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4.3 Emilia Romagna Region

The background

The following actions have been selected considering the topics arisen from the discussions with project partners and local stakeholders. In particular, thanks to the creation of the Local Support Groups and its activities, it had been learnt that circular economy has different interpretations and as such policy makers must keep this in mind while implementing policies which can be really effective for SMEs and their transition towards circularity (action 1). Furthermore, SMEs confirmed during meetings that energy consumption and energy costs are within their main concerns, and topics like energy efficiency or renewable energy from waste or biomass make Circular Economy be seen as a key factor for competitiveness (action 2). Some of CESME case studies have also inspired policies: Orangebox  (UK) showed a great experience in Green Public Procurementindicating that local public institutions sometimes lack in understanding what is really green (action 3). On the other hand, Danish Industrial Database proved to be an indispensable basis to increase circular economy, whereas Italian companies consider the lack of mutual relationship as an obstacle to access Circular Economy, thus the creation of a green database is proposed (action 4). As registered during the local stakeholders meetings, many local SMEs still have difficulty understanding "circular economy" and the considerable growth and development opportunities linked to the transition from a linear economic model to the “doughnut economy" . Therefore the need to raise awareness and organize targeted information activities (action 5) is a priority for the Metropolitan City of Bologna. Finally, Bologna plan to deepen the link between circular economy and nature-based-solutions to foster new business opportunities, developing a materplan (action 6).

 

Actions

ACTION 1 -  GREEN\CIRCULAR MONITORING SYSTEM ON ERDF CALLS

ACTION 2 -  FOCUS ON ENERGY CALLS

ACTION 3 -  INFORMATION AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES TARGETED TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

ACTION 4 -  DATABASE OF GREEN ENTERPRISES & INFORMATION ACTIVITIES TARGETED TO COMPANIES

ACTION 5 -  RAISING-AWARENESS AND INFORMATION ACTIVITIES TARGETED AT LOCAL SMEs

ACTION 6 -  CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS TO CREATE NEW BUSINESSES

 

ACTION 1 -  GREEN\CIRCULAR MONITORING SYSTEM ON ERDF CALLS

ERVET will provide to the Managing Authority a specific monitoring system of structural funds, focused on green projects. The monitoring system for ERDF calls on which ERVET is currently working aims at assessing their ability and their potential to foster eco-innovation and sustainability/circularity among enterprises. A questionnaire about eco-innovation and other environmental topics related to the financed projects has been created and its results are used to adapt the questionnaire itself in order to use it in other calls with the aim of setting up a permanent monitoring system. This system will assess the environmental quality of the financed projects and the potential of eco-innovation as a key-factor for competitiveness. On the basis of the results of monitoring system, ERVET will produce a memorandum targeted to Managing Authority on how to embed environmental sustainability (green and circular topics) in future ERDF calls.

 

ACTION 2  FOCUS ON ENERGY CALLS

ERVET will analyses the results of some specific regional calls targeted to enterprises (energy audits) with the aim of understand if (and how) energy efficiency could act as a key-factor for competitiveness. ERVET will produce a memorandum targeted to companies in order to push them to consider ERDF energy calls as an opportunity to increase both their competitiveness and their circularity.

 

ACTION 3 INFORMATION AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES TARGETED TO PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

ERVET is involved in the programming and the implementation of the GPP regional plan; the Plan will include, as the previous one, information and training activities targeted to local institutions and to companies; ERVET will add to the discussed topics the circular economy and how the GPP could push the transition towards a circular model.

 

ACTION 4 DATABASE OF GREEN ENTERPRISES & INFORMATION ACTIVITIES TARGETED TO COMPANIES

ERVET is currently building a database of regional green enterprises, economic data included, and will collect as many best practice as possible, in order to disseminate a culture on circular and green economy.  All the information related to te competitiveness and resiliency of green companies will be used to show them the economic benefits of the transition towards circular business models and to persuade them to adopt circularity as a competitiveness factor.

 

ACTION 5 RAISING-AWARENESS AND INFORMATION ACTIVITIES TARGETED AT LOCAL SMEs

The Metropolitan City of Bologna will organize raising-awareness and information activities targeted at SMEs within the metropolitan area of Bologna, aimed at increasing and improving their information and knowledge on circular economy, green growth, related development opportunities and possible concrete solutions to promote eco-sustainable business models. This action is strictly related to the new Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PSM 2.0) – Priority 4, Manufacturing, new industry and training, aiming at boost green and circular business models among local SMEs.

 

ACTION 6

The Metropolitan City of Bologna will develop a masterplan, and funding application, for roll out of nature based solutions. It will stimulate the innovation potential of nature-based solutions and community potentials by developing communities-of-practices within authorities, communities and businesses. Moreover it will promote raising-awareness and information activities targeted at future entrepreneurs within the metropolitan area of Bologna. The activities developed will contribute to pursue the Priority 4 of the PSM 2.0.

 

Timeframe of the actions

Action

2017

2018

2019

2020

1

X

X

X

 

2

X

X

X

 

3

 

X

X

 

4

 

X

 

 

5

 

X

X

X

6

 

X

X

X