GreenWin, the Walloon Innovation Cluster for chemical engineering and sustainable / ecoresponsible construction materials. Interview with Ms Véronique GRAFF, Managing Director of the GreenWin innovation cluster in 2007. In addition, employment (FTE) has risen by 13%, i.e. by 17% more than the evolution of employment in the reference system. Lastly, the added value increased by €4.1 billion (+ 59%), i.e. an increase of 45% more than the evolution of added value in the reference system (14%).
W
hat are the key figures for GreenWin? With nearly 200 members including over 150 businesses, the cluster has given its label to 56 projects for a budget of € 144M. GreenWin has been the coordinator of 2 European projects and is a partner in 2 others. GreenWin is split up into 9 Strategic Activity Areas covering the chemistry, construction and environmental technology sectors. GreenWin is the leader of 2 intercluster research themes: circular economy and carbon neutrality. Moreover, the cluster has launched 2 technological platforms (PEPIT, dedicated to the circularity of plastics and CONNECT) and is a member of 5 international networks. It has also concluded 4 international partnerships (not forgetting the 800 contacts of its international network) and an interregional partnership with Flanders and Brussels. Thanks to its activities, GreenWin stands at the heart of a network of businesses with a job growth rate of 20+% and an added value growth rate of 40+%.
© J. Donjean
Could you talk to us about the cluster's strategic activity areas and themes? GreenWin is organised into 3 main areas of activity: chemistry, construction materials and environmental technologies. In addition, the cluster deploys in 9 strategic activity areas concerning the following sectors: green chemistry, the transformation of CO2 (CCU), biotechnologies, sustainable materials, energy storage and efficiency, construction systems, recycling, soils and sediments, sewage and sludge, air and sediments. Two transversal areas (the circular and digital economy) are added to this. These various activities have openings in three application sectors: chemistry, construction and environment.
Could you present GreenWin's industrial sectors to us? They represent 85,000 direct jobs (26% from industrial employment) and 160,000+ indirect jobs, plus €1.6 billion in R&D expenditure (60% of expenditure on private R&D) and €15 billion in exports (36% of Walloon exports). Between 2007 and 2017, the 880 business members of the clusters (+90% of which are SMEs) created +13,000 jobs (FTE). In 2016, the businesses in the Clusters represented 53% of the “industry” reference system in terms of jobs (FTE). The reference system is made up of the manufacturing industry, the construction sector (10%) and the logistics transport sector. This percentage was 45%
© GreenWin
© GreenWin
Could you talk to us about your members and the services that you offer them? GreenWin members, above all a network of SMEs, large businesses, universities and colleges of higher education, Certified Research Centres (CRAs) and training centres… are among the best performing in their field and produce the most impressive results. The cluster's businesses generate job growth of between 20 and 40%. Lastly, the cluster is made up of a network whose individual members are highly inspirational: we call them GreenWinners.
GreenWin helps in make the planet transferable to the next generations
Impossible is NOT GreenWin
120
