Eco-innovation and eco-innovation support: Summary of Existing situation analysis in Malaga

The situation of innovation and eco-innovation at national and regional level has experienced an outstanding boost over the last few years. However, there is still a deficit in relation to the european average, basically in technology production, as scientific production has experienced a more significant development.

As for the national and regional innovation policies, there have been important changes over the last few years. In 2008, the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation was created at national level. In 2004, at regional level the Regional Ministry for Innovation, Science and Enterprise was established. At both levels, strategic plans for Research, Development and Innovation aiming to integrally guide the growth of innovation in both territories have been launched. These plans reel off the coordination of a high number of initiatives, as intermediation networks to boost business innovation (Centre for Industrial Technology Development at a national level and IDEA Agency at a regional level).

There are a high number of projects funded by European, national and regional initiatives, focusing particularly in energy efficiency, production using renewable energies, introduction of less pollutant processes and recycling of materials.

Eco-innovation policies on national and regional level are very developed and implemented both in research centers as in candidate enterprises, thanks to the intermediary and revitalizing agents, as in the case of the Andalusian Technology Network agents. The University of Malaga is the third in Andalusia for finance received for R&D&I activities from the Andalusian Regional Ministry for Innovation, Science and Enterprise.

Within Andalusia, the province of Malaga is presented as an enclave with a high eco-innovative potential. It is the economic engine of the region, contributing with 20% of the regional GDP. It has a pioneer Technology Park in Spain, home to the main associations of technology parks and a high level University, the third one in Andalusia taking as a reference the incentives obtained by the Regional Ministry for Innovation. It has a compact population structure on the coast where the sixth bigger power in market quota at national level is concentrated.

Candidate sectors represent the axis of the economy in Malaga and its environmental quality. Tourism is an essential activity for the economic development of the province, thus, the best management of solid waste and waste waters is necessary to be able to continue offering the necessary environmental quality to continue being an attractive holiday destination.

The weight of tourist activity also represents a challenge in terms of extra consumption. This, together with the number of hours of sunlight in the province, makes of the production of solar energy an imperative eco-innovation. The extensive character of the olive oil sector, located over areas with important reservoirs of underground waters, would allow, through eco-innovation, to obtain important improvements in the natural resources, given the extreme vulnerability of carbonated aquifers, very extended in Malaga province.

Eco-innovators have in Malaga province an ideal setting for innovation centers, a wide range of support, a specialized territorial network of intermediary agents all over the province and decisive backing from the administrations to consolidate this type of activity.

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