The document summarizes information about ecoplus, the business agency of Lower Austria, and its cluster initiatives to promote innovation and economic growth. Ecoplus manages several industry clusters in the region, including green building, plastics, mechatronics, logistics, and food. The green building cluster has over 200 members and has supported over 250 projects to develop more energy efficient construction and refurbishment. One example is a modular prefabricated straw and timber frame system developed by three partner companies. Lower Austria has also improved the energy performance of older buildings through refurbishment subsidies, reducing average energy usage.

1. ecoplus clusters
innovation through co-operation
TCI Conference Delhi
Speaker: Simone Hagenauer | Date: 02.12.2010

2. Lower Austria
§ Largest state of Austria (19.177 km²)
§ Surrounding the federal capital Vienna
§ Capital and seat of government: St. Pölten
§ 1.6 mill. Inhabitants
§ 16 mill. inhabitants within range of 300 km
§ Neighbors: Czech Republic and
Slovakia, proximity to Hungary and Slovenia

3. ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria
100% owned by the province of Lower Austria
77 employees

4. Companies
Research
Institutes
Universities
Cluster management:
Bridge between policy makers, companies and R&D
- Regional technological specializations
(collaboration with technopols)
- Involvement of SMEs in R&D projects
- Education programmes
- Favourable framework conditions
- Design of financial incentives
-“Translation” policy - business
- Sustainable economic policy
- Fields of strength
Policy makers
regional,
national, EU
Cluster
management
- “Translation” SMEs - R&D
- Initiating R&D projects
- PM in complex collective research projects
- Dissemination of R&D results

5. Cluster initiatives in Lower Austria
Green Building Cluster (2003)
www.bauenergieumwelt.at
Focus: energy efficient construction and
refurbishment, healthy interior
environments
Plastics Cluster (2005)
www.kunststoff-cluster.at
Focus: bio-plastics
Mechatronics Cluster (2010)
www.mechatronik-cluster.at
Focus: energy efficiency in production
processes
Logistics Cluster (2008)
www.logistikcluster.at
Focus: modal split, bundling
(reduce empty runs)
Food Cluster (2009)
http://www.lebensmittelcluster-noe.at
Focus: food safety, regional und bio-
products
E-mobility initiative (2010)
Platform for e-mobility activities and
projects of communities and companies

6. Facts & figures
§ 583 members (incl. 442 SMEs)
§ 94.000 employees
§ 22,5 bn. cumulated annual turnover
§ 259 regional collaborative company projects initiated involving 1.260
companies (double counting if company participated in more than one
project)
§ 273 national/European projects initiated/managed
Status: 2010-09-30

7. EC Communication “Energy 2020” (Nov. 2010):
EU target 20% improvement in energy efficiency until 2020
EU Directive Energy Performance of Buildings:
„nearly zero emission “ as standard of all new buildings until 2020
Lower Austrian targets
Increasing annual refurbishment rate from 1.5% (2008) to 3% (2012) –
at the moment ~ 2% < 50 kWh/m².y by
§ Setting high ecological standards in building legislation
§ Connecting subsidies for residential building to high ecological standards,
§ Regional public buildings as energy efficient demonstration projects,
§ Fostering R&D, Fostering qualification for companies, etc.
“Efficiency in buildings is the largest and net-cheapest abatement option”
(WBCSD Energy Efficiency in Buildings “Transforming the Market”, 2009):
www.wbcsd.org/web/eebtransformingthemarket.htm

8. Green Building Cluster of Lower Austria
§ Aim:
- Transformation of traditionally strong
construction sector towards energy efficiency
- Link and strengthen existing Lower Austrian
competencies
§ Core competencies:
- Energy efficient construction & refurbishment
- Healthy interior environments
§ ~ 200 partners: companies, R&D and qualification
facilities
§ ~ 250 projects since 2001 with some 460 involved
companies, project turnover of 12,8 mio. €, public
support of 5,1 mio. €.
§ Cluster-Team: 5 persons, architects, energy experts,
professionals from construction and interior design

9. link stakeholders business & science & policy makers
Influence framework conditions: (building legislation, subsidies)
Enhancement of professional skills (e.g. > 250 certified
„klima:aktiv“ refurbishment experts)
Collaboration: joint product development / establish consortia
Research: Competence Center “Future Building”
Initiation of sector-wide solutions, e.g. „Zero Energy
Supermarkets”
Refurbishment initiative: cluster activities

10. Bauatelier Schmelz & Partner
3 partner companies
Sustainability released in a modular system
prefab building system, in a straw and timber frame construction
and integration of modern sustainable HVAC technologies.
3 business partners offer the system I haus I bau web- based
including calculation- and planning tools for builders and
craftsmen and planers. Interest to implement this system is
articulated from Spain, France, Belgium Germany and Poland.
www.systemhausbau.at

11. Improvement of energy performance of old buildings in Lower
Austria 2003-2008: from 280 to median 78 kWh/m².y with subsidy of
LA government. Target performance > less than 50 kWh/m².y.
279,6
91,5
272,4
90,7
251,2
92,6
240,2
83,0
247,9
80,0
244,0
78,5
0,0
50,0
100,0
150,0
200,0
250,0
300,0
vorher 279,6 272,4 251,2 240,2 247,9 244,0
nachher 91,5 90,7 92,6 83,0 80,0 78,5
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Eigenheimsanierung
2003 bis 2008
Durchschnittliche Energiekennzahl
vor und nach
Sanierung
Heat demand in
kWh/m².y
before
after
overhaul

12. Development of passive house market in Austria

13. Further Information
Simone Hagenauer
Project manager Clusters
ecoplus.
The Business Agency of Lower Austria
Niederösterreichring 2, Haus A
3100 St.Pölten, Austria
+43 2742 9000-19657
s.hagenauer@ecoplus.at
www.ecoplus.at
www.loweraustria.biz