GREENE 4.0: Paving the way for a green and digital industry in Europe

With the Interreg project GREENE 4.0, the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol is promoting the connection between digitalization and sustainability – a project that is specifically aimed at manufacturing companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and start-ups in Central Europe. As university partners, project members Prof. (FH) DDr. Mario Situm (head), Dipl.-Kfm. Karin Steiner, and Selina-Maria Schiller, MSc, are actively involved in shaping how green technologies, innovation, and knowledge transfer go hand in hand to meet the challenges of climate change, increasing competitive and innovation pressure, and digital transformation.

Key challenges facing the business world 

Companies today face three key challenges:

• Climate change calls for resource-efficient processes and sustainable products.
• Digitalization and technological innovation open up opportunities, but they also bring pressure to change, investment needs, and a shortage of skilled workers.
• Pressure to innovate, especially for SMEs – they must remain competitive, find new business models, and secure their position in global supply chains.

GREENE 4.0 provides answers: The project aims to make it easier for companies – especially SMEs and start-ups – to access innovative, sustainable technologies, thereby driving forward digital and ecological transformation. The focus is on establishing a networking and knowledge platform, such as the B2GreenHub, developing pilot projects in various industries, and strengthening test and demonstration centers where new solutions can be tested under real-world conditions. In addition, the Policy Learning Center plays a central role: it pools practical experience and develops recommendations for action for politics and business in order to create favorable conditions for sustainable innovation.

GREENE 4.0 has a clear international focus. Nine partner organizations from seven countries – including Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Czechia, and Hungary – are working closely together with the cooperation of the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol. Universities and research institutions are cooperating with industrial companies, technology providers, and regional innovation centers. This cross-border cooperation ensures that knowledge, experience, and technologies are not developed in isolation but are made available to Central Europe as an economic and innovation area. Evi Bachmair, network manager at Stellwerk18 in Rosenheim, emphasizes: “GREENE 4.0 shows how important strong networks are – beyond the borders of Bavaria and Tyrol, it bundles expertise in an international alliance. The collaboration with GREENE 4.0 creates a strong ecosystem in which start-ups and companies jointly drive forward green and digital innovations.”

Sustainably strengthening innovative strength

GREENE 4.0 opens up a wide range of opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises as well as start-ups to strengthen their innovative power in the long term. Through active participation in pilot projects and close cooperation with international partners, new technologies can be tested under real-life conditions and integrated into existing processes. The resulting networks enable intensive exchange with technology providers and researchers across national borders, thus creating fertile ground for new business models and forward-looking value chains. Companies benefit not only from practical solutions, but also from concrete impetus to secure their long-term competitiveness.

GREENE 4.0 is also of central importance for the Tyrol region. The expansion of test and demonstration centers will further strengthen Tyrol's role as a location for innovation. These facilities act as hubs for knowledge transfer and cooperation, benefiting the economy, research, and society alike. In addition, the project makes an important contribution to achieving ecological and social sustainability goals by promoting greener production processes and supporting regional industry on its path to climate neutrality. In this way, GREENE 4.0 helps to ensure economic resilience and position Tyrol as a future-oriented location in Central Europe.

Shaping the future together

The project will run from March 2023 to February 2026 and has now entered an active implementation phase: the first pilot projects are being implemented, the B2GreenHub is taking shape, and the project team is working on recommendations for action and action plans for politics and business.

We warmly invite all interested companies, start-ups, technology providers, students, and stakeholders in the region to get involved – whether by participating in pilot projects or using the B2GreenHub. Together with GREENE 4.0, we are shaping a green, digital, and competitive future in Central Europe.

Links:

• GREENE 4.0 | Research project
• B2GreenHub | Platform