GREEN SOLUTIONS

CleanteCh in sweden
An ever-present difficulty for small and medium sized Swedish environmental technology companies
is the challenge of reaching and also closing business deals with large enterprises and
public bodies. The purpose of the KAM project, which stands for Creative Business-arenas for
Environmental Technology is to bridge this gap and overcome this challenge.
CleanteCh ÖstergÖtland
is a bridge builder
‘ ‘A
s a municipally owned
company we have better
access to public
organisations and we
can offer a neutral arena for collaboration,
something that is impossible for
individual enviro-tech SME’s to
achieve, says Project Manager,
Caroline Davidsson.
Caroline Davidsson has worked for
Cleantech Östergötland (CTÖ) since
2009 and one of CTÖ’s main tasks is to
support the regional enviro-tech
companies. The KAM project is about
tearing down barriers between
stakeholders where business opportunities
are apparent by leading concerted
business development efforts
on neutral ground.
– Due to lack of knowledge, both
public and private requests for
proposals (RDPs) unintentionally
exclude the performance and possibilities
that many environ-tech SMEs
with the latest solutions can offer, says
Gert Kindgren, CEO of Cleantech
Östergötland.
It is important to raise awareness
about these SMEs among those who
make decisions regarding future
investments within both the public
and the private sector. Moreover,
Cleantech Östergötland’s member
companies (mainly enviro-tech SMEs)
have more to learn about the needs of
these large purchasing organisations
as well as how to structure the
business deals in order to make a
successful close. This is where the
KAM project provides a new type of
arena that successfully closes this gap.
For more information visit: www.cleantechostergotland.se
Facts: Cleantech Östergötland
• Cleantech Östergötland is a
business-oriented arena in
East Sweden that promotes
collaboration for sustainable
development and regional growth
• Cleantech Östergötland is
funded by the municipalities of
Norrköping and Linköping and
by Linköping University.
• Cleantech Östergötland has
more than 100 member companies.
the KaM PrOJeCt – Creative
business-arenas for environmental
technology
The purpose of the KAM project is
to overcome the challenge that
small and medium sized environmental
technology companies
face when pursuing business with
large enterprises and public
bodies.
Energifabriken (the Energy
factory), one of CTÖ’s member
companies, has gained from the
project. Their product is the bio-fuel;
RME, which is produced from rapeseed.
Energifabriken’s customers are
both private and public but because of
the relative novelty that their product
represents, RME is often not included
as a possible alternative in public
RFPs.
– David Varverud, part owner of
Energifabriken explains; - the breakthrough
often comes once the
personal meeting has taken place and
we’ve been given the chance to
disseminate information about the
possibilities available with RME.
Energifabriken is participating in
one of the KAM arenas, ‘fossil-free
fuels’ which is a partnership between
CTÖ and the Regional Energy Office.
The Energy Office provides a course
for municipal officers and politicians
that delivers an overall description of a
wide variety of renewable fuels. In
conjunction with this course CTÖ
holds a creative workshop where
suppliers of renewable fuels and the
course participants can mix and
discuss business models. The idea is
for the participants to address, mainly
obstacles, but also possibilities regarding
the further establishment of
renewable fuels in the public sector
and on the market in general.
– The role as a bridge builder at
CTÖ is fundamentally based on trust.
This trust ensures that we as employees
of CTÖ receive information about
both the demand side as well as the
supply side and this is where it is
important to allocate time and
resources in order to turn this
information into concrete business.
Caroline Davidsson concludes; - ‘The
KAM project does just this!’
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