Initial Information of the project SUCOMINNO

SUCOMINNO is an innovative project aimed at empowering youth workers in the field of entrepreneurship. We bring together .. organizations and municipalities, each sending . dedicated youth workers or educators to participate in our training programmes. Our goal is to equip these individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs. Through our project, we hope to inspire and support the next generation of business leaders, fostering growth and development in their respective communities. With the help of . experienced trainers and stakeholders, we aim to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment, where participants can exchange ideas, learn from each other, and develop their entrepreneurial mindset. 

SUCOMINNO is a project which will bring together 45 youth workers (10 organizations/ municipalities/ communities from 4 youth workers/educators each organization in each training and 4 trainers/ stakeholders) to enhance mainly their entrepreneurship skills and environmental awareness. It is a fact that youth unemployment in Europe is high, limiting the opportunities young people must develop themselves and their competences. Moreover, Environmental downgrading is something concerning European Union and other countries. Also, as we can see in all over Europe discrimination, refugees that are coming from everywhere in Europe, racism between them religion and national discrimination, all these are coming to people through the discrimination also of the environment so all these we will try to make them common for all European young people. Main aim of SUCOMINNO is to contribute to the development and evolvement of young people from Europe while diminishing the environmental impact of human activities by enhancing the Green Entrepreneurship among young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers and facing the problem of the discrimination also between people and people with environment.

GREEN (ECO) INNOVATION

Green innovation (GI), as a key factor in maintaining environmental management (Aguilera-Caracuel and Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2013; Arenhardt et al., 2016; Chen, 2008; Chen et al., 2012; Yang et al., 2016)), is of vital importance for organizations and communities; investigations in this domain have mainly witnessed a rising trend over recent years. Moreover, environmental degradation has turned into a major threat to human survival. A large number of organizations and communities have been directed towards GI as a strategy to achieve environmental protection and economic growth. Environmental sustainability and economic profitability are also of great significance (Fliaster and Kolloch, 2017), GI can lead organizations towards attaining sustainable competitive advantages (Hur et al., 2013). Today, GI has become an important tool for businesses to increase their market share and stay alive in the long run. A successful GI improves the market position, attracts customers, provides green services and gain competitive advantage. Because of these benefits, GI is on the agenda of managers of many organizations and researchers. Innovation studies are generally based on the theory of Schumpi innovation. According to Schumpeter (1942), GI helps meet the demands of customers to protect the environment in which there are (Guerlek and Tuna, 2018). "Green innovation" or "Eco-innovation" and can be defined as a process that contributes to the creation of new production and technologies with the aim of reducing environmental risks, like pollution and negative consequences of resource exploitation (e.g. energy) (Castellacci and Lie, 2017). Innovation has been divided into product/service innovation and process innovation. The ultimate goal of product/service innovation is to improve the functioning of products and services for customers and clients. The Innovation process has resulted in building up cost efficiency and organizational flexibility (Albort-Morant et al., 2018a; Kam-Sing Wong, 2012), which both can contribute to mitigating environmental risks (Castellacci and Lie, 2017), augmenting resource efficiency (Burki and Dahlstrom, 2017; Kam-Sing Wong, 2012; Leenders and Chandra, 2013; Wang et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2017), creating new opportunities for environmentally friendly practices (Albort-Morant et al., 2018b), reducing pollution rates (Albort-Morant et al., 2018b; Amore and Bennedsen, 2016; Castellacci and Lie, 2017; Chang, 2011; Chen, 2008; Corrocher and Solito, 2017; Ebrahimi and Mirbargkar, 2017; Forsman, 2013; Galia et al., 2015; Huang and Li, 2017; Messeni Petruzzelli et al., 2011; Stanovcic et al., 2015), increasing recycling (Aguilera-Caracuel and Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2013; Aid et al., 2017; Chang, 2011; Chen, 2008; Huang et al., 2019; Stanovcic et al., 2015), saving energy (Burki and Dahlstrom, 2017; Chapple et al., 2011; Chen et al., 2017; Chiou et al., 2011; Corrocher and Solito, 2017; Cosimato and Troisi, 2015; Messeni Petruzzelli et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2017; Wong, 2013; Zhang et al., 2017), achieving competitive advantages (Aguilera-Caracuel and Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2013; Arenhardt et al., 2016; Chen and Hung, 2014; Chiou et al., 2011; Dangelico, 2016; Du et al., 2018; El-Kassar, A.-N. and Singh, S.K., 2019; Huang et al., 2009; Kam-Sing Wong, 2012; Weng et al., 2015; Zimmerling et al., 2017), improving environmental performance (Roy and Khastagir, 2016; Weng and Lin, 2011; Zailani et al., 2014), supporting strategic goals (Yang et al., 2016), enhancing positive performance in an organization (Olson, 2014; Roy and Khastagir, 2016), upgrading quality of service provision (Chiou et al., 2011; Roy and Khastagir, 2016; Yan, 2015), giving a lift to economic performance (Burki and Dahlstrom, 2017; Olsen et al., 2014), designing and producing eco-friendly products or services (green product design) (Aguilera-Caracuel and Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2013; Arenhardt et al., 2016; Ebrahimi and Mirbargkar, 2017; Huang et al., 2019; Li et al., 2017; Saudi et al., 2019; Stanovcic et al., 2015; Tseng et al., 2013b; Zhang et al., 2017), bringing about ecological reputation (Dangelico, 2017; Hsu et al., 2011), as well as diminishing use of hazardous products and non-operational technologies (Roy and Khastagir, 2016; Stanovcic et al., 2015). 

Therefore, GI is an important tool that can help society, organizations and companies to achieve environmental sustainability and plays an important role in achieving competitive advantage (Chu et al., 2019), and improves economic performance, facing GI challenges and the environment. On the other hand, GI prevents opportunities for imitation (Albort-Morant et al., 2018b). Mentioning these things add to the impact of this important factor in organizations, companies and even in the whole community. However; organizational success in terms of innovation requires acceptation of green methods (Chou, 2014; Huang and Li, 2017), implementing corporate culture through exchange of knowledge, experience and skills among employees (Roy and Khastagir, 2016; Stanovcic et al., 2015; Tseng et al., 2013b), practicing green corporate culture (Chu et al., 2019; Guerlek and Tuna, 2018), having organizational collaboration for implementation of innovation (Bigliardi et al., 2012a, Bigliardi et al., 2012b, Bigliardi et al., 2012c; Burki and Dahlstrom, 2017; Galia et al., 2015; Messeni Petruzzelli et al., 2011; Zailani et al., 2014; Zhang and Liang, 2012; Zhu et al., 2017), demonstrating commitment by senior management (Burki and Dahlstrom, 2017; Dangelico, 2016; Qi et al., 2010; Roy and Khastagir, 2016; Tantayanubutr and Panjakajornsak, 2017; Tseng et al., 2013b), integrating internal and external knowledge (knowledge sharing) due to system characteristics and technological uncertainties (Dangelico, 2016; Roy and Khastagir, 2016; Shamah, 2012; Stanovcic et al., 2015; Wong, 2013; Zimmerling et al., 2017) and putting environmental regulations into effect (Chiou et al., 2011; Ebrahimi and Mirbargkar, 2017; Lee and Kim, 2011; Rubashkina et al., 2015; Wakeford et al., 2017; Wong, 2013; Yang et al., 2016) all highlight the importance of GI implementation in organizations and communities. Nevertheless, implementation of these factors is facing numerous challenges such as green new technologies and their environmental problems (Gerstlberger et al., 2014), risk of failure in implementation process (Lee and Kim, 2011), high costs of research and development (Kunapatarawong and Martínez-Ros, 2016; Martinez-Ros and Kunapatarawong, 2019; Rubashkina et al., 2015), difficulties in data collection (Schweitzer, 2015), increased workload and job dissatisfaction among employees (Iranmanesh et al., 2017), insufficient funds for implementation of green projects (Wakeford et al., 2017), negative impact of external knowledge (Zimmerling et al., 2017), lack of risk-taking in organizations (Aguilera-Caracuel and Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2013), inadequate understanding of green initiatives (Ebrahimi and Mirbargkar, 2017), as well as inefficient government support (Aguilera-Caracuel and Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2013), which can direct organizations and communities towards GI implementation. This study reviewed GI literature in organizations to meet the following objectives: (a) increase in the number of scientific publications in this field (a total number of 178 articles on this topic, which used the keyword "green innovation" were searched in the databases of Web of Science and Scopus published between 2007 and 2019 were retrieved; (b) review of the related literature was done to deal with aspects that had not been examined in previous studies. These objectives that is the systematic literature review (SLR) from 2007 to 2019 were to address the following questions: (a) "What were the common methods used by authors to develop their research in the field of GI?" and (b) "What Sections have been used by researchers for their articles?", "What is a bibliometric profile (often-used keywords by authors and journals)?", "Who are top authors in this field?" and "What are the most important GI research area clusters?" To what extent the research on GI evolved in the past decade?

This study was organized in six Sections: Section one is a preliminary introduction along with a description of research objectives. Sections two, three and four focus on research methods, literature review and research specifications, respectively. Section five illustrates results and discussion, conclusion and in Section six future perspectives on GI is given followed by references.

Study and all mentioned reports can be found in the link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095965262032521X 

Circular Economy and ECO Innovation

Managing the life cycle of natural resources, from extraction through the design and manufacture of products, to what is considered as waste is essential to green growth and part of developing a resource-efficient, circular economy where nothing is wasted. Smarter design allowing products to be repaired, re-used, remanufactured and then recycled again should become the norm.

It's good for business, citizens and nature. The European Commission promotes resource efficiency, encourages eco-innovation, provides tools that can help you recognize green products and supports eco-friendly, innovative businesses.

A greener economy means new growth and job opportunities. Eco-design, eco-innovation, waste prevention and the reuse of raw materials can bring net savings for EU businesses of up to EUR 600 billion. Additional measures to increase resource productivity by 30 % by 2030 could boost GDP by nearly 1 %, while creating 2 million additional jobs. It also benefits the environment and reduces Europe's greenhouse gas emissions.

The Europe 2020 Strategy is the Commission's strategy for smart, inclusive and sustainable growth. The Commission actively supports businesses, administrations and consumers so that together, we can turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy. This is one of the three objectives of the 7th Environment Action Programme. To get growing again and create new jobs, while contributing to the global Sustainable Development Goals, Europe cannot afford to waste this opportunity.

The Circular Economy package can help us achieve green growth for Europe. Find out more about the many benefits of a circular economy and the measures the EU is taking to develop it.

Specific objectives of the project SUCOMINNO are:

  • Promotion of Green Innovation among young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers
  • Enhance the sense of initiative, responsibility, and entrepreneurship!
  • Reduce youth unemployment, increase of youth participation in the labor market.
  • Promote Non-Formal Educational methods for Green Innovation projects or companies among the partners organisations.
  • Increase European Dimension between youth workers and partners organisations.
  • Raise awareness about environmental pollution.
  • Promote international collaboration.
  • Work through discrimination of environment so to be able to reduce discrimination on people

Target Groups

Direct target group of the SUCOMINNO will be young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers from the organisations/ municipalities / communities who are working in the environment and youth unemployment with low entrepreneurship and employability skills. In total 40 young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers will participate in the project taking part in both trainings and trying to get out of the box with their ideas and work that has been in their area. Target group was chosen after recognition of the need of developing the skills of young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers in order to cope with youth unemployment which is high importance for Europe and also to have innovating ideas about saving our environment and helping with the reduce of Global Warming and climate change in a circular economy whole plan for all the groups of youth workers that will be created.

The indirect target group is European Union citizens who will be informed from the participants, through the activities they will carry and the green projects or companies they will create, about environmental issues in their countries and Europe.

Description of Main Activities

Online APV meeting and Initial Training of the organisations

Actually in the whole project there will be 3 main activities, the first activity it will be an online APV meeting and training where all the partners will discuss about the whole project and all thinks that maybe there are from this first meeting and our online meetings (we will have every month an online meeting with all our partners so to solve any problems that are coming as the project is going) and also in this meeting we will sign agreements with organizations that participants will be the same in both trainings and also our partners will sign an agreement with their members so all participants to be the same in both trainings.

A1 Activity: Training in Poland and Cyprus 5 to 12 of August 2024

First training in Poland will enforce them and make them to understand that they have the power to continue with there ideas and then second TC will be there as something to say to them that they have to move to go on with their ideas so some of the ideas to become green projects or future business and some of them to get real in life in the future.

A2 Activity: Training in Cyprus

The coordinating organisation will also evaluate the project based on the aims, objectives and other indicators set from the implementation of the project is expected to significantly improve the entrepreneurship and employability skills of at least 40 young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers from the organisations/ municipalities / communities. Furthermore 10 green companies or projects (4 young people/youth workers /educators/ policymakers/ environmentalist/ activists/ teachers from the organisations/ municipalities / communities in each company/project from different organisations so to share their ideas among their organisations) will be created from the participants limiting the environmental pollution and increasing the environmental awareness of the public. Another result of the project would be the information of thousands of European citizens about the impact of human activities in the environment. The sustainability of the project will be safeguarded through the updating of the webpage and social media with news about entrepreneurship and environment as well as about the progress of the 10 green companies or projects the participants will create.