ECOPROFIT - INTERREG IIIC

<body> <p> The basic idea of ECOPROFIT is a win-win model aiming at strengthening companies through investing in companies´ pollution control by training measures and a consulting year supported by certified external experts. It is therefore a Private-Public-Partnership-Model, developed by the city of Graz, to increase eco-efficiency in companies by using innovative integrative technologies and by cooperating with communes, companies and consultants. It is based on the philosophy that improvements on the environmental level are connected with economic revenue. Economic aims and regional environmental ideas are put into the foreground. ECOPROFIT is therefore a preventional strategy and has been established in more than 50 Cities in Europe so far. Objectives The main objective of the project is to transfer the ECOPROFIT know-how to the partner cities in order to reduce the environmental impacts from small to large-scale industrial activities whithin these cities. The focus is put on strengthening small and medium sized enterprises by introducing innovative, integrated and environmentally-friendly technologies. In the framework of the Local Agenda 21 the cooperation between the governmental sector and the business sector will be established and fostered to increase the quality of life for citizens. A permanent further development of the ECOPROFIT idea is the main future concern of the project team. Besides this an international "pool of experts" from companies and scientific institutions will be established. Up to now especially experts from Graz are bringing in theit knowledge. The establishment of the network will guarentee a transfer of Knowledge on various levels and will secure the sustainibility of the project´s results. Following objectives are to be achieved within the project: to build up local structures for ECOPROFIT to train and coach local ECOPROFIT consultants to develop training material in respective languages to run a local ECOPROFIT program to run additional ECOPROFIT modules including topics of soft skills and financing to disseminate the results and spread ECOPROFIT around other European countries Partnership The project partners from Modena (I), Pécs (H), Czestochowa (PL), Dresden (D), Maribor (SLO) and Graz (A) have agreed on taking up and further developing the well established ECOPROFIT-Model in each region in form of additional modules. Graz and Maribor bring in their ECOPROFIT experiences. The partner regions have not yet introduced ECOPROFIT, therefore the holding off of basic modules are the basis for a further development.The aim is that all the project partners build up the core ECOPROFIT-network. The project´s structure provides the involvement of scientific institutions and administrative offices. A broad regional anchoring is made possible on that structure. Main activities The accomplishment of the ECOPROFIT basic programme with support of external certified consultants makes a methodical Know-How-Transfer possible. Additional modules, that are built up on basic modules with the support of scientific institutions will be designed. Within the twinning models an active knowledge transfer is given. </p> </body>