Center for Global Mountain Safeguard Research - News & Events - Mountain Innovation Fair 2023
Mountain Innovation Fair 2023
Mountains INNOVATE: a collaborative space sharing the spirit of innovation for climate change adaptation and sustainable mountain development
- English
- Date: 23-25.10.2023
- Place: NOI Techpark - Bolzano Italy
- Typology: Mountain Innovation Fair 2023
- Info:
The Mountain Innovation Fair will be hosted at Eurac Research by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations University through the UNU-EHS Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) programme, with funding from the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC).
Dealing with remoteness, a rugged environment, exposed to natural hazards and a fast-changing climate, mountain areas have always been challenged to keep dynamic in sustaining their livelihoods and surrounding environment. Continuously, unique solutions are being developed and implemented, proving that demanding living conditions can be turned into engines of innovation. But how about sharing and exchanging practical experiences to unleash the full potential of sustainable pathways?
The Mountain Innovation Fair is planned to offer a buzzing, interactive and collaborative workspace to exchange on challenges and successes of innovative approaches, with lively discussions and practical demonstrations. Out-of-the box thinking, novel approaches and facilitating wider access to innovations are at the core of the Fair. Meet your peers, learn about and co-create mountain innovations with a potential for replication in various regions and contexts.
- to connect mountain stakeholders and innovators from mountain regions worldwide, focusing on the South Caucasus, the Carpathians, Southeast Europe, the Alps, East Africa, and Southern Africa
- exchange on and learn from practical experiences with promising innovative approaches for climate change adaptation and sustainable mountain development
- offer a creative space where interregional dialogue will be inspired by collaborating on a common innovative approach in a workshop setting
- facilitate development of new innovative ideas contributing to achieving the 2030 Agenda in mountain areas and
- award one mountain innovation with seed funding to be adapted and applied in other mountain regions.
What to expect?
The aims of the Mountain Innovation Fair are
Participants from countries eligible for Official Development Assistance can apply for funded participation. For more details see “Costs and Funding” below.
Date and Venue
The 2.5 - day physical Mountain Innovation Fair is scheduled to take place on 23-25 October 2023 in Bolzano/ Bozen, Italy.
Covid-19 disclaimer - Should the global Covid-19 pandemic make it impossible to organise the Mountain Innovation Fair on site, alternative scenarios (postponement or online organization) will be proposed by the hosting organisations.
- Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) working in mountain areas
- Community-based and non-governmental organizations
- Development practitioners
- Investors, donours, and impact funders
- Policy stakeholders and representatives from competent authorities
- Researchers and scientists with a focus on innovation in mountain areas
- South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia)
- East Africa (Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda)
- Southern Africa (Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique South Africa)
- European Alps (Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia, Switzerland)
- Carpathians (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Ukraine)
- South-Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (ref. UNSC Res. 1244), Montenegro, North Macedonia)
- Water,
- Natural hazards and climate risk reduction,
- Agriculture,
- Energy
- Mountain tourism
Who can participate?
The Mountain Innovation Fair welcomes a limited number of selected participants upon registration. The organisers are looking for professionals and experts working on and with innovations in mountain areas, especially with the following backgrounds:
The target groups include:
The organisers aim for a gender-balanced representation.
The Mountain Innovation Fair gathers experts mainly from the following mountain regions:
Please submit your application (registration below) and share your innovation. It should be related to sustainable development and climate change adaptation efforts in mountain regions. The thematic emphasis of the fair is on:
The selection of innovations to be presented at the Mountain Innovation Fair will be based on transparent eligibility criteria, including environmental, social and human rights considerations, by an independent Selection Committee.
A Mountain Innovation Award (seed funding) will be presented to the most innovative and scalable approach of the Fair.
Costs and Funding
There is no fee associated with participation in the Mountain Innovation Fair. The Mountain Innovation Fair is supported by the project “Promoting Innovations for Sustainable Development in Mountain Areas” (PRIMA), funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation.
Participants from countries that are applicable for Official Development Assistance (as defined here) can apply for funded travel and daily allowances. Support will be provided by UNEP for travel arrangements including for visas, if required, for entering into the Schengen area. Applicants from countries not applicable for Official Development Assistance will have to cover their own costs for travel and accommodation.
Contacts
For information about the Fair, please write an e-mail to the organizing committee at: mtinnovationfair@eurac.edu
Organizing team:
Eurac Research and UNU-EH GLOMOS programme
Stefan Schneiderbauer, Head of UNU-EHS GLOMOS, Bolzano office
Eleonora Musco, Policy Expert, Eurac Vienna Representing Office
Paola Fontanella Pisa, Programme Associate at UNU-EHS GLOMOS, Bolzano office
UNEP
Matthias Jurek, Programme Management Officer
Sabine McCallum, Associate Programme Management Officer
Ansgar Fellendorf, Climate change and mountain governance expert
Supporting Regional Institutions:
Registration
Thank you for your contributions.The registration is closed! Successful applicants will be noticed shortly.
Regional coverage: Implemented in mountain areas in one or more of the target regions
Thematic coverage: Applied to one or more of the Fair’s themes: water, natural hazards and climate risk reduction, agriculture, energy and mountain tourism
Purpose/Relevance: Sustainable mountain development challenge(s) addressed by different measures (e.g. technical, nature-based, educational, etc.)
Impact: Proven positive change(s) achieved by applying the novel approach
Direct benefits and co-benefits Promoting ecological, economic and/or social benefits and showing synergy with and offering co-benefits with a range of sustainable mountain development topics
Value: Amount of beneficiaries for whom the novel approach creates value
Inclusiveness: Providing equal access to opportunities and benefits of the innovation
Stakeholder involvement: Engagement with stakeholders who are affected by implementation or help influence positive change
Feasibility: Implemented on relevant timescales, realistic in terms of resources available (human and financial) and tailored to the actors and their capacities needed
Scalability: Potential for adjustment, replication or upscaling in other geographic, social or sectorial contexts (even though as such customized and tailored to specific regional/local circumstances)
Sustainability: Mechanisms introduced to ensure long-term sustainability for implementation in terms of human capacities and financial resources
Adherence to human rights labour standards, and environmental standards, in alignment with the UNEP Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework
The Selection Committee will also take into consideration the motivation and expected benefits of the applicants.
Selection Criteria
The criteria taken into account by the Selection Committee are:
Planned Timetable
NOI Techpark
Mountains Innovate: Icebreaker / Networking
NOI Techpark Seminar rooms
Opening ceremony by Eurac, UNEP and others
PeakTalks: Challenges and innovations for adaptation to climate change and sustainable mountain development
Matchmaking and workshops for co-creating mountain innovation presentations along thematic clusters
Meet your peers
NOI Techpark Laboratories
Visit to laboratories on-site
Conference Dinner
NOI Techpark
Echo from Day 1 / Marketplace
Aim High: Presentations of co-created innovative approaches resulting from Tuesday workshops
PeakTalks: Funding opportunities for mountain innovations
Mountain Innovation Award Ceremony and Closing
Field Trip in South Tyrol