Professionals focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation from the academic, research, business and public administration sectors can now apply for the 2015 edition the Pioneers into Practice programme run by Climate-KIC, the EU’s main climate innovation initiative. The professional mobility programme supports individuals and regions to develop their proposals for low-carbon experiments and sustainable business models.
Participants from 13 EU regions in the programme will be placed in host organisations as pioneers. In 2014, 220 Pioneers into Practice participants took part in such placements across Europe. Pioneers into Practice was launched in 2010 and has since produced 73 new business cases and project proposals and 40 new knowledge transfer agreements.
Aled Thomas, Regional Director at Climate-KIC, commented:
“The exchange of information and knowledge is key to Climate-KIC’s Pioneers into Practice. The experiences and ideas that flow out of the programme are creating a new generation of experts, entrepreneurs and innovation brokers in Europe’s regions. It is people like this that we need on the ground across Europe to accomplish a low carbon economy.”
“Our Climate-KIC pioneers are encouraged to move between sectors to broaden their understanding of the way challenges are perceived — and in the way collaboration can assist in overcoming particular barriers. At Climate-KIC, we work in partnership with regions across Europe to help coordinate low-carbon programmes and are also seeking expressions of interest from new European regions who wish to participate in the programme in future years.”
Participating pioneers get placed in a different work environment for two four-week placements — one in their own region and one in a partner region. The placements boost new opportunities and business models to bring down CO2 output and increase growth and jobs in the low carbon economy.
2015 application period
Both pioneers and hosts are invited to respond to this year’s call. The 2015 application period has opened on 30 January with a deadline of 23 March. Participating pioneers are supported with financial support of up to €8000.
Climate-KIC centres based in regions across Europe take part in the programme. The participating regions include Central Hungary, Emilia-Romagna in Italy, Hessen in Germany, Lower Silesia in Poland, Utrecht in the Netherlands, the Valencian Region in Spain, the West-Midlands in the UK, Cork/Dublin in Ireland, Helsinki/Uusimaa in Finland, North of Portugal and Lisbon, Timis in Romania and Slovenia.
Climate-KIC is the EU’s main climate innovation initiative and brings together researchers and businesses across Europe to find solutions to climate change and that can create sustainable growth and jobs in the process. Climate-KIC is one of the Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) founded through the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the EU.
For application visit http://www.climate-kic.org/programmes/pioneers/application/
For further information on PIP in Central Hungary please visit http://klimainnovacio.hu/hu/program/pioneers-into-practice
