The "Competence Network Environment Management.NRW" is geared towards the environmental management strategy and the innovation strategy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and thus also the EU strategy Europe 2020. It sees itself as a partner and network manager for the exchange between companies, research, associations, universities, regional agencies and business development at regional and local level.

The “Competence Network Environment Management.NRW” (KNUW) is intended to make the potential and strengths of the environmental economy in NRW visible and to strengthen North Rhine-Westphalia as a leading, sustainable and future-oriented business location and to establish the state's position as a provider of innovative environmental technologies at national and international level.

Power Content:

The task of the "Competence Network Environment Management.NRW" is to advance the environmental economy through suitable measures in the areas of innovation promotion (A.1), international markets (A.2), continuity of the network structure (A.3) and communication (A.4) bring, communicate to the outside world and be available as a central contact point for representatives from companies, research, associations and business development.

The specific tasks are:

Innovation Radar:

- annual screening of relevant technology areas per submarket of the environmental economy and evaluation of the market potential of product / process innovations in the form of an innovation radar,

- editorial and creative preparation of the results.

Event formats:

- Conception and implementation of usually 2 events per submarket and year. The results must be prepared and published editorially and creatively,

- Identification of strategic thematic lines in exchange with the specialist departments of the MULNV.

International communication and marketing of innovative core competencies:

- Establishment and maintenance of foreign trade-related networks, especially in direct contact with SMEs,

- Supporting companies (especially SMEs) in initiating or deepening foreign contacts,

- Conception, organization and implementation of business or delegation trips,

- Conception, organization and implementation of joint stands with actors (especially SMEs) from the sub-markets of the environmental economy for trade fairs in Germany (e.g. IFAT) or presentation at international trade fairs,

- Development of measures (e.g. publications) for the presentation of core competencies, specific products, technologies and services of the environmental economy of North Rhine-Westphalia with outstanding innovation character and focus on the top 10 trading partners of the environmental economy.

Market initiation and market development offers:

- implementation of submarket-specific foreign trade forums,

- Conception and implementation of submarket-specific country profiles or market entry screenings for the exporting countries of the environmental industry,

- Development of further offers to support companies in forming consortia for cooperation and market development projects.

Association of environmental companies:

- Completion of the merger of environmental management companies.

Development of regional networks of the environmental economy

Branding "Environmental management - a head start for NRW":

- further development of the communication concept,

- Further development and content (text editing and creation) as well as technical maintenance of the website of the network (www.knuw.de),

- regular publication of the environmental economy newsletter (at least once a quarter) and event-related publication of information,

- Creation and maintenance of information material on the submarkets of the environmental economy,

- Further development of the use of social networks, blogs, microblogging, wikis, forums etc.

Best Practice Communication:

In addition to the further development of the annual event established in cooperation with Messe Essen (Summit Umweltwirtschaft), the trade fair participations at the Hannover Messe and the IFAT must be continued, as well as further formats for communicating best practice examples.

The work results are documented in consultation with the client by preparing quarterly and annual reports.

On the basis of a work schedule and schedule, the contractor will provide a quarterly estimate of the total costs of the competence network, which must be updated with each accounting.