Innovations and circular economy

Photo by BsWei on Shutterstock

This study examines the conditions and potential of small and medium-sized businesses in the Bündnis region (parts of Saarland and Rhineland-Pfalz). The focus is on the manufacturing industry and logistics with regard to the implementation of sustainable business models, green technologies and especially circular economy concepts.

GRIHSU! Green Innovation Hub Southwest!

Facts

Project period

2020-2021

Client

htw saar

Within the framework of the call for proposals by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research “WIR! Change through Innovation in the Region”, the core partners Saarland University of Applied Sciences (htw saar), Umweltcampus Birkenfeld (UCB) and the AWS-Institute GmbH (AWSi) applied for the funding for the alliance “GRIHSU! Green Innovation Hub Southwest!”. The alliance is to promote a sustainable restructuring towards socially accepted climate and resource neutrality in production and logistics. To this end, players from the manufacturing sector, the digital economy, research and environmental technology should be interconnected in the long term.

 

As a content-based foundation for the alliance strategy to be developed and for the regional innovation concept, intep will conduct an environmental and potential assessment of sustainability during the concept phase.

Services

Qualitative interviews with CEOs of regional SMEs on potentials and barriers to a green transformation.

Quantitative online survey of SMEs on the incorporation of sustainability, potentials and barriers for a green transformation as well as existing and non-existing know-how.

Comprehensive desk research on the ACTUAL state of the economic system, sustainability certification and existing digital approaches in the field of circular economy.