The introductory workshop on “Eco-innovation among SMEs in Georgia” took place on 28 December 2020, 16:00 – 17:30 (Tbilisi time, GMT+4) through Zoom platform. The meeting was held in Georgian with simultaneous translation into English.
The objectives of the workshop were:
• To raise awareness of SMEs in Georgia on Eco-innovation approach and its importance for sustainable growth of the company.
• Involve different stakeholders, such as Government, business, CSOs, academia and international organizations in the discussion around opportunities of promoting eco-innovation approach among SMEs in Georgia.
Participants
The meeting gathered participants from business sector, Government, civil society, academia and international organizations.
Background
SMEs play a crucial role in all project countries’ (EU’s Eastern Partnership, hereafter “EaP” countries’) economies, and their collective environmental footprint often exceeds that of large enterprise. Eco-innovation is therefore a major enabling instrument identified by UNEP, the European Union (hereafter “EU”) and EaP countries – including Georgia – for the transition to a greener, more resource-efficient and fairer economy. Eco-innovation helps SMEs in reducing inputs, recovering materials and minimising waste, as well as extending product and/or service lifetime. It does so by helping SMEs to develop a new business strategy, underpinned by a new business model.
Meeting documents:
Presentations:
Promoting Eco-innovation among SMEs in Georgia
EU4Environment: A new regional programme in the Eastern Partnership framework