CORDIS provides links to public deliverables and publications of HORIZON projects.
Links to deliverables and publications from FP7 projects, as well as links to some specific result types such as dataset and software, are dynamically retrieved from OpenAIRE .
Deliverables
A total of 48 tools have been used during the project. The team has attempted to classify the tools used into the four broad categories: Innovation, Networking, Learning, Sustainable Production. Further subdivision into the 24 Core Rules proved inconclusive, due to the limited amount of data (If many more networks and tools had been involved - i.e. a much bigger project - this might well have proven fruitful).
Nevertheless, the gathering of forty-eight tools, and their classification represents the first real toolbox of this kind produced - and is seen by the INNET team as a major achievement. Of course, this toolbox can be further improved and enhanced. This is the beginning of a "Roadmap".
Working with twelve networks has allowed verification of the model and the techniques. Of course, the time span of the project has made it difficult to observe major changes in the networks in many cases. However, there have been some outstanding examples of successful change - even after such short intervention times. The Dutch PV network is one such example. In this case, the network has expanded significantly - so that the enhanced group now aspires to be one of the largest Photo-Voltaic regions in Europe. Other examples include a publication by the Shell Neighbourhood Council, which will form the basis of similar Shell activities worldwide, and the publication of a Charter by the Macroom-e network, which will be used as a basis for all participating members, and which will further be used to influence the activities of enterprises within the region.
Templates for assessing networks, and for describing them have been formulated. A set of values ascribed to a 'good network' was devised, leading to a Network Selection Tool (NST). Furthermore, descriptors for networks were agreed and a template produced which allowed all partners to describe networks in a similar format. This facilitated an evaluation, which was fed into the overall theory. The refinement of these descriptors and templates took place throughout the project as a result of fieldwork, and of interactive sessions at project meetings.
It is expected that templates based on the above could be used or modified and then used by other practitioners. The templates have been described to some extent at the 7th and 8th European Roundtables on Cleaner Production, and will be further expanded in a special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production.
The 4 fields of Innovation diffusion [I], networking [N], learning [L], and sustainable production [SP] have been linked and a model produced to assess this interaction. Literature surveys and practical experiences in each of the areas led to the production of almost 60 rules pertaining to the above. From these, 24 core rules (6 each from the 4 areas) were distilled. The rules were applied to 12 practical regional networks and methodologies for analysing the networks on the basis of the rules devised. For each of these rules a scoring system was devised, whereby networks could be evaluated in accordance with how well the rule applied. The results were colour-coded to give the Four Colour Matrix. This is considered by the INNET project team as one of the most important outputs of the project.
We contend that this method gives an immediate overview of the situation in each network. This is a new and potentially important and radical development. A further analysis technique was the use of Spider Webs, based on identified important parameters. This analysis allowed identification of network weak spots, which could facilitate intervention potentials. The Spider Web analysis was further reinforced by use of a SWOT analysis for each network. 12 networks were analysed. Resulting weaknesses and strengths allowed choice of intervention strategies for work with these networks. An understanding of local phenomena, and an in-depth appreciation of the networks meant that a certain amount of intuition was also needed to determine the best form of intervention.
The overall result was the formulation of a holistic theory to link regional networks, learning, innovation diffusion, and sustainable production in an analytical framework that can form the basis for future work and can be of benefit to practitioners. The result has partially been disseminated at the 7th and 8th European Roundtables on Cleaner Production (Lund, Sweden, May 2001 and Cork, Ireland, October 2002 respectively). A special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production will be devoted to the project results, and this will facilitate greater dissemination to experts and practitioners. The project partners will continue to work with the model and tools, and have already begun to do so.
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