EIT Climate KIC – Page 2

Climate-KIC offered an eight day coached sustainability transitions course for experienced environment and water management professionals, held in Valencia (Spain) from 22^nd until 29^th November 2014. It was designed to provide the key competencies and capabilities to be an innovator in the broad sense of this term. More than 35 people, from 15 different countries, were working on ‘Green skills’ in a programme designed to upgrade professional competences to face climate and sustainability challenges. The principal novelty of the course was to introduce horizontal and cooperative methods of working, involving low-profile hierarchies and greater autonomy. Hence, participants were collaborating hand-by-hand with international, regional specialists and problem owners related with climate change within a “project meeting” atmosphere.
Cristian Matti, social science researcher, together with Professor Anne J. Wieczorek and Coach Javier de Vicente, coordinated a team of well-known international experts including Jan Jonker, Corporate Sustainability; Todd Gartner, Water Management and Innovation; Caroline Van Leenders, Process Manager in Sustainable Transitions; and, Fernando J. Díaz López, Eco-innovation for Green economies. Furthermore, several regional experts participated in debates activities trying to reproduce real working negotiations with stakeholders. Additionally, participants have enjoyed study visits to actual projects in the regeneration area of Turia River and Naturals Park l´Albufera. A diverse set of activities such as breakfast and lunch seminars, workshops, world cafe or pitching, were performed horizontally in order to help participants to realize which skills are needed the most to deal with sustainability transitions enforced by climate change: thus, first, to be able to identify barriers, identify opportunities or stakeholders analysis; second, to be able to develop solutions –new business models– with system innovation projects, focus priorities for further exploration or low carbon innovation; and, finally, make transitions happen –plans into actions–. This pilot initiative performed as a living lab experience for both participants and experts who explored new learning techniques by shifting the role of experts, participants and speakers towards a more horizontal context of professional interaction. This particular program forms part of the Innovator Catalyst series and was aimed at experienced professionals with the enthusiasm and potential for influencing organizational change and system innovation. It was also organized by INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Polytechnic University of Valencia and Vaersa.

Take a look at our experience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tZvRwIJzjM&t=4s

Innovator catalyst roadmap

The Pioneers into Practice (PIP) programme offered a platform for policymakers and practitioners to study, design and promote day-to-day professional practices in business, government and research. Climate-KIC is one of three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) created in 2010 by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This community of European partners from the private, public and academic sectors engages in various activities to offer new solutions for innovation, entrepreneurship and training.

I joined PIP in 2010 when it was just a pilot initiative, and I discovered as a Pioneer new forms of interaction between professionals involved in environmental innovation. I became a Regional mentor in 2012, and since that moment, I have applied different methodologies to foster group dynamics in exploring business and research ideas within a participatory environment. In 2014, as the Coordinator of regional coaches in Valencia, I had the challenge of designing activities, developing materials and guiding a team of professional coaches to encourage pioneers to think “out of the box” and apply the Transition approach through an intensive and interactive process of professional upgrade.

PIP group 2012

PIP group 2013

PIP group 2014

The critical element of the programme was upgrading multidisciplinary professional skills through opportunities and broadening the professional and institutional networks among different knowledge fields and geographies. Participants explore visions of new low-carbon scenarios and opportunities to innovate in different knowledge areas such as transport, buildings, energy networks, and water management. Still, they also integrate professional capacities in organizational, technological, natural science, economics and many other fields.

The video below collects different perspectives on the experience of the Pioneers into Practice programme.

Category: EIT Climate KIC

Sustainability transitions, green skills & water management. New practices for professional education

The Pioneers into Practice experience. Blending capacity building, policy experimentation and innovation for professionals in Climate Change