✓ Alentejo region: context, indicators and maps;

✓ Circular Economy: projects implemented;

✓ Public Procurement for Innovation: risks and opportunities;

✓ Entities and Stakeholders;

✓ Conclusions

✓ Wide;

✓ Under populated;

✓ Rural;

✓ Enivironmentally rich

✓ Largest region: 31,500 km2;

✓ Urban density: 718,087 inhabitants (Eurostat, 2018);

✓ Regional GDP increased at: €12.2 bn in 2016 → 6,6 % of national

GDP (Eurostat, 2018);

✓ Diversity of energy ressources (Sines Thermal Power Plant, Alqueva

Dam Central Hydroelectric Plant);

✓ Tertiary Sector contribution of regional GVA in 2016: 63.5%;

Product or Process Innovators per capita, Alentejo rank in Europe

Data, 2011- 2019Scale, 0- 1000 kmSource, RIS 2019

SMEs Innovating In-House per capita, Alentejo rank in Europe

Data, 2011- 2019Scale, 0- 1000 kmSource, RIS 2019

Non R&D Innovation Expediture per capita, Alentejo rank in Europe

Data, 2011- 2019Scale, 0- 1000 kmSource, RIS 2019

Marketing or Organisational Innovators per capita, Alentejo rank in Europe

Data, 2011- 2019Scale, 0- 1000 kmSource, RIS 2019

✓ Well preserved natural environment ;

✓ 263 km of sea line;

✓ Largest cork tree area;

✓ Several Natura 2000 areas, and Natural

Parks;

Strategic position Innovation Natural heritage

Geological ressources Good territory planning Cork, leader region in the leader country

Strong culturalidentity

✓ High use of cultural and traditional practices;

✓ Engagement with Sustainability practices and Circular Economy Models;

✓ Forum for Circular Economy of Alentejo;

✓ Implemented projects in Circular Economy

✓ Involve Local Institutions and Business, National and Regional Entities, Private and

Public Entities to discuss opportunities and constraints of Circular Economy;

✓ Define strategies, implementation and dissemination of circular iniciatives;

✓ Promote cross-border cooperation and synergies;

Building and ConstructionCork

Extractive activities

Aeronautical Industries Agriculture MetalomechanicsTourism

✓ Promote the transition to a more circular economy related national and regional decision making by increasing the implementation of the circular procurement;

✓ Circular procurements are circular economy (CE) principles and criteria incorporated into the procurement of products/services;

✓ Aims to analyse whether CE principles and CP criteria could be included into the selected Policy Instruments as a horizontal principle or as an award criteria to encourage applicants to systematically implement CPs.

AIMS TO:

✓ Close the gap between cutting-edge technology and processes and the public sector

customers or users who can benefit from them;

✓ Modernize public services with higher quality and more cost-efficient solutions;

✓ Boosting a new market for innovative solutions and help innovative companies reach

economies of scale to grow their business;

POLICY CONTEXT:

✓ EU support PPI through a number of policies, linked to the Europe 2020 strategy for

smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;

✓ The flagship Innovation Union initiative, 5 adopted in 2011;

✓ From 2014 – 2020, €70.2 bn will be made available to support progress towards the

Innovation Union and Europe 2020 objectives;

ADVANTAGES:

✓ Huge untapped potential for governments to foster innovation in small firms using

public procurement budgets;

✓ Opportunity for governments to be catalysts for commercial innovations in areas of

societal need where private markets are failing;

✓ New target group of small innovative companies;

✓ Strong learning effect for public sector.

✓ Aims to innovate the mindset of bidders;

✓ Is an overview on the criteria of the public procurement;

✓ Aims to boost innovation in companies, from outcome-oriented needs to key

performance indicators.

✓ Circular Economy;

✓ Innovation;

✓ Entities and Stakeholders

Carmen Carvalheira,

Vice-president of Alentejo Region

Marcos António Nogueira,

Head of Alentejo EU office