INNOVATION FOLLOW-UP PLATFORM

The "European Meeting Point: Energy for Development 2007" gathers the major regional stakeholders involved in contributing to a Regional Innovation Platform,

This Platform aims at joining agents from different areas – knowledge, technology, market, authorities, education, and investment - sharing the view that energy, innovation and sustainability converge to be decisive competitiveness factors.

Maintaining and reinforcing networking mechanisms may increase the presence of Alentejo's science, technology and innovation actors in European projects and programmes. This is the key objective of the Regional Innovation Platform. Promoting Alentejo as a prime location for demonstration sites in new integrated RTD projects, will be one of the priorities.

The "European Meeting Point: Energy for Development 2007" will contribute to launch this regional platform and to establish links with European partners involved in promoting Research, Development and Innovation projects.

An important number of investments in biofuels, biopower, hydro, wind, waves and solar energy are under way in Portugal as a result of the needed changes of the national energy system paradigm - Portugal has one of the highest oil share in the primary energy sources. The Kyoto commitments - the 2012 targets are far to be reach - are imposing additional pressure to invest in new energy solutions. Alentejo being expected to be one of the investment primer destinations, is expected to be also the right location for RTD pilot demonstration projects. The Regional Platform is expected to contribute to the success of those projects.

The emerging Regional Platform is expected to help European partners to benefit from new opportunities at Alentejo. The "European Meeting Point: Energy for Development 2007" is expected to help improving networking between Alentejo stakeholders and potential European partners. The expected generated momentum ensures the required follow-up of the event opportunities.