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Sustainable regional development with Aries4

The Aries4 project is a European innovation alliance consisting of a total of 16 partners from four European regions: Swedish Värmland, Spanish Navarre, Danish Southern Denmark and Bulgarian Gabrovo.

The EU's innovation policy is based on a so-called smart specialization strategy (Smart Specialization Strategy, S3) where regional competitive advantages must be identified and strengthened. But the S3 strategy faces a major development through the proposal to switch to a smart specialization strategy for sustainable and inclusive growth (Smart Sustainable Specialization Strategy S4+).

The strategy change must take place against the background of the European Green Deal, i.e. the EU's strategy to reach its climate goal for 2050, and the global sustainability goals within Agenda 2030.

What is the goal of the project?

The project name Aries4 is an abbreviation of Alliance of Regional Innovation Ecosystems on Smart & Sustainable Specialization Strategies.

The innovation alliance behind the project aims to pave the way for the transition from smart specialization S3 to smart sustainable specialization S4+. The project will also create a system for cooperation and knowledge flow between the main actors in smart specialization strategies, i.e. universities, vocational training providers, the public sector, business and society at large. This is to ensure the existence of the skills, tools and attitudes required for the development from S3 to S4+.

The overall goal of Aries4 is to promote innovation, collaboration and knowledge exchange between universities, vocational training, the public sector, business and society.

Provides tools for sustainability work in companies

Through the project, Glava Energy Center will also be able to offer tools to its member companies that are in need of knowledge, competences and skills in smart sustainable specialization. Furthermore, we can create relationships and exchanges with international partners who deal with similar issues about renewable energy. Thanks to the project, we can also work more intensively with our goal of contributing to a transition to sustainable business models in business.

Aries4 in brief

Overall

  • Project period: 1 July 2022 – 30 June 2024
  • Funding: The project is part-financed by the EU through the Erasmus+ programme.
  • EU support: 1.36 million euros
  • Total budget: 1.7 million euros
  • Project coordinator: Public University of Navarra (UPNA).
  • Contact person at Glava Energy Center: Lisa Gärdt, see Contact.

Participating European regions

  • Värmland, Sweden
  • Navarra, Spain
  • Southern Denmark, Denmark
  • Gabrovo, Bulgaria

In the four participating regions, a total of sixteen regional cooperation partners are covered.

Participating partners in Värmland

  • Glava Energy Center
  • Karlstad University
  • Region Värmland

To the project website

Medfinansieras av EUAries 4Karlstads UniversitetMed finansiering från Region Värmland
Last edited: 16/05 2023

About

Glava Energy Center is an innovation cluster and Sweden's largest test bed, innovation center and training provider in solar energy, solar cells, and energy systems. We have Northern Europe's largest test facility for solar energy and solar cells and are the country's largest independent training provider in the field. With close to 70 members, we operate for and within a broad competence network that includes entrepreneurs, academia, industry, startups, and the public sector.

Our innovation work

Glava Energy Center is an innovation cluster in solar energy and sustainable energy systems. The cluster is founded in a broad, driven, and competent member network of local, regional, and national energy actors, a physical test infrastructure with around ten test beds, Northern Europe's largest test park for solar energy and over ten years of experience in innovation projects.

Courses at Glava Energy Center

The solar energy industry is breaking records year after year. This applies to both the number of facilities, installed power and the amount of electricity produced. To ensure continued positive development, Glava Energy Center offers a wide range of impartial trainings to increase the industry's quality and safety.