Malta Joins the Climate-KIC to Drive Innovation in Climate Action

Aug. 3, 2016 - PRLog -- Malta, represented by Paragon Europe, has officially joined the Climate-KIC community and will be working with the prestigious network as part of the Climate-KIC's Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS). Climate-KIC is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union whose mission is to create sustainable growth.

Climate-KIC is Europe's leading open innovation network driving climate action by bringing together, inspiring and empowering a dynamic community to build a zero carbon economy and climate resilient society. Its community includes over 200 partners from business, higher education and research, public entities, as well as regional policy-makers, to spur innovation in Europe. The Regional Innovation Scheme is the Climate-KIC's outreach programme which operates with the objectives to increase climate-change focussed innovation capacity across Europe; foster pan-European relationships that integrate knowledge triangle actors to promote open innovation; and develop relationships with regions that don't yet benefit directly from the EIT and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

Paragon Europe has guided a local consortium based on the knowledge triangle of business, research and higher education, involving Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and the Malta Life Sciences Park for Malta to participate in the Climate-KIC. The core of the activities involved will be conducted in 2017, in close collaboration with Malta's Presidency of the European Union and linked to the implementation goals of Malta's Smart Specialisation Strategy.

Paragon Europe CEO, Dr. Anton Theuma explains that "as a transition region, Malta can fast-track its commitment to the low-carbon agenda thanks to EIT RIS and now has the opportunity to strengthen collaboration with leading innovative regions. Malta will also be looking to become one of the host destinations for Climate-KIC activities."

Projects implemented by the Climate-KIC include 'Providing tools to support the energy transition of European Cities', 'Developing business models to engage the private sector in sustainable urban mobility', 'Measurable carbon reduction in the building technology market', 'Improvement of water productivity in Agriculture' and hundreds more falling under the themes of urban transitions; sustainable production systems; decision metrics and finance; and sustainable land use. Locations projects have been implemented are the Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Nordic countries.

Malta Life Sciences Park CEO Joseph Sammut said "Malta can really benefit from becoming part of the EIT RIS community of world leading climate change innovators by boosting Malta's regional stakeholders as multipliers of the knowledge and expertise and having access to structured mobility funding to ensure students, researchers, teaching staff and entrepreneurs have the opportunity to participate in Climate-KIC activities."

The EIT RIS 2016 provides a chance for Malta to link the Climate-KIC with PRIMA Initiatives under the Presidency where Research & Innovation collaborations within the Mediterranean will be developed. A big push is possible for Malta because of political support to low carbon since a whole chapter of Malta's Operational Programme 2014-2020 is dedicated to the low-carbon economy transition and resource efficient buildings is also one of Malta's smart specialisation strategy areas.

The RIS kick-off meeting was held in Brussels, at Climate-KIC EU Office, on Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th July where all regions were provided with further information with regards to the programme and started planning the delivery of activities. During this meeting, Paragon Europe presented Malta as a new region participating in the RIS. Activities for 2016 were planned and time was strategically left for brainstorming RIS 2017 ideas. An informal networking dinner between all involved regions followed the two-day event.

For more information about Paragon Europe and the Climate-KIC, contact Oronzo Daloiso: Oronzo.daloiso@paragoneurope.eu call on +32 (0) 2234 7791 or visit http://www.paragoneurope.eu