Eco-innovation in Ireland - 2013 EIO Country Profile - European Commission
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Eco-innovation in Ireland EIO Country Profile 2013
Eco-Innovation Observatory The Eco-Innovation Observatory functions as a platform for the structured collection and analysis of an extensive range of eco-innovation information, gathered from across the European Union and key economic regions around the globe, providing a much-needed integrated information source on eco-innovation for companies and innovation service providers, as well as providing a solid decision-making basis for policy development. The Observatory approaches eco-innovation as a persuasive phenomenon present in all economic sectors and therefore relevant for all types of innovation, defining eco-innovation as: “Eco-innovation is any innovation that reduces the use of natural resources and decreases the release of harmful substances across the whole life-cycle”. To find out more, visit www.eco-innovation.eu Any views or opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission. Eco-innovation in Ireland 1
Eco-Innovation Observatory Country Profile 2013: Ireland Author: Laura Roman Coordinator of the work package: Technopolis Group Belgium Eco-innovation in Ireland 2
Acknowledgments We are very grateful for the support of Orla O’Brien from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Ireland. A note to Readers Any views or opinions expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union. A number of companies are presented as illustrative examples of eco-innovation in this report. The EIO does not endorse these companies and is not an exhaustive source of information on innovation at the company level. This brief is available for downloaded from www.eco-innovation.eu/countries Comments on this brief are welcomed and can be provided at www.eco-innovation.eu/ireland Eco-innovation in Ireland 3
Table&of&contents& Summary ...............................................................................................................................................5! 1! | Introduction ...................................................................................................................................6! 2! | Eco-innovation performance .......................................................................................................7! 3! | Selected eco-innovation areas and new trends .......................................................................10! 4! | Eco-innovation barriers and drivers in Ireland ........................................................................11! 5! | Eco-innovation policy landscape ..............................................................................................12! 6! | Good practice examples.............................................................................................................14! References ...........................................................................................................................................16! Eco-innovation in Ireland 4
Summary The “green economy” has received a massive boost on the policy agenda in Ireland both as a promising source of jobs and future growth and an opportunity to restructure the economy. The Irish Government has identified several sectors which present opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the Green Economy Policy Statement on “Delivering Our Green Potential”: renewable energy; energy efficiency and resource efficiency; green products and services; green financial services; agriculture, marine and forestry; tourism; waste management; water and wastewater management; low carbon transport; research, development and innovation. Several important developments following the 2012 Green Economy policy statement include enhanced support to energy efficiency measures through the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2013-2020 and further incentive schemes through the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI). Irish Water, a national water company was also recently established to encompass water management, a duty that was previously held by local authorities and county councils. The Greening of Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre project has seen further development and has established its industry membership and first measures for better energy and resource management. Another important sector that has continued to rise is the renewable energy field, with Ireland’s continued determination to be a world leader in becoming a test-bed for technologies in the field of ocean energy and a net exporter of wind energy. Eco-innovation in Ireland 5
1 | Introduction
The Irish economy has started to recover from the 2008 economic crisis, with slight increases in
Gross National Product (by 1.8% in 2012 compared with 2011). A lasting problem has been the
1
continuous rise in unemployment in 2009-2012 . Nevertheless, recent trends show that
employment increased by 3.3% in 2013 compared to the last quarter of 2012, with unemployment
2
rates decreasing.
While the 2011 EIO Report on Ireland noted that one of the barriers to developing eco-innovation
solutions had been the government’s “tendency to place green policies and initiatives in
competition with measures for economic recovery” (EIO Ireland 2011, p. 5), the trends seem to
have reversed. Late 2012 saw the publishing of a strong policy statement3 by the government, in
which it recognises the potential of the “green economy” sector for jobs and growth. In addition, it
foresees a stronger integration of policies promoting the green economy and eco-innovation
across a multitude of national and local level public bodies and further public-private partnerships.
The drivers of the higher commitment to support eco-innovation are, on the one hand, EU-level
regulations and international commitments to counteract climate change, as well as the
opportunities for creating jobs and expertise for future exports in sectors of the green economy
that arise through the development of new eco-innovative markets.
1
See Irish Central Statistics Office, 2013, Statistical Yearbook,
http://www.cso.ie/en/newsandevents/pressreleases/2013pressreleases/pressreleasestatisticalyearbookofireland2013/
2
See Irish Central Statistics Office, 2013, Quarterly National Household Survey,
http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/labourmarket/2013/qnhs_q42013.pdf
3
See Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, “Delivering or Green Potential” Communication,
http://www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/Delivering_Our_Green_Potential.pdf
Eco-innovation in Ireland 62 | Eco-innovation performance
The analysis in this section is based on the EU28 Eco-innovation scoreboard (Eco-IS) for the
year 2013. Eco-IS via its composite Eco-innovation index demonstrates the eco-innovation
performance of a country compared with the EU average and with the EU top performers. Eco-IS
is based on 16 indicators, which are aggregated into five components: eco-innovation inputs, eco-
innovation activities and eco-innovation outputs as well as environmental outcomes and socio-
economic outcomes.
th
Ireland ranks 11 in Europe in the Eco-innovation Scoreboard, with a composite index of 95.4 of
EU28 average, with a 4.5% distance from the EU28 average. The highest scores are obtained by
Sweden and Finland each with a score of around 138, and Germany with a score of 132.
Ireland’s EIS performance is unbalanced, with high EI inputs, average EI outputs and EI activities,
which are however not translated into socio-economic outcomes, and which show low levels well
below the EU28 average.
Figure 2.1 EU27 Eco-innovation scoreboard 2013, composite index
Source: EIO, 2013
Eco-Innovation Inputs
Ireland performs above average in terms of inputs into the eco-innovation system. It scores 41%
above the EU28 average, with a score of 141.
Government appropriations and outlays into environmental and energy R&D reached 0.009% of
GDP. This is a relatively modest percentage in comparison to the leading countries such as
Eco-innovation in Ireland 7Finland and Sweden, with environmental and energy budget allocations of 0.16% and 0.08% of GDP respectively dedicated to this field. In terms of employment in eco-innovative research sectors, Ireland ranks 3% above the EU average, with a score of 103. The R&D personnel and researchers reached 1.24% of total employment. The value of total green early stage investment in eco-industries was the highest in EU in 2010- 2013, at 36.94 USD per capita. This is equivalent to three times the EU average investments of 12.30 USD per capita in the same period. Figure 2.2 Components of the eco-innovation composite index for Ireland, 2013 Source: EIO, 2013 Eco-Innovation Activities Ireland ranks very close to EU average in terms of eco-innovation activities, with an average score of 99. Denmark and Czech Republic are the top performers in terms of eco-innovation activities in firms at EU level. Data on eco-innovation activities related to firms’ implementing innovation activities to reduce material input per unit of output as well as firms having implemented innovation activities to reduce energy input per unit of output as a percentage of total number of firms is based on the 2008 Community Innovation Survey. Therefore there are no updates to the 2012 EIO country brief. Ireland’s companies are above the EU28 average of firms implementing innovations to reduce material or energy input per unit output by around 30%. However, Irish firms’ interest in the standardisation of their environmental management is below EU average, considering the number of firms acquiring the ISO 14001 certification related to observing environmental management requirements for business. There were 91 companies per million population that had an ISO 14001 certification in Ireland in 2012, which represents 44% of the number of firms with this certification per million population in the EU (208.3 firms per million people). Eco-Innovation Outputs In line with a relatively moderate performance in terms of eco-innovation activities, Ireland has an average score in the field of eco-innovation outputs. The mean EI output index is 94. Its relatively Eco-innovation in Ireland 8
good results in terms of EI outputs are driven by Ireland’s high number of scientific publications in the field of eco-innovation (18.33 EI publications per million population, double the EU28 average of 8.8 in 2012). The number of eco-patents obtained in 2010 amounted to 1.65 eco-patents per million people. In comparison to the Irish result, the EU average number of EI patents obtained per million population amounted to 7.6 in the same year. A further factor explaining the moderate EI outputs performance is the low level of eco-innovation media coverage, with only 0,04 hits per electronic media covered by "Meltwater News" with keyword "Eco-innovation" in 2013. Resource Efficiency Outcomes Ireland’s performance in achieving resource efficiency outcomes is above average, and distributed rather evenly across the four types of indicators measured (material productivity, water productivity, energy productivity and GHG emissions intensity). Material productivity amounts to 1.5 eur/kg in 2011, which is slightly below the EU average of 1.7 eur/kg. Energy productivity is 9.4 Eur/toe (118% of the EU average of 8 Eur/toe) in 2011. Water productivity is 18.1 Eur/m³, higher than the EU average of 12.9 Eur/m³ in 1996-2005. The GHG emissions intensity is similar to the EU average, amounting to 0.38 CO2 emissions generated per unit of GDP in 2011. Socio-economic Outcomes Ireland’s EI performance in terms of socio-economic outcomes is far below the EU average, as opposed to other input, outputs and resource efficiency outcomes. The total score reached 28% of EU average performance, which points to structural problems of the research and innovation system in Ireland in the field of eco-innovation. Exports of products from eco-industry represent 63% of the EU average. In 2012, the share of gains from exports of eco-industry goods amounted to 0.37% of total export in Ireland. By comparison, in leader countries such as Luxembourg and Denmark, eco-industries exports reached a level of 0.98% of total exports. Employment in eco-industries is at 0.06% of total employment in Ireland in 2012. This result positions Ireland at 56% of the EU average level of employment in eco-industries of 0.71% of total employment in 2012. The eco-industries’ revenue is relatively low, at 0.06% of total revenue across sectors, as opposed to the EU-wide average turnover of eco-industries amounting to 0.44% of total turnover in 2012. The highest performer in this case is the Netherlands, with eco-industries’ revenue at a level of 0.68% of total companies’ revenue in 2012. Eco-innovation in Ireland 9
3 | Selected eco-innovation areas and
new trends
The Irish Government published a progress report on its efforts in creating growth and jobs in the
Irish Green Economy in December 2013. It highlights particular trends in several sectors of
interest to the Irish economy, which are summarised below:
4
• The market for green goods and services is expected to grow by 4% annually by 2015.
It is estimated that companies active in the green economy field employ already 6,000
5
people in Ireland. The products and services on which the Irish companies have
specialised include predominantly energy efficiency equipment and materials (insulation,
thermal efficient glazing, lighting solutions, “intelligent” heating controls, energy meters),
and related services such as data management, analytics and maintenance.
• Green financial services is an area where Ireland has prioritised growth. The
International Financial Services Centre estimated that the environmental assets that are
managed, deployed, serviced or domiciliated from Ireland have witnessed a six-fold
growth since 2007, and reached the value of over USD 20 billion by 2013. Furthermore,
new environmental assets managers are opening their offices in Dublin (e.g., BNRG
Renewables in the field of solar energy, Amarenco in the field of renewable energy),
while existing ones are part of the Greening the International Financial Services Centre
project, focusing on measures to improve their own resource and energy efficiency.
• The energy efficiency sector is an already established market in Ireland. The Irish
Government has also provided significant push to the market in 2013 (see Chapter 5 of
this report). An example is also the Sustainable Energy Authority’s Large Industry Energy
Network (LIEN), whose 173 active members account for 70% (EUR 900 million per
annum) of the total industrial energy usage in Ireland. More than a third of the members
have or are working towards ISO 50001 energy efficiency certification, with reported
average savings of 10% achieved to date. The energy management sector is also
considered as a high potential one for exporting expertise in the future.
• The Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been active in supporting
resource efficiency investments and projects. It has offered free resource efficiency
audits and advice to businesses, as well as grants through the Green Enterprise
programme to support greener work practices and cleaner production.
• In terms of waste management trends, one of the concerns of the Irish Government is
the fact that 73% of Irish recovered waste was exported in 2011, which is considered a
4
See Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 2014, “Progress Report on Growth and Employment in the Green
Economy in Ireland”, p. 1.
http://www.enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Progress_Report_on_Growth_and_Employment_in_the_Green_Economy_in
_Ireland_PDF_574KB_.pdf
5
ibid, p. 4.
Eco-innovation in Ireland 10missed opportunity for creating jobs in the waste re-use and reprocessing sector in
Ireland. Plastics are highlighted as a potentially high value sector for obtaining future
gains from reprocessing in Ireland.
• In the field of renewable energy, a growing trend is Ireland’s concentration on offshore
wind and marine energy. Ireland wants to capitalise on its position at the Atlantic Ocean
and become world leading in becoming a test-bed for technologies in the field of
ocean energy. For instance, Galway Bay6, introduced in 2006, is becoming a well-known
test site for marine energy technologies. Ireland also aims to become a net exporter of
wind energy, and it is currently exploring entering into an Inter-Governmental Agreement
under the Renewable Energy Directive with the United Kingdom, to provide for renewable
energy trading..
• The smart cities and smart grids concepts have been prioritised under the Research
and Development section of the Green Economy commitments of the Irish Government.
IBM has located its Smart Cities Technology Centre in Dublin in 2011, and further Irish
technology centres and research institutes have oriented themselves towards research in
fields of biorefinery and bioenergy, energy efficiency, data analytics, etc.
4| Eco-innovation barriers and
drivers in Ireland
In its Policy Statement towards the Green Economy - “Developing our Green Potential”7 the Irish
government recognises several drivers to developing the eco-innovation field. Drivers listed by
the document include:
• Abundant renewable energy resources raising the prospects for future exports of Irish
clean energy.
• A strong R&D base as infrastructure for developing and testing green technologies,
products and applications.
• Availability of natural resources such as clean water, air and land, the natural
environment and rich biodiversity which can support sustainable economic development
and promote “green” tourism.
• Strengths in key enabling technologies such as engineering, ICT and biotechnology, as
well as already developed private sector activities in the green economy.
• The international image of Ireland as a “Green Island” that can be further capitalised on.
6
See http://www.seai.ie/Renewables/Ocean_Energy/Galway_Bay_Test_Site/
7
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, “Delivering or Green Potential” Communication,
http://www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/Delivering_Our_Green_Potential.pdf
Eco-innovation in Ireland 11• Ireland’s commitment to achieving EU targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
increase energy efficiency and renewable energy, and increase re-use, recovery and
recycling of waste, improve water quality and conservation.
• Ireland’s high dependence on imported fossil fuels (EUR 6 billion of fossil fuels each
year) demands the accelerated search for alternative solutions.
• The economic value of the eco-innovation field has also been recognised by the
government. The value of the global Green Economy is expected to grow up to USD 6
8
trillion by 2015.
• Environmental legislation and the increasingly tighter standards of sustainable production
and consumption, as well as the shift in consumer preferences towards goods and
services that are more sustainable and have less impact on the environment have also
been driving the businesses’ improvements in their products and services.
5 | Eco-innovation policy landscape
The Irish policy landscape of eco-innovation has received a major boost in November 2012, as
the Government announced its commitment to promote the Green Economy in a Communication
“Delivering our Green Potential.”9 Thus, the Irish executive body recognised the importance of the
economic and employment opportunities that are available for businesses in different sectors that
make up the Green Economy. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation has also been
commissioned to chair the Consultative Committee on the Green Economy, created in order to
identify emerging opportunities in the area. The Consultative Committee involves representatives
from the enterprise sector as well as key Government Departments and agencies. A priority for
the Consultative Committee is its contribution to Ireland’s Action Plan for Jobs.
Some of the sectors identified by the above communication as having high potential for the Green
Economy in Ireland together with important policy developments in their field are listed below:
• The renewable energy sector. In order to decrease Ireland’s dependence on fossil fuels
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In May 2012, the Strategy for Renewable Energy
2012-2020 was published by the Government, prioritising the development of the wind
energy, ocean energy, bioenergy, R&D, sustainable transport energy and energy
infrastructures. Moreover, in addition to the Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariffs (REFIT)
scheme available for the Wind sector, the government also introduced a REFIT scheme
for the biomass energy sector.
• Energy efficiency. The Irish Government published the second National Energy
Efficiency Action Plan to 2020 in early 2013.10 The Action Plan restates Ireland’s
8
ibid, citing Forfas, 2011, citing Innovas Solutions.
9
See Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 2012, ”Delivering our Green Potential”,
http://www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/Delivering_Our_Green_Potential.pdf
10
See Department for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan to
2020, http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/B18E125F-66B1-4715-9B72-
70F0284AEE42/0/2013_0206_NEEAP_PublishedversionforWeb.pdf
Eco-innovation in Ireland 12commitments to the 20% energy savings target by 2020 and 33% reduction of energy
use by the public sector. It proposes a set of 97 actions for the public sector, the
residential, business, transport, energy supply sectors as well as cross-sectoral
initiatives. The Government also made a commitment to introduce a Pay As You Save
(PAYS) to further support households to invest in energy efficiency measures that will
reduce their energy costs. In addition, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
(SEAI) on behalf of the Department for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
developed the National Energy Services Framework for 2013-2014, as part of the
National Energy Efficiency Action Plan. The framework is meant to stimulate the
development of the energy efficiency market in Ireland and provide a roadmap for
11
implementing Energy Performance Contracting. In synergy with this framework, in
February 2013, the Department for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
introduced the National Energy Efficiency Fund (NEEF), which aims to provide EUR
70 million to finance energy efficiency initiatives in the public and private sectors. The
Government has already committed EUR 35 million as seed capital, and is seeking to
engage private investors for matching funds.12
• Resource efficiency. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overseeing the
efforts to promote resource efficiency in Ireland under their National Waste Prevention
Programme (NWPP) and Enterprise Ireland through their Lean Business offerings.
• Green products and services. Enterprise Ireland has a directory of 240 export-oriented
Cleantech companies, employing almost 6,000 people (DJEI, 2011). The Irish
Department of Environment, Communities and Local Government published a Green
Public Procurement Action Plan13 in 2011, which emphasises the priority of product
life-cycle thinking in the procurement of goods and services by the government.
• Green financial services. The Government’s Strategy for Ireland’s International
Financial Services Centre 2011-2016 commits to developing Ireland as a centre of
excellence in green finance, creating an industry-led “Green IFSC”.
• Water and waste water management. The Irish government is establishing Irish
Water, a national water company that will encompass water management and
investment programmes of 34 county and city councils. An interesting development is its
partnership with Enterprise Ireland, and its focus on procurement of innovations from
local companies willing to test their technologies for water and wastewater management.
Further areas where the Green Economy agenda is prioritised through the Government’s
manifesto are agriculture, marine and forestry, tourism, waste management, low carbon transport
and RDI.
11
See SEAI, National Energy Services Framework, 2013,
http://www.seai.ie/Your_Business/National_Energy_Services_Framework/
12
See Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, ”Progress Report on Delivering our Green Potential”,
http://www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/Delivering_Our_Green_Potential.pdf
13
See Department of Environment, Communities and Local Government, GPP Action Plan,
http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/GreenPublicProcurement/PublicationsDocuments/FileDo
wnLoad,29208,en.pdf
Eco-innovation in Ireland 136 | Good practice examples SMILE Resource Exchange SMILE Resource Exchange is a free service for businesses that encourages the exchanging of resources between its members in order to save money, reduce waste going to landfill and to develop new business opportunities. Potential exchanges are identified through networking events, an online exchange facility and a support team to assist throughout. Membership of SMILE Resource Exchange is free for businesses and is project managed by Macroom E. The initiative is supported by the Irish Environmental Protection Agency and several Local Authorities and County Enterprise Boards. The initiative already counts over 1,000 members, mostly SMEs. The initiative has received wide recognition from the European Commission and has been awarded by the Irish Local Authority Members Association Award as ‘Best Eco-friendly initiative” in 2013. Keywords: resource exchange; resource efficiency Link: http://www.smileexchange.ie Link to photo: http://www.smileexchange.ie/gallery Contacts: Tel: 01 – 4361864; Email: info@smileexchange.ie Michelle Green, Project Manager; Email: mgreen@smileexchange.ie Katherine Corkery, Project Co-ordinator; Email: kcorkery@smileexchange.ie Woodfab Timber Woodfab produce sawn timber for fencing, decking and packaging purposes, as well co-products such as sawdust, woodchip, wood shavings and bark. According to the 2013 Progress Report on the Green Economy by the Irish Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Woodfab has been rebuilding their sawmill and installed a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at their premises in Aughrim, Co. Wicklow. The CHP plant and new sawmill are designed to complement each other – sawmill residues will be used in the CHP plant to supply heat and electricity, which will be used in the timber plant. This will save the movement of 600 trucks a year transporting residues away from the plant and will save the company an estimated EUR 300,000 a year in energy costs. The project is expected to lead to the employment of an additional 30 workers at the plant, bringing the total workforce to around 50 people. Woodfab expect to export around EUR 10 million of product per year once the facility is up and running (cf DJEI, 2013, Progress Report on the Green Economy, p.9). Key words: Combined Heat and Power, CHP, resource efficiency, energy efficiency; waste re-use Link: http://www.woodfabtimber.ie Eco-innovation in Ireland 14
Source: Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 2014, “Progress Report on Growth and Employment in the Green Economy in Ireland”, p. 9, http://www.enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Progress_Report_on_Growth_and_Employment_in_t he_Green_Economy_in_Ireland_PDF_574KB_.pdf Link to Picture: http://www.woodfabtimber.ie/gallery/woodfab/the-yard-4- _139828108847049613.php Contact: Woodfab Timber, Aughrim, Co. Wicklow, +353 (0)402 36228. National Sustainable Building Energy Test-bed Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) in partnership with United Technologies Research Centre Ireland Ltd. (UTRC-I) manage the “National Sustainable Building Energy Test-bed” (NSBET) located in CIT’s Nimbus Centre. UTRC-I specialise in building infrastructure and services, heating and air conditioning, fire and security systems and power generation and is conducting research related to whole building energy and power management to capture retrofit opportunities that scale from a single building to multiple buildings at district level. This collaborative project creates a whole-building energy and power management technology demonstrator within the Nimbus building scalable to a district or campus level. The location of such a resource within CIT leads to curriculum development, enhanced teaching capability and tools, postgraduate-level research, and the potential for commercialisation of advanced technologies. Key words: sustainable buildings; energy efficiency Link: http://nimbus.cit.ie/tec/case-studies/etb/ Link to photo: http://nimbus.cit.ie/tec/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/SCADA-1024x580.jpg Contact: Dave Hamilton, Nimbus Centre, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland. Phone : +353 21 433 5570 Eco-innovation in Ireland 15
References Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 2012, ”Delivering our Green Potential”, http://www.djei.ie/publications/enterprise/2012/Delivering_Our_Green_Potential.pdf Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 2014, “Progress Report on Growth and Employment in the Green Economy in Ireland”, p. 1. http://www.enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Progress_Report_on_Growth_and_Employment_in_t he_Green_Economy_in_Ireland_PDF_574KB_.pdf Department of Environment, Communities and Local Government, 2011, GPP Action Plan, http://www.environ.ie/en/Environment/SustainableDevelopment/GreenPublicProcurement/Publica tionsDocuments/FileDownLoad,29208,en.pdf Department for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, 2013, second National Energy Efficiency Action Plan to 2020, http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/B18E125F-66B1-4715- 9B72-70F0284AEE42/0/2013_0206_NEEAP_PublishedversionforWeb.pdf Eco-innovation in Ireland 16
ANNEX 1. Policy measures addressing eco-innovations in Ireland
Focus of policy measure (tick if relevant)
Specific measure
Resourc Other
Group of policy Please provide reference to or brief summary of specific measures Energy
Type of policy measure Generic e Reduction relevant
measures (national, regional) efficienc
focus on efficienc of areas (e.g.
y
eco- y emissions renewable
add cells if necessary improve
innovation improve incl. CO2 energy,
ment
ment etc)
- Enterprise Ireland collaborates with venture capital funds with a view to x
providing finance for export orientated firms. The 2007 - 2012 ‘Seed and
Venture Capital Scheme’ was launched with objectives of improving
access to finance for small and medium sized enterprises and to further
develop the seed and venture capital Industry in Ireland.
Venture capital funds
- ESB Novusmodus LP is a €200m investment fund made available for x
provision of capital, support and knowledge to enterprises in the clean
energy and energy efficiency sectors.
- Since 2013, the National Energy Efficiency Fund provides €70 million to x
finance energy efficiency initiatives in the public and private sectors
Equity/busines
s support Enterprise Board grants are available for SMEs and start ups undertaking x
innovative projects. Priority is generally given to enterprises with potential
to develop into strong export entities, eventually graduating to the
\SUPPLY SIDE FOCUS
Enterprise Ireland portfolio.
The Leader Programme provides funding up to €500,000 for entrepreneurs x
Public guarantee funds and community groups interested in establishing a business or service in
rural areas.
The National Energy Efficiency Action Plan to 2020 and the National x
Energy Services Framework 2013-2014 aim to stimulate the development
of the energy efficiency market and provide a roadmap for energy
performance contracting.
Support for The Government’s ‘Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation’ 2006- x
R&D in public 2013, outlined plans for substantial investment in R&D within areas of
sector and science, innovation and technology
industry R&D funding
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) provide grants in areas of science and x x
engineering which relate particularly to biotechnology, ICT, sustainable
energy and energy-efficient technologies.
Grants by Enterprise Ireland and SFI are available for university-company x
Collaborative grants
collaborative projects.
Enterprise Ireland introduces companies to international programmes that x
aim to stimulate and improve collaboration between firms in different EU
member states. They can also help to tender for contracts from EU
Eco-innovation in Ireland 17agencies.
Innovation Partnership Programme: This programme offers financial
support to companies who engage in collaborative research projects with
Irish universities and Institutes of Technology.
Applied Research Enhancement Centres: Assists companies who want to
avail of specialised expertise, research capabilities and access to state of
the art equipment our regionally based Applied Research Enhancement
Centres may be able to assist you in advancing your research and
development requirements.
Enterprise Ireland supports a Passive House/Low Energy Building cluster x
under their Pilot Clustering Programme.
Innovation Vouchers: All small companies, in every sector of the Irish
economy, can apply for a €5,000 grant to pay a registered knowledge
provider to solve technical or business challenges.
Enterprise Ireland assists companies of all sizes to engage in innovation x
and research activities
Sustainable Energy Communities Initiative of the Sustainable Energy x
Authority offer support to testing facilities for companies who wish to test
their technologies
Irish Water offers “plug and play” testbedding and demonstration x
opportunities to indigenous industry involved in water and waste water
R&D infrastructure management.
Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland fund A number of Technology Centres x x x
that fall within the Green Economy area including Biorefining and
Bioenergy, Energy Efficiency, International Energy Research Centre, Data
Analytics and Dairy Processing.
In February 2013 the Government announced investment in seven world x
class research centres of scale. One of the new research centres will focus
on marine energy and was opened in November 2013
Companies investing in R&D activities may also qualify for tax credits x
under the R&D Tax Credit Scheme which is managed by the Revenue
Tax incentives for R&D Commissioners
Fiscal and start-ups
measures Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020 prioritises the development of x
renewable energy R&D.
Tax credits for research and development activity can be obtained by small x
Tax incentives for R&D
businesses. The business must be undertaking qualifying research,
personnel
experiments and investigations in the science or technology sectors.
Education, Tailored training courses Fás and FETAC accredited courses have been made available for job x x
training and for companies, seekers, entrepreneurs, innovators through the Green Works programme
mobility entrepreneurs
Enterprise Ireland’s Lean Business offerings
Eco-innovation in Ireland 18Industry specific training programmes are available for private sector x
companies through the Skillnets programme. The programme
concentrates specifically on upskilling employees and also provides
specialised training for job-seekers through the Training Networks
Programme.
A number of higher education institutes have designed undergraduate and x
postgradate skill specific courses in areas relating to eco-innovation such
as Dublin City University’s postgraduate ‘Management of Clean
Technologies’ distance learning programme.
Advice and consulting is available through Enterprise Ireland for start-ups x
and entrepreneurs through the Green Business Offer
The Energy Product Innovation Centre (EPIC) aims to provide guidance, x x
Advise/consulting for start product incubation and product commercialisation support for energy
ups, companies, innovation products through The Green Way cleantech cluster.
entrepreneurs
The Environmental Protection Agency runs the National Waste Prevention x
Programme includes the Green Business initiatives, which offer online
audit tools and advisory services to businesses to become more resource
efficient and reduce energy and material costs.
Placement schemes such as ‘Fás Work Placement Programme’ and the x
‘Job Bridge’ initiative, are in place and aim to provide recent graduates with
Placement schemes for experience in their chosen field.
students A number of higher education institutes have adopted work placement x
programmes such as Dublin City University at an undergraduate level and
Dublin Institute of Technology at a postgraduate level.
Several university based schemes are in place for mobility of academic x
workers (e.g. exchange/ attracting foreign researchers
Support for R&D workers
recruitments Enterprise Ireland provides supports for both companies and researchers x
in higher education institutes to develop new technologies and processes
that will lead to job creation and increased exports.
The National Development Plan 2007-2013 recognises and promotes the x
Networks and
importance of building critical mass and leveraging the advantages of
partnerships
existing clusters.
Competence centres, The Green Way is Ireland’s first green economic zone launched in 2010. x
clusters, science- Objectives of The Green Way include supporting cleantech innovation and
technology parks entrepreneurs through providing guidance, support and incubation facilities
to local companies.
A number of Green Economy clusters, The Green Way, Smart Eco Hub, x
Limerick Cleantech and Energy Cork, have emerged.
Technology platforms and The Forfás 2004 document ‘Innovation Networks’ highlighted the need for x x x x
innovation networks strong political commitment to incentivising innovation networks
Eco-innovation in Ireland 19There are Enterprise Innovation Networks funded by Enterprise Ireland; x
The Irish Software Association (ISIN), Industry Research & Development
Group (IRDG) and the Construction IT Alliance (CITA).
IBM Smarter Cities Programme and the Dublinked initiative also provide a x
technological platform and data network which support innovative
activities.
Scenario planning has been carried out by Forfás in documents such as x
‘Sharing Our Future: Ireland 2025 – Strategic Policy Requirements for
Foresight and common Enterprise Development”
vision building The Fifth Province is a citizen engagement project that aims to engage x x
citizens in the policy formation process for the Dublin region in an inclusive
and accessible manner
Enterprise Ireland’s Cleantech Division provides information on innovation x
Market intelligence and markets.
other forms of information
sharing The Dublinked initiative is designed to share public sector data amongst x
researchers and innovators.
As a member state Ireland are included in the EU Emissions Trading x x x x
Scheme which works on a ‘cap and trade’ basis. This means Ireland are
required to set emission limits for all installations covered by the scheme.
Regulations, targets, cap
Ireland have also committed to Kyoto, EU and nationally set emissions
& trade schemes
targets.
Regulations Ireland has a nationally set target of 16% of total energy consumption to be x x x
and standards generated from renewable in 2020.
DEMAND SIDE FOCUS
ISO standards, country of origin food labelling and FSC certified timber are x x x
commonly adopted standards nationally.
Performance standards,
labeling, certification Building Energy Rating (BER) certificates must be supplied for dwellings x x x
and commercial units. Appliances must also be sold with an energy
efficiency rating
The public consultation process for the drafting of Ireland’s first Green x x
“Green“ public Procurement Policy was undertaken from May –September 2010. The
procurement of goods and Government has since published a draft National Action Plan on green
services procurement. This Plan has since been published (2012) but was not
adopted in 2011.
Public
Enterprise Ireland Procurement of Innovations programme aims to x
procurement
facilitate the public procurement contracting between Irish public sector
R&D procurement
bodies and Irish SMEs in particular fields, including environmental
technologies in 2013-2014.
Pre-commercial
procurement
Eco-innovation in Ireland 20Enterprise Ireland provides advice and information on cleantech products x
for businesses and their cleantech division provides some information for
technology adopters.
Advisory support for
technology adopters A number of Irish universities work closely with Enterprise Ireland on x
issues of technology transfer such as Invent (Dublin City University),
Hothouse (Dublin Institute of Technology) and Nova (University College
Technology Dublin).
Transfer
SEAI grants available for adopting energy saving measures within the x
Financial or fiscal support home/business.
for technology adopters
SEAI grants and tax incentives are also in place for electric car purchase. x
(e.g. grants for purchasing
new technology) Enterprise Ireland Innovation vouchers offer financial support to new x
technology adopters.
Tax incentives for There is no specific eco-tax law in Ireland but there are a number of small x x
consumers (e.g. for initiatives to promote the purchase of environmentally efficient products
purchasing such as a tax saving scheme ‘Bike to Work’ which encourages individuals
environmentally efficient to cycle.
products)
Tax reductions for Tax reductions on energy efficient vehicles were available in 2011 but are x x
products and services due to be removed as part of the Government’s 2012 budget.
(e.g. VAT reductions)
Support of
Demand subsidies (e.g.
private demand
eco-vouchers, consumer
subsidies)
‘Power of One’ campaign to reduce domestic energy consumption x x x
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland runs the Sustainable Energy x x x
Awareness raising and Awards to encourage, recognise and reward excellence in energy
information provision management in the industrial, commercial, community and public sectors
in Ireland.
Eco-innovation in Ireland 21About the
Eco-Innovation
Observatory (EIO)
The Eco-Innovation Observatory (EIO) is an initiative financed by the European Commission’s
Directorate-General for the Environment. Since 2009 the Observatory has been developing an
integrated information hub on eco-innovation addressed to business, policy makers, innovation
service providers and researchers. The EIO supports the implementation of the European Eco-
Innovation Action Plan of the European Commission.
Visit our website and get full, free access to the EIO’s reports and databases.
www.eco-innovation.euYou can also read
