The network
The Environmental Technology Cluster Bavaria is an initiative of all the Bavarian chambers of commerce and industry and two chambers of crafts. Together, these institutions form the association responsible for the cluster. Its aim is to create a Bavaria-wide network which concentrates the initiatives already existing and fosters innovation and internationalisation in the sector of environmental technology. The impetus to initiate the cluster was given by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, which also finances the project.
Main activities
Compared with other cleantech networks, the Environmental Technology Cluster
Bavaria has a markedly holistic approach. Most of these overwhelmingly local
networks fail to represent at least one element of the value chain and therefore
achieve suboptimal results. Through its comprehensive Bavaria-wide mandate, the
Environmental Technology Cluster Bavaria profits from supra-regional synergy
effects. In addition, it covers topics such as coordination of research, access
to financing instruments and funding programmes, and internationalisation.
Member companies also benefit from the large international network of the
Cluster.
The technological focus
In specifying its technological focus, the Environmental Technology Cluster
Bavaria was driven by the needs and interests of its member enterprises in
combination with the most promising market opportunities. In fact, those
sub-sectors were chosen which had the largest overlap of existing know-how and
future potential. Micro clusters which had already developed were also taken
into consideration. As a result, the Environmental Technology Cluster
concentrates on water and wastewater treatment, recycling and alternative energy
production with a focus on energy from biomass and waste.