GreenStep is a transformative project designed to empower capacity in less developed regions by fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, green and digital transitions, and alignment of S3 strategies, accelerating innovation and economic growth. 

GreenStep works to lay the foundations for long-term collaboration among Q-helix stakeholders in Energy-intensive industries (EIIs) value chains, bringing together 8 regions (3 less developed, 2 transition, 1 outermost, and 2 more developed regions) from 6 different countries. The highly skilled and complementary consortium is formed by:

• Nanoprogress (NP), the Czech nanotechnology cluster.

• ZINNAE, the cluster for the efficient use of water in Aragon (Spain).

• MetaIndustry4 (MI4), the Advanced Manufacturing Cluster of the Metal Industry of Asturias (Spain)

• Mazovia Cluster ICT (MCICT), established in Mazovia district in Poland

• BalticNet-PlasmaTec (BNPT), the international cluster for plasma technologies

• Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI), consulting firm in Portugal

• KAUNO TECHNOLOGIJOS UNIVERSITETAS (KTU), Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania 

• Agentura regionálního rozvoje spol. s r.o., Regional development agency in Liberec (Czech Republic)

• Technical University of Liberec (Czech Republic)

• Archipielago Next (AN), a Venture Capital Fund based in the Canary Islands (Spain)

The project team operates as a cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary, and interregional network, ensuring commitment to excellence. Through interregional cooperation and investments, GreenStep strengthens regional innovation ecosystems and EIIs value chains by stakeholder engagement at multiple levels to ensure broad impact. For this, a solid project methodology has been designed as 5 progressive steps complementing and nurturing each other:

1. The analysis of S3 strategies and innovation ecosystems within the project regions (WP3), providing the information needed to understand their framework.

2. Building the bridge between stakeholders and creating the GreenStep Ecosystem (WP4).

3. Organising concrete actions to connect the Q-helix stakeholders, broadening networks, and strengthening cooperation (WP5).

4. Laying the basis to promote interregional investment projects (WP7). 

5. Defining a roadmap to ensure project long-term sustainability, moving the interregional investment projects to the next level (WP6). 

Nanoprogress (NP), a Czech cluster, coordinates this roadmap. NP is focused on supporting research, development and innovation in the field of nanotechnology. It provides comprehensive support to its members, which includes research and development, internationalisation, marketing and PR, and educational activities. The cluster membership base covers the nanotechnology value chain from the preparation of input materials and raw materials, design and production of new technological equipment, production of nanostructures and their modifications, to nanostructure applications and marketing support. 

Over the past decade, the excellent research of the Czech nanotechnology industry has been significantly strengthened through several joint research and development projects, for example, by building a shared infrastructure for producing and processing nanofiber structures and their adaptation for specific applications.

The mission of the cluster organisation Nanoprogress is to connect key stakeholders in the field of nanotechnology and complementary sectors and to support further technological development of the membership base. Furthermore, to implement joint innovation projects, product development and commercialisation of high-order innovations, and thus ensure a sustainable future for its members and the entire nanotechnology industry.

Strategic Priorities of Nanoprogress:

• Continuously support the research, development and business activities of cluster members

• Raise public awareness of nanotechnology and its specific applications

• Improve the professional qualifications of cluster employees

• Strengthen regional and transnational cooperation between the private and public sectors

• Involve cluster organizations and their members in multidisciplinary R&D and business activities

• Provide project support and obtain funding for project plans using EU public resources and other financial sources

• Monitor trends and support their dissemination through the cluster membership base

• Build strong links at EU level to strengthen internationalisation and international cooperation between the cluster and its members

Examples of application areas:

• Functionalised filter membranes for water decontamination and filtration of food media

• Linear textile structures with nanofibers for medical and technical applications

• Functionalised planar nanostructures for biomedical applications

• Agents for intensive biodegradation of specific pollutants in the environment

• Functionalised nanostructures for application in cosmetics and hygiene

• Research of composite nanofiber strips for the application of active substances in the veterinary field

• Separation and processing of avian antibodies

• Centrifugal and electrospinning technology (especially alternating current)

• Plating of nanofibrous structures and their composites