WInEco - Water Innovation Ecosystem
Funders
Main funder
Other funders
The project is funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project is implemented by University of Eastern Finland, Savonia University of Applied Sciences (coordinator), Finnish institute for health and welfare and Geological Survey of Finland
Contact persons
The WInEco project aims to boost the growth and competitiveness of SMEs active in the water sector and critical infrastructures. In this project we are looking for the most efficient operation model including regional, national and international partners to strengthen the Savilahti Ecosystem capacity in supporting growth of SMEs. This project is aimed to workout cooperation model which include globally operating locomotive companies and their role in increasing internationalisation and growth of SMEs.
Within Water Focus area which Kuopio is leading in Finland, two main expertise areas have been identified, namely Smart Water and Zero Emission Industry. These reflect region focus and competences build in the last 20 years.
In the WInEco project we are aiming for crystalising concept for operation of the Smart Water Innovation Centre (SWIC) – joint water innovation labs and demonstration platforms capitalizing on Savilahti innovation ecosystem. SWIC is based on Water Safety focus area and its two main expertise areas: Smart Water and Zero Emission Industry. The whole process was initialised with the creation of the Kuopio Water Cluster within Savilahti Ecosystem. Expertise areas are reflecting regional Smart Specialisation strategy (S3P Smart Water Territories) and ecosystem agreement with the City Kuopio (AKKE). Formation of the Smart Water Innovation Centre provides necessary step towards concentration of knowledge, securing the effective cooperation model and roadmap for long-term operation aimed at boosting support for SMEs.