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• Roundtable: “Promoting Green Start-ups”

Borderstep, in cooperation with the BMUB (German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety) and various UN organizations, is organizing a round table discussion. On March 28, it will discuss possibilities for funding green start-ups. The event is part of the PAGE Ministerial Conference “Inclusive and Sustainable Economies Powering the Sustainable Development Goals”.

In addition, the exhibition “Green Economy Pioneers: innovative approaches, business models, partnerships” will take place during the two-day conference. Borderstep (together with 11 other exhibitors) is represented here. The institute presents its projects in the field of Sustainable Entrepreneurship such as the Network For Global Innovation NGIN project.

Programme “Promoting Green Start-ups”

Green start-ups: A key actor for the transformation to Sustainable Economies

Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter, Director Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability, Berlin, Germany

Coolar: A green start-up for electricity-independent medical refrigerators

Julia Römer, Founder and Lead Technological Developer, Coolar

Best practice examples of green start-up support

GreenMomentum: A support ecosystem for innovation, financing and deployment of clean technologies in Mexico

Rafael Carmona Dávila, CTO|Principal, Cleantech & Entrepreneurship GreenMomentum Inc., Mexico-City

GreenMomentum is a Mexico City-based Cleantech ThinkTank, which mostly works for the Mexican government in the design and implementation of economic competitiveness programs, focusing on aspects related to innovation, financing and deployment of clean technology. To do this, a third of their efforts and resources will go to create a large international cleantech accelerator and incubator, as well as a hard technology innovation center, for which the resources have already been awarded to build three labs (3D printing and design, electronics and mechanical manufacturing).

ClimateLaunchpad and Climate-KIC Accelerator: A pan-European support system for climate innovation and cleantech entrepreneurs

Dr. Malte Schneider, Director, Decision Metrics and Finance, Climate-KIC Germany

Climate-KIC is one of three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) created in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The EIT is an EU body whose mission is to create sustainable growth. Climate KIC supports this mission by addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation. They integrate education, entrepreneurship and innovation. The Climate-KIC Accelerator is the only EU business acceleration programme focused on cleantech commercialisation. With fast track entrepreneurship education, top-notch tools & techniques and intensive coaching, they have set up the world’s first real-life business school for cleantech entrepreneurs.

SEED: Promoting sustainable start-ups

Mr. Arab Hoballah, Executive Director SEED

SEED is a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy. SEED supports innovative small-scale and locally driven entrepreneurs around the globe who integrate social and environmental benefits into their business model from the outset.

ILO: Market system approach

Ms Dorit Kemter, Technical Officer, Green Jobs Programme, International Labor Organization (ILO)

The ILO promotes the creation of green start-ups in emerging economies and developing countries through intervention models which focus on issues like business skills and access to finance. Combining these micro-level interventions with macro-level market system analyses allows identifying untapped markets and drivers for sector development, which in turn provide real opportunities for job creation and poverty alleviation in particular among young women and men.

Roundtable discussion

Guiding questions

1. What is the concrete economic and environmental benefit of green start-up and small enterprises support?
2. What are the success factors for implementing support ecosystems for green start-ups and innovation?
3. How to adapt entrepreneurial support systems to the specific needs and conditions of different countries and regions?