Research Austria´s first National Stakeholder Meeting within the EcoInn Danube project, organized by Economica Institute of Economic research, took place on 29th of June 2017 in Vienna. The meeting involved introduction of the EcoInn project including the Virtual Lab. With the overall topic „Eco-Innovations in Austria“, the meeting´s main objective was to gain a complex understanding of the current national situation. To this end, stakeholders – as representatives of universities, research institutions, enterprises, start-ups,  government and public institutions - shared their diverse points of view and experiences. Participants emphasised the importance and high potential of transdisciplinary approaches – for which EcoInn´s transnational Virtual Lab will provide a fruitful ground. Among others, the need for re-orientation of funding priorities to put eco-innovative projects „on the fast track“ became apparent; as well as the huge but insufficiently explored value of natural materials and -derived products. The Stakeholder Meeting was attented by 10 participants (including Project Manager Dr. Andrea Pitzschke and Communication Manager Bernadette Dolle) who found promising synergies during a very active and inspiring discussion.

During the meeting participants discussed the current situations and especially the hurdles of Eco-Innovations in Austria, as well as solutions to provide a better basis for future Eco-Innovations.