Climate-KIC Spain meets Portuguese stakeholders to reinforce the Southern Europe climate challenges

• Water and land use are the main threats facing the regional and local governments of both countries in the next 3 decades.
• Universities, regional authorities and research centres analysed how Climate-KIC programmes has responded to these priorities.
• The commitment of the regional governments has been highlighted, by the momentum created in the lead up to the COP21 and the Valencian strategy to involve other Mediterranean regions, which represent about 30 million inhabitants.

A Spanish Climate-KIC delegation visited Lisbon and the Northern region of Portugal during the first week of December. They have met with the main stakeholders to analyse the most important challenges and assess how Climate-KIC is already addressing them through its entrepreneurship, innovation and education programmes.

Regional representatives have raised their concerns about climate change effects, which are already visible in their territory, such as the Douro vineyards.  Droughts, heavy rains and high temperatures are already changing ecosystems and affecting the economy.

In the framework of Climate-KIC professional mobility programme (Pioneers into Practice), Portuguese and Spanish experts have been developing new methodologies to solve water scarcity, heavy rains and  waste management which are being implemented by hosting entities.

The participants to the different meetings recognised the momentum to develop new strategies to lead the innovation in the adaptation and mitigation of climate change in the common areas of interest, as well as exploring other funding sources.

Based on the former collaboration and on the RIS initiative framework, the Director of Climate-KIC Spain, José Luis Muñoz, underlined the importance of aligning the regional policies with the Climate-KIC strategies, to look for the sustainability and regional commitment in the implementation of climate change policies and solutions.

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From left to right, 1st raw: Sandra Sarmento (Agencia Portuguesa do Ambiente), Celsa Monrós (RIC Valencia PiP Manager); 2nd raw: Ignacio Chanzá (RIC Valencia Innovation Manager), Alberto Batista (UTAD Portugal), Jose-Luis Muñoz (Director Climate-KIC Spain and PiP Lead), Miguel Bacelar (UTAD Portugal), Muno Gouveia (Universidade du Minho).

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From right to left : Celsa Monrós (RIC Valencia PiP Manager), Ignacio Chanzá (RIC Valencia Innovation Manager, Jose-Luis Muñoz (Director Climate-KIC Spain and PiP Lead)