The Egyptian Renewable Energy Cluster

   

Project description
The Egyptian Renewable Energy Cluster Initiative – ERECI – is an initiative financed by the Egyptian Ministry of Scientific Research through the RDI Program. ERECI project aims to set-up a stable cluster organization in the Renewable energy field in order to support the Egyptian industrial development and enhance the partnership among Institutions, researchers and enterprises. The principal purpose of the cluster initiative is to support job growth and  new technology development in the strategic field of  renewable energy.

 Project objectives
The project will include activities that will lead to the development of a business-driven cluster based on the ‘triple helix’ model of collaboration between the private sector, universities, and the public sector. The concept aligns tightly to the objectives of the RDI-2 Programme, which includes fostering the Science and Innovation culture and environment, expanding research collaboration between the R&D and business sectors, enhancing the impact of Egyptian researchers’ participation in EU funded programmes, and advancing Egypt’s scientific and technological capacity through supporting Centres of Excellence. This emphasis on supporting the innovation ecosystem by creating linkages is the basis for cluster development. The project will be implemented in close collaboration with a number of European experts in cluster development, cluster practitioners, and sector-specific actors such as SME, industry associations, and technology transfer officers.

This action will contribute directly to the overall subthemes of expanding collaboration based on the triple helix model proposed, but also at specific activities to bring SMEs and larger industrial players into the cluster. The action meets the specific requirements of the sector in that it explicitly targets the innovation eco-system, including the leading research institutions, industrial associations, and European institutions and business networks with experience in technology transfer.

In particular the project is addressed to

• Develop several networking initiatives in Egypt and Europe aimed to establish long term and multidisciplinary public-private partnership
• Stimulate a favorable technology transfer environment to enhance technological and non- technological innovation and improve Egyptian companies’ competitiveness. Stimulate the set-up of a supply chain in the energy efficiency sector.
• Strengthen cooperation with European and national counterparts via exchange of relationship, exchange of best practices, study visit and brokerage events.
• Enhance the Egyptian industry competitiveness in order to develop the cooperation between industries and researcher. Define the gap in technology transfer activities and encourage the innovation policy development.

Project local partners

• Cairo University
• The American University in Cairo
• Federation of Egyptian Industries / environmental copliance office and sustainable development FEI/ECO SD
• Helwan University
• Industrial Modernisation Centre

Project international partners

• Innova Bic – Italy
• New Frontier Services – Belgium
• Oxford Research – Denmark
• Università di Messina – Italy