Empower Eco multiactor HUB: A triple helix ‘academia-industry-authority’ approach to creating and sharing potentially disruptive tools for addressing novel and emerging new Green Deal opportunities under a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework

Abstract

There is a pressing drive to address climate change and environmental degradation that are global existential threats. Europe has strategically responded by unifying efforts to transform its connected communities into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy with a trajectory to enable net nil greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; thus, ensuring economic growth is decoupled from resource utilisation, and that no person or place is left behind. The European Green Deal is an ambitious plan to make the European economy sustainable; however, there is no reference blue-print for the safe and just transitioning to a low carbon economy. This constitutes the first description of a triple helix (academic-industry-authority) concept underpinning operation of multiactor innovation hub that can be strategically applied to enable this transition that develops green innovation and enterprises. Innovative tools for meeting the United Nations’ SustainableDevelopment Goals are informed by appropriate technology, policy and society readiness levels from idea to final market/wider society deployment. “Empower-Eco Sustainability HUB,” is a digitised “living lab” established in the Irish peatlands that converges academia, communities, social enterprises, industries, policy and decision-makers. It develops green innovation in intended environments at demo/test-beds, such as for digital, agri-food, bioeconomyand bio-based sectors, and embraces climate-proofing and COVID-19 recovery.