of the 9 project partners formed a Regional Alliance at the start of the project - a group of representatives of business and industry, universities and business supporting actors, public authorities and the local start-up ecosystem (entrepreneurs, start-ups, incubators etc.). The purpose of the Regional Alliance meetings is to gather feedback on the most important topics of Danube Energy+, including: the Danube Energy+ Tool, Ecosystem Package and Pilot. The feedback of the members of the Regional Alliance is then taken into account in order to improve the outcomes of the project.

In the past months, the 9 project partners have organized a series of Third Regional Alliance meetings in order to discuss the developed first version of the Ecosystem Package. Throughout the meetings, the Regional Alliance members gave recommendations on how to successfully attract Young Innovators, shared their knowledge and interest in creating synergies and multiplying the Ecosystem Package across the regions. Once the feedback of the Regional Alliance members is incorporated in the Ecosystem Package, its final version will be shared publicly for other actors in the region to take advantage of. At the next (fourth) Regional Alliance meetings, the Pilot of the Danube Energy+ Tool (the pilot edition of the pre-acceleration learning scheme developed during the project) will be presented to the stakeholders.

next: A series of half-day visits and motivational events

In the following months, each of the Danube Energy+ project partners will organize 10 half-day visits to universities and other educational institutions in order to motivate Young Innovators to apply for the Pilot of the Danube Energy+ Tool.  These half-day visits will be open to anyone interested in the Danube energy+ Tool. In order to further inspire Young Innovators, each partner will also organize two half-day motivational workshops during which the participants will be inspired to generate ideas and will secure their motivation to apply for and participate in the pre-acceleration programme Danube Energy+ Tool.

More information about the dates and locations of the half-day visits and workshops will be shared on the project’s social media pages and official website.

soon: Open Call to Pilot the Danube Energy+ Tool

In the spring of 2020, the pilot of the Danube Energy+ Tool – pre-acceleration programme will be held across the 9 partnering countries in support of Young Innovators with innovative energy solutions. During the Pilot 90 young innovators across the Danube micro-region will receive practical training, so that they gain the necessary knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to be able to turn their energy ideas into highly-innovative start-ups.

The Open Call for applicants will be launched on the 28th of January at the First International Danube Energy+ Day. Between the 28th of January and the 29th of February 2020, Young Innovators will be able to apply for the first ever (Pilot) edition of the Danube Energy+ Tool and potentially be chosen to participate in the pre-acceleration programme.

Follow Danube Energy+ on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube in order to stay informed!

soon: INTERNATIONAL DANUBE ENERGY+ DAY 2020

The first edition of the International Danube Energy+ Day will be held on the 28th of January 2020 in Karlsruhe, Germany, under the framework of the LEARNTEC conference. Each year, more than 300 exhibitors and 250 speakers attend LEARNTEC, which will take place for the 28th time in 2020. With over 11,600 international professional visitors and convention participants from 31 countries in 2019, LEARNTEC is Europe's #1 event in digital learning. Most of the visitors are education experts and professionals from schools, higher education and research and corporate institutions. This fact makes the participants potential multipliers for the Danube Energy+ approach – thus yielding LEARNTEC an ideal environment for the Danube Energy+ project.

LEARNTEC also offers a broad variety of side-events linked to the topic “learning and education”. One of these side-events in 2020 will be the 1st Danube Energy+ International Day, organised by lead partner EIT InnoEnergy. During this event, the Danube Energy+ project, its training scheme and learning package, as well as expected impacts on the Danube region will be presented, but also current learning topics with regards to energy transmission and entrepreneurship in renewable energy.

Among the speakers at the 2020 International Danube Energy+ Day are:

• Mr Bror Salmelin - former adviser for Innovation Systems at the European Commission, DG CONNECT, responsible for Open innovation and Modern innovation systems,
• Matthias Machnig - Head of Industrial Strategy at InnoEnergy; former State Secretary for the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs
• Prof Dr Frank Gielen - professor of software technology entrepreneurship at the University of Ghent and the Education Director at InnoEnergy.

The highlight of the day will be the official launch of the Open Call to Pilot the Danube Energy+ Tool.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at International Danube Energy+ Day!

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